What once used to be a hectic holiday to go shopping the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday seemingly doesn’t have the sales it used to.
History of Black Friday
People first used the term “Black Friday” in the 1950s. However, it wasn’t for doorbuster sales after Thanksgiving. “Big Friday” was the term originally used in the 1950s for the shopping day after Thanksgiving. But, after police saw huge and congested crowds in Philadelphia, they used the term “Black Friday.”
Since then, America has coined that as the term.
Black Friday used to only be one day out of the year to catch insane deals in stores. Now, deals seem to start in the beginning of November.
Psychology of term “Black Friday”
Stores are able to fool our brains into spending hundreds and thousands of dollars on one single day, just because they label it as Black Friday.
This is due to dopamine triggering your brain, making you need to spend money. Dopamine is the same neurotransmitter that releases when you’re doing something you believe you enjoy. It can cause addiction.
Dopamine can possibly trigger the mind during Black Friday. You see the term on the sign, and your brain makes you believe it’s a good sale.
The truth is, Black Friday sales aren’t as good as they used to be.
Then vs Now
When Black Friday was a huge “one day only” sale, deals seemed to be more of an eye catcher. For example, in 2010, Target was selling a TV for as low as $298. With that deal, a customer was saving over $250.
Last year, a TV from Target with the Black Friday deal cost $350, only saving $100.
“I personally don’t go out of my way to go shopping on Black Friday. It’s too hectic with the deals not being as great as they used to,” Kellie Hastrup, a Colonia High School senior states, “However, my parents will take advantage of some of the deals online.”
Cyber Monday
It seems due Cyber Monday (Black Friday for online shopping) and sales extending to the beginning of November, the deals aren’t as big.
Cyber Monday is not only on Amazon (the biggest online shopping site), it also extends across different stores’ websites. For example, you can go in person to Hollister on Black Friday and find a deal. Then, you can go to Hollister.com on Cyber Monday and find a different deal.
In 2024, $253.4 billion was spent online during Cyber Monday. That is a 5.3% increase from the previous year in 2023.
Amazon has been promoting Cyber Monday for weeks, and it seems deals have already started in the beginning of November. For example, a JBL speaker is on sale for $109.95 instead of $149.95.
“I hate going to the stores on Black Friday,” Abigail Araujo, a Colonia High School senior states, “It’s so hectic and I find better deals online.”
