Black Friday can be a very exciting time for businesses and customers. Dreaming of scoring a new something-or-other at a low price motivates some to literally camp outside of stores before they open. The prospect of bringing in lots of customers and making lots of sales, particularly towards the end of a difficult economic year, entices many businesses to plan for sale items and share what will be available on this special day. Some businesses even change their store hours to generate more excitement and help customers get their shopping started right away.

Not to play on words too much, but there is a dark or “black” side of this day that is discussed every year after the day passes. Stories of people being injured or very frustrated by the process circle the Internet. This year a woman was almost crushed to death in North Texas when frantic customers ripped apart a display of DVDs. The video can be seen here. Unfortunately, the story of injury is not unique to one store or one year.

An editorial in the Arkansas Times shared how Black Friday was the “saddest day of the year” based on what people are driven to do and how they treat each other. The writer shares how he planned his Thanksgiving to make sure he was at a store when the doors opened at midnight. A special day with family impacted by a desire to buy gifts for his kids at a lower price. The writer was proud he was able to save money, but was frustrated by the process. I believe it doesn’t have to be this way.

There is not one person or institution to blame for the current culture of Black Friday, but there are ways to maintain the excitement and sales without frustrating customers or inadvertently creating scenes of injury. No business wants to be known for negative outcomes. The following are ways that Black Friday could be different:

• Offer savings and or exclusive opportunities to the best customers through social media or loyalty programs.
• Allow customers to “fast pass” the way amusement parks manage long lines. Everyone gets a line placeholder and returns when it’s their time to ride the ride.
• Dole out sale opportunities throughout the day so customers don’t feel they have to trample each other for savings at a specific time.
• Customers have already demonstrated they are willing to do things differently for Black Friday sales. Help them use this energy. Maybe have “friend moments” when people enlist their friends to shop with them and the group gets exclusive time in the store. This way people are shopping with others they know and like and thus are less likely to feel anonymous enough to watch actions take a negative turn.
• Offer better deals online at the same time to encourage people to shop in their bunny slippers.
• Divide up the day for different audiences so different groups cycle through at different times. For example, maybe tech toys on sale first thing but children’s toys won’t be on sale until later in the day.

These are just starting ideas. The point is to keep the excitement and sales high while helping customers always think fondly of your brand. More ideas are certainly possible. Think about your brand image and tailor Black Friday opportunities that best match the personality, keep your prime audience excited, and help everyone feel great about the holidays.