Black Friday 2014 sparks pandemonium across some NI supermarket aisles
Black Friday sees shoppers surge into supermarkets in attempt to pick up electronics for bargain prices
Print28 November 2014
Chaotic scenes emerged online from a supermarket in Northern Ireland, where shoppers were determined to leave with bargain ‘Black Friday’ electronic goods.
Footage which was originally uploaded to a Facebook page and which can be viewed here from a report on the Belfast Telegraph’s site shows a man and woman tugging at opposite ends of what appears to be a Samsung TV.
The footage was filmed at a branch of Tesco at Craigavon, and a number of similar scenes were posted online from supermarkets elsewhere in Northern Ireland.
A Tesco representative said: “We always take guidance from police authorities on security measures in stores and we’ll work closely with them to make any improvements for next year.”
Meanwhile in Manchester, three people were arrested as police were called to supermarkets. Police also attended four supermarkets in London before the doors had even opened in the early hours of this morning. They were also called out to the Glover Drive store in Edmonton and Tesco stores in Willesden and Surrey Quays and an Asda in Capital Way, Edgeware.
Scotland Yard said: “Officers have worked with store staff to ensure that sale-goers were able to enter and exit the stores safely. No persons have been injured at any of the locations as a result of the overcrowding.”
What exactly is Black Friday?
Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving Day in the United States (the fourth Thursday of November), and it’s often regarded as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Most major US retailers open very early and offer promotional sales to get the Christmas shopping season off to a flying start.
The name ‘Black Friday’ originally came from Philadelphia, where it was used to describe the heavy traffic that occurred on the day after Thanksgiving. Later an another explanation was given: that retailers traditionally operated at a financial loss (“in the red”) from January until November, and “Black Friday” indicates the point at which retailers begin to turn a profit, or become “in the black”.
How has Ireland reacted to Black Friday? Tweeters give their verdicts:
Not really loving #BlackFriday being in Ireland, it’s a frenzy in Dundrum at the moment. If I didn’t live here, I wouldn’t go near the place
WTF When did #blackfriday arrive Ireland and what next? Guns and racial tension?
Just heard on the radio that #BlackFriday is a four day event ha ha. That’s almost as good as holy hour in Ireland from 2 to 4
Seán Gabriel @corneliusdoodle
I am trusting that the people of #Ireland will resist #mediahype about #BlackFriday. This is just another attempt to foist a US thing on us
BritishSpindependent @ukspindependent
This is basically another ‘Arthur’s day’ invented occasion for Ireland – just much less fun. #BlackFriday
Louise Heneghan @LaobhaoiseNihE
I don’t know why we have to follow every American trend. #BlackFriday in Ireland is just silly, it’s only another shopping day.
I braved @asda #Strabane earlier for some provisions – scarily there were taped crash barriers outside but I got out alive #BlackFriday
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