What Happened to Black Friday?
Graphic by Nati Yeshiwas
Every year around the holiday season one of the most anticipated days is Black Friday. When the day comes around, shoppers are determined to get to a department store and buy Christmas gifts at a very high discount.
When I was younger, I remember hearing my cousins get up at 5 am to go shopping while supplies still lasted as well as hearing about people getting trampled and middle-aged women getting into fights over the last TV, which was 80% off.
This year just did not have the hyper energy that black Fridays in the past have had, with deals that are not worth getting up at 5 am for and not worth fighting over. I went to a couple of stores this year, and they were not nearly as crowded compared to years past.
Part of the reason Black Friday was not as prominent this year is the growing popularity of Cyber Monday. Why would you get up super early and deal with the crowds when you can stay in the comfort of your home and order things online?
The deals this year were not what they used to be. In past years, discounts ranged from 50-80% off on clothing and items from department stores. Items like TVs, kitchen appliances, and clothes were at prices that were hard to pass up.
This year the deals I saw only ranged from around 20-30%, which to many people is not worth the hassle and intensity that can be Black Friday shopping. These deals also start about a week before, so people can get their shopping done before black friday even comes.
Another reason for the poor deals is the decline in department stores; in the past, the main draw of the extreme discounts would be stores such as Best Buy and Macy's. In recent years, these stores have declined in popularity and have been closing stores across the country.
Even if Black Friday is not as exhilarating as it once was, I will never stop anticipating the deals that stores release even if they are underwhelming. If I see something that catches my eye, I will go in and remember the good days of Black Friday.