Over the last few years, hype surrounding Black Friday shopping has reached an all-time high. So much so that for the past few years, stampedes for the top deals and fights among shoppers have become regular. Electronics supplier Best Buy looks to prevent such atrocities in their stores.
Best Buy is well known for its Geek Squad tech support team. They are a group of employees that drive around doing in-home IT support jobs. However, on Black Friday, they will operate as a Riot Squad.
“I took this job because I know how to use computers. Tackling people and using force wasn’t really my skill set, but after going through the Police Academy, I am more than ready to throw some tear gas, and shoot some rubber bullets,” local Geek Squad manager Tony Clark said. “Plus getting paid overtime helps.”
As competitors will be overrun by savage bargain hunters and coupon clippers, Best Buy will have the recently named “Riot Squad” patrolling the parking lot before they open at midnight to make sure patrons are in orderly lines. Then, once the doors open, they will let one customer in at a time, using their riot shields to hold back the rest of the deal-crazed shoppers.
“Do I think this is pretty crazy? Yeah. Do I think it will work? Definitely,” 50-year Black Friday veteran Shelly Smith said. “I’m pretty sure I knocked someone out last year, it was all such a blur. This is a necessary change.”
Heralded economists including The Wall Street Journal’s Paul Krugman weighed in on the situation, agreeing this will improve Best Buy’s sales.
“People don’t want to die on Black Friday. If that means entering into a store run like a military state, it’s a sacrifice consumers will make,” Krugman said.
