Is Black Friday Dead?
By Shannan Massillon ('25)
Photo Courtesy of NBC News
Black Friday is celebrated every year on the Friday after Thanksgiving, marking the start of the holiday shopping season in America. It takes place at every popular store we know, with Target, Best Buy, and many others hosting their own deals. We can all visualize the fanfare of the day: long lines of people in front of stores, others camping outside waiting for the store to open, and the aggression of people fighting with each other over different items, some ending up with serious injuries. But lately, it seems that Black Friday fanfare is relatively unseen and unheard. How has one of the most anticipated days in America dwindled to relative obscurity?
Well, nowadays, people would much rather stay at home shopping for items. It seems that the best deal now is to shop from the comfort of your own home, rather go outside in the cold to compete with other customers. Shopping online is much easier, since we can just order things from the stores we love from home, the most popular store being Amazon.com. Stores everywhere have taken advantage of the online shopping culture, creating their websites for customers to shop, so that they may still make money without all the hassle of a regular Black Friday. However it does have its negatives, such as waiting for the order to arrive, which can sometimes take up to weeks to arrive, and scams if you're not taking proper precautions.
While shopping online is much easier to do, it doesn't mean you shouldn't shop for Black Friday deals in-store. There are many advantages to shopping in person. For one there is less chaos than before because most people prefer to stay at home. We no longer see anyone camping outside stores anymore. Through social media, there is also more news about how low prices are set in stores, giving you the best opportunity to start checking off your Christmas shopping. It is smart to take advantage of these low prices in stores, and it's a great way to buy things for friends and family while not spending too much money.
Photo Courtesy of Pew Research Center
In conclusion, you can now expect that most Black Friday deals will be taking place in stores online. Like it or not, it's just the easiest thing to do. However, not everyone is like this, so don't feel discouraged from shopping in stores for good prices! May your holiday shopping season be merry and bright!
Cover photo courtesy of Brittanica
Banner photo courtesy of www.history.com