retail black friday horror stories

Well, there was a time when a store's inventory system crashed on Black Friday. Customers were grabbing items, but the registers couldn't ring them up properly. Some people had to leave their carts full of items they thought they were getting at a great deal, only to be disappointed. Also, employees often have to deal with really rude customers during this time. They get yelled at for things out of their control, like running out of a popular item.

There are also stories of overcrowded stores where it's almost impossible to move around. Shoppers end up getting pushed, shoved, and sometimes even trampled. For example, in some big department stores, people rush towards the discounted electronics section and it becomes a chaotic mess. It can be a very dangerous situation, not to mention the stress it causes.

Well, I heard of a situation where a store's website crashed on Black Friday. Customers had filled their virtual carts with items, but when they went to checkout, the site just froze. People lost their deals and were extremely frustrated. Also, there are times when the prices marked as 'discounted' on Black Friday are actually not that much of a bargain. A friend of mine thought she got a great deal on a TV, but later found out it was only a few dollars less than the regular price a month before.

The most memorable one for me was when a big-box store had a 'doorbuster' deal on a new game console. People started camping out days in advance. When the doors finally opened, it was chaos. People were climbing over each other, and some merchandise got damaged in the process. It was a total mess.

Sure. There are stories of people fighting over the last item on the shelf. I mean, really getting into physical altercations. It's supposed to be a time of shopping and celebration, but instead, it turns into a battlefield. And some stores have really bad inventory management. They advertise big sales, but then they don't have enough stock. So, customers end up disappointed and angry.

There are horror stories about parking too. Finding a parking spot near the store on Black Friday can be a nightmare. People drive around for ages, sometimes missing out on the early - bird deals because they are stuck in the parking lot. And when they do finally park, they might be so far away from the store that they have to walk a long distance in bad weather or with a lot of shopping bags, which is very inconvenient.

A big department store once had a Black Friday event where they accidentally marked down a high - end TV much lower than intended. Shoppers rushed to get it. Instead of canceling the sales, the store decided to honor the price for the first 100 customers. This created a huge buzz and they got a lot of positive publicity in the end.

Sure. There's a story of a bookstore that on Black Friday, instead of focusing on big bestsellers, they promoted local authors. They set up special readings and signings. It was a huge success as it attracted a different crowd who were interested in supporting local talent.

One horror story is the stampedes that sometimes occur. People are so eager to get into stores for the best deals that they push and shove. I heard of a case where an elderly person got knocked down and injured in the chaos outside a big - box store.

One horror story involved a store that promised a certain percentage off all purchases. But when customers got to the register, they realized that the discounts were not being applied correctly. The store staff was unprepared for the volume of customers and the complexity of the deals. There were long lines of angry shoppers who had been misled by the advertising. Some customers ended up leaving without their purchases because they couldn't get the promised discounts and the wait was too long.