Our View: Sales can wait; take a healthy hike for Black Friday
Let's face it, Black Friday has long lost its luster, now more code for weeks of holiday sales than the one-day bonding and shopping extravaganza with friends and family that it used to be. That shift was already happening and then was accelerated by two years of COVID-19 shutdowns, restrictions, and distancing requirements. Most of us long ago learned to go online to get our Christmas shopping done. Who wants to be crammed earmuff-to-earmuff inside a stuffy store anyway? Or get up hours before dawn to overrun a store's just-unlocked front doors?
On this Friday after Thanksgiving then, let's think outdoors rather than indoors, recalling that there's no such thing as bad weather, only inadequate clothing. With boots and heavy coats and even bomber hats if necessary, let's consider an emerging new tradition this year: a long hike in a state park or recreation area to work off all that turkey and pumpkin pie from yesterday.
In Minnesota, those parks and recreation areas are even free today . The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has decided to waive entrance fees — today is the last of four such free days this year — to all 75 state parks and recreation areas, including Jay Cooke in Carlton and Tettegouche, Split Rock, and Gooseberry Falls up the North Shore.
“Minnesota state parks and recreation areas are open year-round, and there’s plenty of fun to be had in the outdoors in every season," DNR Parks and Trails Division Director Ann Pierce said in a statement. “We hope offering a series of free-entrance days will encourage Minnesotans to visit these special places to spend time enjoying the outstanding natural resources our state has to offer and recharge from the stresses of everyday life.”
In addition to lowering stress, spending time in nature can improve attention, reduce the risk of psychiatric disorders, and even increase empathy and cooperation, the DNR has said, citing the American Psychological Association. Today’s free day is well timed, coming one week after National Hiking Day.
If you take advantage, don't expect a lot of staffing at park offices or visitor centers today. Any guidance you may need is posted on self-orientation signs near park entrances or can be found at the DNR's website, mndnr.gov . You can also download a map at the site to help track your location.
As inviting as all of that is, some Duluthians and Minnesotans will simply have to go shopping today. Minnesota is the 11th-most Black Friday-obsessed state, after all, with Wisconsin No. 24, as fashion experts at Boohoo determined last year after examining Google Trends data.
They can keep in mind that Small Business Saturday is tomorrow, with its plea from local merchants to please buy local and support the local economy.
There should be plenty of us out there who can choose to shop locally, too. Although inflation remains well above the target rate (in spite of its deceleration to 3.7% from more than 9% in June 2022), as CNBC reported last month, an estimated 130.7 million Americans plan to shop today. On Cyber Monday in three days, 71.1 million are expected to spend for Christmas and take advantage of the many deals from retailers.
“Overall holiday retail sales are estimated to climb more than 3% from last year to $957 billion, the National Retail Federation reports, and seasonal spending could grow as high as $1.6 trillion if you include festive food and beverage, according to ICSC, a trade group of malls and shopping centers,” Forbes reported last week.
Retailers and businesses bank on robust holiday shopping so they can use a black pen in their ledgers to indicate profit rather than the red ink of bleeding deficits. That change in ink color is how Black Friday got its nickname.
For some, shopping isn't just about gifts for loved ones, though. It's "retail therapy," that can-be-unhealthy habit of purchasing things to make ourselves feel better. It's costing more than 1.8 million Minnesota adults $384 million, according to a survey last year by CouponBirds, which polled 3,000 consumers regarding their online purchasing habits. One in 10 who do this say they look forward to Black Friday more than to Thanksgiving. The survey determined that every retail-therapy session costs shoppers about $212.95.
That's often at the expense of other, more reputable ways of improving mental health.
Like exercising.
Perhaps in a state park — and in Minnesota, most of us are within 30 miles of one, according to the DNR. And, again, they are free today. On a day when many of us could use a little healthy activity anyway.
