Do you remember when people would camp outside a store from midnight waiting for it to open? Or when people would fight over a 65-inch television because it was so cheap? Well, that was what Black Friday was like when I was younger. Now in the year 2024, it’s no longer the same. But I wonder, why did all this commotion stop? I used to be so excited for this time of year because that meant my parents would get me anything I wanted. For most, it allowed them to get their holiday presents cheaply instead of at full price. It was allowing everyone to save thousands of dollars each year from the demands of the holiday season. Yet, the thrill, the huge sales, and the anticipation are gone. 

As Nathan Young from Cornell University claimed, “The pandemic changed Black Friday. Retailers suffered financially when supply chain issues affected product availability” (cornell.edu). He also stated that this made retailers more agile in creating more inventory to ensure they were stocking too many or too few products. This statement makes sense as Covid changed people’s expectations of everything. For example, many stores during Covid had limited the amount of people in the store at once. It created less foot traffic which allows people to spend more time and money in a particular retail store. Those endless lines and floods of people in stores had completely shifted after COVID-19, giving online stores a more prominent effect on society. 

Without having to step a foot outside, except for grabbing your package at the front door, online shopping has made it possible to make most holiday purchases. Online shopping has reduced the need for large store crowds on a single day. Most retailers have spread deals out over weeks or even months leading up to the holiday season, making Black Friday less striking to society. Additionally, many retailers offer personalized deals and early access promotions to those who either have an account or continue to shop on their website. The convenience of online shopping has allowed people to access their deals from the comfort of their homes, which got rid of the need to stand in line for hours. Cyber Monday has also come into effect as a significant day for online deals, reducing the urgency of Black Friday itself. 

Here is a video of what Black Friday used to look like around the world…

I personally believe the reason behind the downfall of Black Friday is that the sales are no longer good. Everything in the store used to be at least 75% off or more. Now, stores are just getting more greedy and only doing sales on either certain items or doing sales less than 50% off which doesn’t even do much. Unfortunately, I think Black Friday will never be the same again.