Believe it; it's true

Deadly shopping on Black Fri
Shop worker trampled to death, others injured in rush for bargains


NEW YORK - IN A sign of consumer desperation amid a bleak economy, the annual rite of retailing known as Black Friday turned chaotic and even deadly, as predawn shoppers scrambled for holiday bargains.
At a Wal-Mart store in Valley Stream, Long Island, an employee died after being trampled by 'out-of-control' shoppers who broke down the doors at a 5am sale.

Fights and injuries also occurred around the country last Friday at some other stores operated by Wal-Mart, the nation's leading discount chain, which is one of the few retailers thriving in the current economy.
Chaos also broke out at other retail stores. Two men pulled guns and shot each other to death at a crowded Toys 'R' Us store in Palm Desert, California, after a bloody brawl. But police suspect the deaths were not related to Black Friday shopping, but linked to a personal dispute.
The annual bargain-hunting ritual is known as Black Friday because it has historically been the day when stores went into black, or turned profitable, for the full year.

Tussles, and even broken bones, are common when shoppers camp outside shopping malls and throng retail stores for bargains at the start of post-Thanksgiving sales.

But the death at the Valley Stream Wal-Mart store is apparently the first time someone has been killed in a stampede.

Impatient shoppers knocked the Wal-Mart worker, identified by police as Mr Jdimytai Damour, 34, to the ground as he opened the doors, leaving a metal portion of the frame crumpled like an accordion.

Other workers were trampled as they tried to rescue him, and customers shouted angrily and kept shopping when store officials said they were closing because of the death, police and witnesses said.

At least four other people, including a woman who was eight months pregnant, were taken to hospitals for observation or minor injuries, and the store closed for several hours before reopening.

Nassau County police said about 2,000 people had gathered outside the store doors at the mall.

Items on sale at the store included a Samsung 50-inch Plasma HDTV set for US$798 (S$1,200) and a Samsung 10.2-megapixel digital camera for US$69.

'This crowd was out of control,' said Nassau police spokesman Lieutenant Michael Fleming. He described the scene as 'utter chaos', and said the store did not have enough security.

Police said criminal charges were possible in the case, but Lt Fleming said it would be difficult to identify individual shoppers.

The authorities were reviewing surveillance video. Wal-Mart Stores Inc, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, called the incident a 'tragic situation' and said the employee came from a temporary agency and was doing maintenance work at the store.

Chaos and injuries were also reported at other places.

A woman reported being trampled by overeager customers at a Wal-Mart opening last Friday in Farmingdale, about 24km east of Valley Stream, Suffolk County, police said.

She suffered minor injuries - but finished shopping before filing the report.

Despite those outbreaks, many other retailers appeared to have fewer customers amid the economic downturn. But the tough times also mean that budget-conscious shoppers are becoming more desperate for bargains.

Ms Charisma Booker, who has shopped at Wal-Mart every Black Friday for nearly a decade, said: 'There are fewer people here this year, but they're more aggressive.

'I've never seen anybody fight like this. This is crazy.'

For some consumer psychologists, the mad scramble was a sign of the times.

'I think it ties into a sort of fear and panic of not having enough,' said Professor Joe Priester of the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California.

A herd mentality, he said, can lead individuals to feel anonymous - so much so that they are quite capable of trampling someone.

'Fear combined with the group mentality?' he said. 'It doesn't surprise me at all.'
NYT, AP
www.straitstimes.com