There was a store where the security system malfunctioned on Black Friday. Thieves took advantage of the chaos and stole a large amount of merchandise. The store employees were so busy dealing with the hordes of customers that they didn't notice until it was too late. It was a nightmare for the store owners who faced significant losses.
I know of a situation where a group of shoppers lined up outside a store hours before it opened on Black Friday. But when the doors finally opened, the security measures failed. Thieves took advantage of the chaos and stole from people's bags and pockets while everyone was focused on getting inside the store. It was a nightmare for those who had their belongings stolen and a really bad start to their Black Friday shopping.
Yes. One story is about a website crashing on Black Friday. A customer had filled their cart with all the items they wanted at great discounts. But when they went to check out, the site crashed. By the time it was back up, all the items were out of stock or the discounts had expired.
A really bad story was when a customer drove for hours to get to a store for a special deal. When they arrived, they found that the deal had been cancelled without any prior notice. It was a total waste of time and fuel. Also, there have been times when the checkout process took forever on Black Friday because the store's systems couldn't handle the volume of customers. It made everyone very impatient.
Many employees mentally prepare themselves before Black Friday. They know it's going to be crazy, so they go in with a positive attitude. They might think of the day as a challenge rather than a nightmare. In my experience as a Black Friday employee at an electronics store, I told myself that every difficult customer was just a test of my patience and customer service skills. And when I started looking at it that way, the stress seemed more manageable.
There are also stories of employees cheating on Black Friday. For instance, some employees might hold back the best deals for themselves or their friends before the official store opening time. This is unfair to the regular customers who have been waiting in line for hours in the cold, expecting a fair chance at the best bargains.
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 of the top stories could be about the amazing discounts at big retail stores. For example, some electronics stores might offer huge price cuts on popular items like laptops and TVs. Shoppers line up outside stores hours before opening to get these deals.
One story from Black Friday 2016 was about a small local store. They had a special deal on handmade sweaters. People lined up outside the store early in the morning. The owner was so happy to see the long queue as it showed the community's support for local business.