I am happy right now. I am sitting in my warm, comfortable office writing my weekly newspaper article. At this very moment, millions of Americans are fighting the crowds and cold and chaos of Black Friday in order to save $100 on a new TV or 15% off a new iPhone.
At first, my day played out nicely as lunch rolled around, time for a break. I drove into the parking lot at the burger, taco, and soda place after calling in an order for myself and my coworkers at the office. The stop should have gone faster, but I decided to go inside with a dozen cars in the drive-thru. After all, it seemed everyone was getting lunch at this fast-food restaurant. Once inside, it looked like the rest of the town stood at the counter like straws waiting for their drinks and meals. We were packed in like sardines; I inched closer to the cashier, slowly.
Black Friday is seen by many as a shopping extravaganza that begins in the wee hours of the morning on the day after Thanksgiving, offering deep discounts on various items, doorbuster deals and other specials that have customers anxious to raid the aisles. Many believe Black Friday was named for the day retail companies would become profitable for the year (retailers would record losses in red ink and profits in black), but other accounts of the origins of Black Friday differ.
The 2021 holiday shopping season promises to be an unpredictable one. The labor shortage and supply chain issues are already throwing a wrench into holiday shopping. Electronics, toys, and other products will be (or already are) in short supply, and retailers are struggling to staff up as the shopping season nears.
Depreciation is an annual tax deduction that allows small businesses to recover the cost or other basis of certain property over the time they use the property. It is an allowance for the wear and tear, deterioration or obsolescence of the property.
