Last year, on the day after Thanksgiving, the stampede of discount-crazed shoppers seeking Black Friday sales got so ugly that one Walmart employee was trampled to death. This year, Walmart and other discount giants are adopting a more humane solution: Start Black Friday–type sales early and extend them for weeks. Will the strategy help the U.S. economy bounce back — or maybe even save lives? (Watch a report about Walmart toning down Black Friday)
It's a great idea — kudos to Walmart: The Arkansas-based retailer should be commended, says Kim Peterson at MSN's Smart Spending. In this economy, shoppers are even more desperate than usual to snag the best deals, so the potential for disaster has been "ratcheted up a notch." Extending the sales should help create both holiday cheer and profits.
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