Holiday Shopping - Best Buy all the way to Dubai

It's November believe it or not...which means the holidays will be here before you know it and you're going to be hitting the malls and the web to get presents for everyone. This year might be a little bit different though. Since we're in an economic crisis, chances are that both: (a) people will not be buying as much and (b) people might be relying on the holiest of all days in the shopping world, Black Friday, for their shopping. Even so, stores might seem a bit worried about their sales this year so you may be seeing more promotions...after all, you probably felt the oddness of getting your Halloween costume with Santa, Rudolph and possibly even some jingles playing near you.

Best Buy, a mecca for people with turkey hangovers, is trying something different this year...something a bit odd...something that kind of makes me think of A Christmas Story. An Essay Contest. [You'll shoot your eye out] The Black Friday VIP Contest wants people to write, in 250 words or less, about how Black Friday is "an important annual tradition" for families. 25 winners get a limo ride to/from the select Best Buy locations, early admittance (30 minutes ahead) into the store, a camcorder to record the experience and a $1,000 Best Buy Gift Card.

Pretty sweet prize but annual tradition? Personally, I've experienced Black Friday madness a few times and it was to get Christmas presents...for my family. Call me crazy, but I just don't buy Christmas presents for my family when I'm with my family, nevermind the fact that everyone in my family will usually sleep well beyond 5 am the day after Thanksgiving. But I guess I'm just not the demographic for this contest...good luck to the entrants.

If you really want a nice shopping experience, you may want to go to the amazing city of Dubai, a city that I have blogged about before. They just had the largest, single-day mall opening in the world: about 600 retailers, an aquarium, a fashion catwalk, an ice-rink and art galleries that cover about 12 million sq feet with about 14,000 parking spaces. I don't think they need to promote this monster with an essay contest. Take that Mall of America!