In the early 2000s, lines were wrapped around department stores on Black Friday. It could sometimes get ugly, with store damage and physical fights breaking out between shoppers.
Many people still take part in the Black Friday tradition, waking up as early as 4 a.m. to get to stores before everyone else to get the best deals. But today, Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday, and month-long discounts have made the busiest shopping day of the year less hectic.
Many stores now begin sales at the beginning of November in an extended build-up to Black Friday. This causes the actual day to not be as busy, because people have already made their purchases earlier in the month.
An NBC News article reported that Black Friday sales this year are not expected to live up to standards due to the week-long sales leading up to that day. The new term “Black November” comes from the extended sales promotions.
According to another NBC News story, around 100 million Americans shopped online on Cyber Monday last year. There has been a jump in sales due to people being able to shop from the comfort of their own home.
Large retail stores were the main focus for many people while shopping on Black Friday, and many small, locally owned businesses were left out of the crowds of people who come to shop on this day. Now, Small Business Saturday is a designated day for people to shop at these smaller stores, and help out with community store owners.
Impulse buying has always been a factor in Black Friday sales. The idea of going Black Friday shopping excites many people. They feel the need to buy something, even though they might not need anything at all.
Some stores use tactics to make it seem the deals are better, but in reality they are just normal deals stores would have occasionally, according to a story from the BBC. Stores sometimes raise their prices a week before to make deals seem more discounted. This misleads shoppers into thinking that they are getting a better deal on the products.
Some families previously used this time to bond and enjoy themselves together. Now, Black Friday traditions have diminished, but many people still enjoy the deals online or earlier in the month.
