The day after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday, marks the start of the holiday shopping season as millions search for the perfect gifts for their loved ones at the best prices. Black Friday was once the ultimate retail spectacle: an all-day, nationwide event where shoppers braved long lines and fought through chaotic crowds in search of amazing discounts.
But in recent years, this once-iconic shopping day has slowly lost its spark. As online shopping has become the norm, Black Friday has gone from being a highlight of the holiday season to just another day on the calendar.
The term Black Friday was first used in the early 1960s when police officers in Philadelphia used the phrase to describe the chaotic scene that resulted when swarms of suburban tourists came into the city to begin their holiday shopping. These huge crowds created massive headaches and long shifts for the police force as they dealt with increased traffic jams, accidents and shoplifting.
Then, in the 1980s, the phrase Black Friday began to describe a positive boost in retail sales as we understand it today when merchants introduced the red-to-black profit narrative. Black Friday was the day when stores began to turn a profit for the year.Â
By the early 2000s, Black Friday had evolved into the ultimate retail spectacle, being not just a shopping day, but an iconic event. Outside stores from Best Buy to Walmart, the energy was palpable as millions of shoppers geared up for the retail chaos, ready to battle for the best deals.
Stores would open earlier and earlier, with some even starting their sales on Thanksgiving evening, and people camped outside for hours in extremely long lines. There is no denying that Black Friday held a sense of cultural significance that made it feel iconic.
Fast forward to today, and the hype that once defined Black Friday has gradually faded. The campouts and early-morning stampedes have been replaced, as online shopping becomes more and more favored.
As drawn-out sales last days and even weeks rather than just 24 hours, the sense of urgency that once defined the holiday has been almost completely lost. In 2020 alone, consumers spent over $9 billion online during Black Friday, up 21.6% from the previous year.
Busy shoppers are giving in to the understandable appeal of having items delivered directly to their doorsteps, bypassing the crowds and stress of traditional in-person shopping.Â
This trend towards online shopping over in-person retail was amplified even more with the COVID-19 pandemic, permanently altering Black Friday and holiday retail.
With lockdowns, social distancing measure and widespread store closures, shoppers turned to online platforms in unprecedented numbers, accelerating the shift towards online shopping as the norm.
Even as stores have reopened, this shift in consumer behavior has made it clear that e-commerce has become the collective preferred method of shopping. Retailers have responded to this shift by adjusting their sales to be online-only events and offering early discounts that span weeks.Â
Clearly, Black Friday no longer holds the same magic it once did. The frenzy of doorbusters and midnight crowds has almost completely disappeared as online shopping and extended sales have taken over in our post-pandemic society.
While some long for the excitement of the old days, this shift doesn’t necessarily mean the end of Black Friday, but it is simply evolving with the times. Now, Black Friday isn’t just about shopping, but instead, it’s about convenience, choice, and getting ready for the holidays in a way that best suits our lifestyles today.Â