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Black Friday is always tough to try to cover, but this year there are some new angles to the day of shopping frenzy that readers will want to know more about:
-- The day after Thanksgiving has become known as a day to find deals on holiday gifts, including major discounts on sought-after tech toys. But is every deal on Black Friday really a steal? How to tell whether it's worth getting up early (or staying up late) for.
-- Some retailers are even taking the getting-up-early part out of the equation, opening at midnight or even earlier on Thanksgiving. While this might be more convenient for shoppers, how do the employees who have to work feel about it? People have muttered for years that Christmas has encroached further each year on Thanksgiving -- how do they feel that now part of the day has been taken over by holiday excess?
-- A lot of stories focus on the shoppers, but consider your local businesses and the effect Black Friday has on them. In a world where the Walmarts and Targets have cornered the market on holiday spending, how do local businesses get their slice of the pie? Note that Saturday is Small Business Saturday, a movement started last year by American Express to focus holiday spending locally. Does anyone in your community participate -- or care about this day?
-- And don't forget about Cyber Monday, the day after Thanksgiving branded a few years ago because of the deals to be found online. This year, travel discounts are the trend -- are your readers buying? How many have funds to buy a vacation for their family this year rather than gifts for everyone?
-- Who else is profitting from Black Friday? According to this press release, babysitters are trying to. In the past, coffeeshops and restaurants have opened early to cater to those shopping early -- what other local businesses will do the same?
Check out story ideas, interesting ways to use Web tools and any way journalists are reaching out to readers.
