BLACK Friday – the name itself is dark, but the event itself is anything but.
If anything, it should be called ‘Golden Friday’ as coins get exchanged between customers and businesses as bargain deals pop up across the world on November 26.
And Swan Hill and district is no different – shops will be opening their doors ready to welcome you with discounts galore and friendly service.
Because that’s the difference between your local retailer and an utterly distant billionaire like Jeff Bezos.
The richest man in the world is busy going into space, while your local retailer is down on the ground making your community the best place they can be.
They’re sponsoring our sports clubs.
Sending their children to our schools.
Rolling up their sleeves and getting stuck in as volunteers.
They’re our friends, neighbours, and family.
They wake up early to put the keys in the doors of their businesses, ready for another day of providing the best customer care possible.
As a town, Swan Hill punches above its weight in terms of what it can provide.
Walking down Campbell Street, McCallum Street, Beveridge Street, or Chapman Street, there’s anything and everything you could want.
Fashion, flowers, wine, shoes, sunglasses, jewels, machinery, auto parts, electronics, fishing gear, homewares – the variety is endless.
But what is Black Friday?
Originating in The United States, it’s the biggest sales event across the world right before Christmas.
The term ‘black’ comes from a newspaper in Philadelphia who observed the high amount of traffic on the road during the holiday in 1961.
The rolling tyres on the bitumen had ‘blacked out’ the streets, as eager shoppers went home with bags of bargains.
As the world becomes sadly more insular and digitised, it’s a sweet and quaint image – individuals and families making a day out of going to the shops.
But why does it have to become a thing of the past?
Why not pack mum, dad and the kids into the car to go out and look for Christmas gifts right before December hits?
One of the best things about living in Swan Hill is the wide sidewalks and logical layout of the CBD, so you can stroll at your leisure.
And once you’ve got all your presents, there are a number of eateries where you can stop and have a coffee (or a wine – why not?).
So come on Swan Hill – let’s support our local business owners this Black Friday, and leave Bezos to the cold void of space.
