Black Friday has forever changed the Friday after Thanksgiving. Black Friday shoppers used to wake up at 3 a.m. to shop and be in line to get the best deals. Now it’s about staying up all night to shop online to get the best deals.
It seems like times have changed this year. When going out early in the day, you would be nervous about lines wrapped around buildings and about not being able to get what you need. NBC4 says “Consumers also spent a record $6.4 billion online on Thanksgiving Day”. Therefore, online sales have become a new thing, and many people are not as committed to going in person.
Now that phones and computers are starting to have all of the same things online that people can find in person, people are taking it to their advantage.
According to ABC6 News, “In-person and online Black Friday shopping this year was 4.1% higher than last year, before adjusted for inflation, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse.”
People are now preferring online instead of in-person because of these swamped places and the lack of parking.
Traditionally, Black Friday was known for early morning openings, long lines, and limited quantity “doorbuster” deals. Those deals are still in place, but not as big as they had been before COVID. Most deals have been going down since inflation, and people are worried about not being able to get gifts on time.
Shoppers look forward to that rush feeling on Black Friday, but overall, it’s just not the same. “In (Bankrate’s) recent holiday shopping survey, we found about 30% of holiday shoppers planning to spend less this year, about 40% planning to spend the same, so where is that growth coming from? A lot of it is coming from upper-income households,” Patrick Rossman said according to NBC6.
Inflammation is taking a toll on things, and people struggle with Christmas this season. With prices going up, taxes are increasing and it’s hard for families all over the country.
Overall, things have changed for Black Friday shoppers. Some people miss it, and some people don’t. People miss the high in the morning getting ready to go shopping, and some people love doing it online, being the first to check out.
