After years of stirring up customers to flock into stores on the day after Thanksgiving, retailers are working on ways to crowd control the Black Friday crowds.
When a 34-year-old employee was trampled to death by stampeding shoppers at Wal-Mart in New York last year, retailers are being more cautious when offering ”doorbuster specials” by implementing new crowd-control measures.
More orderly lines can be formed by a outlining a clear path with stanchions, retractable or velvet ropes and barricades . Wal-Mart will remain open 24 hours, allowing shoppers to be in the store while the sales start, eliminating the rush of humanity that can occur when doors open.
The Walmart incident last year prompted several sets of Black Friday guidelines. The guidelines call for retailers to develop detailed crowd-control plans. Retailers “need to train their employees, set up barricades and make sure lines don’t extend to entrances,” said Jordan Barab, acting assistant secretary of labor for OSHA.
“Consumers are already worried about the economy and losing a job. The last thing they need is to worry about breaking a foot [during a stampede] or worse,” said Craig R. Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners, a retail consulting firm.
I’ll say!
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