Black mark on Black Friday

December 2, 2008

IMPATIENT shoppers at a Long Island Wal-Mart sacrificed the life of store employee Jdimytai Damour last week in their rush to get their hands on discounted goods. Crazed consumers can at least claim they were swept along by the crowd that trampled Damour, a 34-year-old temporary worker. But what is Wal-Mart's excuse?

As many as 2,000 people had lined up for several hours at the Valley Stream Wal-Mart before the doors were about to open at 5 a.m. Some in the crowd pushed the doors off their hinges, giving new meaning to the "door-buster" sales hyped by giant retailers. Some shoppers, according to published reports, were irate when police tried to close the store to regain control of the scene. On this Black Friday in Long Island, consumerism looked more like modern idolatry.

Retail giants know the herd-like effects their sales can have on people, especially when money is tight. The least they can do is invest as much in the safety of their shoppers and employees as they do in figuring out which items are likely to create the greatest demand. A statement by Wal-Mart says managers provided extra security at the Valley Stream store. But the security detail obviously lacked the strength or experience to control the crowd.

Lou Palumbo, who heads the New York-based Elite Agency LTD., provides security and crowd control for major events, including NASCAR and the Golden Globes. Palumbo estimates that Wal-Mart could have hired an elite service such as his to set up orderly queues and control the crowd throughout the night for about $6,000.

If that price seems steep for the world's largest corporation, consider the cost to Damour and his family.