Amazon and other online giants have reaped gazillions in Black Friday/weekend and Cyber Monday and people have had pitched battles in the aisles in supermarkets and department stores. 

That really sums it up – a cynically manufactured event that makes you, sucker joe, think you are getting a bargain. 

And if you’ve got any credit left on your flexible friend, you could go and support your local shops next Saturday, as part of American Express’s ‘Small Business Initiative Day’, but you won’t have, will you?

As this is my blog, I am having a pre-Christmas rant.  There are some customs from over the pond that I am quite happy to do without. 

I don’t want Black Friday or Cyber Monday emails littering my inbox like a storm of leaves.  Its almost become spam in the constant iteration and exhortations to buy online. 

My pre-Christmas resolution was made when I got my first 5 Amazon emails in one day.  I  would buy only from  my local shops in Oswestry and if I did have to get anything online then it would be from retailers who didn’t take part in Black Friday. 

I think the whole thing is ultimately damaging to small businesses and independents in the UK., and to any manufacturing base we have left (which is pitifully small).  Black Friday shows that the markups made on products by large corporates are either so generous that they can afford to slash prices, or their supplier base is severely under pressure to cut costs.

I have to applaud Rowanthorn for having a Rainbow Friday – where prices remained sensible, as they have done all year. 

This Saturday is the Small Business Initiative in Oswestry – your chance to support local businesses.   That American Express is backing the Small Business Initiative is laudable, but somewhat disquieting, as Amex will have made megabucks on business transactions over the Thanksgiving weekend and to my mind it is only encouraging people to use plastic to get into debt.

However, in spite of that, I will be supporting our local businesses, as I do every shopping day, and buying local this Saturday.  But as someone who, many years ago, had a handful of credit cards and a jaw dropping overdraft, I will be paying cash.  It took me five years to get out of debt and I have no intention of falling back into it!