By Rafael Almanza
Since everyone knows that Christmas shopping will shortly begin after Thanksgiving, many retailers typically offer significant discounts on products on the Friday following Thanksgiving to help customers with their holiday shopping. But the extreme offers, which seem to have driven people insane, have also caused chaos.
Black Friday's opposition is mostly based on the claim that it violates the spirit of Thanksgiving. Being grateful for all the things in our lives is the main focus of Thanksgiving. A few short hours later, the largest day of the year dedicated to materialism kicks off. Last year, according to the U.S. National Retail Federation, nearly 200 Americans shopped in stores and online during the five day period from Thanksgiving Day to Cyber Monday 2022.
This year, according to Adobe Analytics, Black Friday online sales jumped up 7.5 percent compared to last year. And for Cyber Monday, consumers spent $12.4 billion, an increase of 9.6 percent from 2022.
The term shopping sense was first used in the 1960s to describe the traffic jams caused by customers; it was then defined as the day when a retailer's account switched from being "in the red" to "in the black." A more accurate explanation dates back to when Philadelphia police officers coined the term "Black Friday" to characterize the mayhem that broke out when a lot of out-of-town visitors entered the city to start their holiday shopping. The irony of the occasion is that it's supposed to be a day of giving thanks to friends, family, and the community, but instead, it's become the lead-up to mass consumption, which basically takes away the spirit of giving thanks. Unfortunately with the advancement of technology, Black Friday has been decreasing in popularity since the CoronaVirus pandemic in 2020 since many people are now accustomed to using online shopping. So instead of participating in Black Friday, they participate in Cyber Monday which is typically the same just online.
Interviewees were asked whether or not they were going to participate in Black Friday this year, and if so what they were looking to buy.
Mr.Sedlacek had this to say, “Yes, by watching football, no shopping in person though because it’s too crazy. Most likely with shopping online if anything, participating in deals for Cyber Monday. The only thing I want to do on Black Friday is watch football and eat.”
While Mrs.Galindo explained that “Black Friday can get crazy in the stores, I probably wouldn't go in person. I think it's better to do Cyber Monday or Prime Day, I like shopping from the comfort of home and the convenience of doing it on my phone. I like to get crafting supplies and maybe presents for my family.”
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