2023: Did We Truly Have a Black Friday?

Black Friday opened on November 24th. Past years Black Friday could have been explained as a hectic and intense shopping experience. Some love the excitement and deals, while others find it overwhelming. The uprising of online shopping, honestly ruined Black Friday. The deals, the early mornings, and everything about this Friday have gone downhill since inflation and online shopping. Iris Rath stated, “Black Friday was not worth it at all, the sales online were so much better than they were in-store, and even the online sales weren’t that good, it was very disappointing.” On the bright side, online shopping made the stories a little bit more empty, helping the workers lay off the stress a little. In the U.S. the average discount for Black Friday 2023 is 35%. Is that not just a regular discount? You can’t advertise a Black Friday with discounts about the same as when you sign up for emails at the register. If companies think that’s a good deal, They need to walk in the shoes of their shoppers. Black Friday used to be a time when low-income families could save hundreds of dollars, now they’re saving not even half of that. Stories even open earlier without thinking about the impact it could have on their already overworked and underpaid employees. It shows how hungry for money some places are. Most of the time people make unnecessary purchases just because of their adrenaline. Black Friday isn’t even good for the planet. Even small businesses are being impacted negatively. The companies are indulging and promoting a culture of unnecessary, mindless consumerism.