Friday, November 28, 2008

Retail Stampede, Retail Tragedy

This is not a post about how retail stocks are going to stampede higher based on the early indications of Black Friday sales. No, this is a much more somber post about a tragedy that occurred here on Long Island (NYC suburb) this morning.

Wal-Mart greeter killed by shopper stampede (Newsday)
A throng of shoppers physically broke down the doors and pushed their way into the store killing the 34-year old man at the Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream, Nassau police said.

Not only that, four shoppers, including a pregnant woman, were taken to the hospital for observation.

Is this what we are all about? When has going shopping for bargains at 4 am - yes four in the morning - turned into the national pastime? We all should be ashamed, especially since it was only hours earlier we celebrated a great tradition of cooperation (that's the real story behind Thanksgiving) and family.

My condolences to the man's family.

1 comment:

Doug said...

I couldn't agree more mike, I saw the story on the news and all I could do was cuss and shake my head.