The Fall of Black Friday Culture

Black Friday has long been known as a day for America’s most-dedicated shoppers. Following Thanksgiving, stores would be filled with chaotic, invigorated, and sometimes violent scenes as buyers rushed to cash in on the year’s best deals. So, what happened?

December 5, 2023

Penelope Maddox

Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale emails sent during late November.

American consumers are projected to spend record amounts during the 2023 holiday season, so why didn’t we see packed stores and families fighting over TVs on Black Friday? Two words: online shopping.

In-store shopping decline and online shopping increase shown on bar graph based on retail trends 2017-2022.
(Graph from Joseph Pisani Wall Street Journal/https://www.wsj.com/story/decades-of-black-friday-deals-a-history-of-americas-favorite-shopping-day-d471cc3d)

Since 2005, big retailers have encouraged online shopping through “Cyber Monday” sales following the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. However, it wasn’t until the 2020 quarantine that Black Friday lost its historical reputation of mayhem and long lines. COVID-19 retail policies limited in-person capacity, causing Americans to transition to online shopping. Although spending trends have returned to pre-pandemic numbers, we haven’t given up convenient online shopping. Many TikTok users attribute the shift in Black Friday culture to mediocre deals. One viral TikTok video by Dejay Downey (@djdowneygirl) shows Target’s Black Friday deal price labels matching regular sale prices.

Screenshot of TikTok video referenced of deceitful Black Friday advertising. (@djdowneygirl/Nov.25th 2023)

Many students here at Paschal favor online shopping over in-person shopping because of its ease and simplicity. When mentioning purchasing her new phone case, Paschal junior Kaitlyn Braswell said, “Online shopping is so much better for Black Friday because you can get the same deals without having to go out.” Braswell isn’t alone; online splurging during Black Friday rose almost 8% to approximately 10 billion dollars!

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About the Contributors

Hedaya Abdul Karim, Reporter

Hedaya Abdul Karim (11) is a reporter for the Paschal Pantherette. This is her first year on staff and she's excited to write for the printed and online paper. In her free time, she likes to run, eat Chick-fil-a, and spend time with her family and friends.

Penelope Maddox, Editor

Penelope Maddox (12) is a co-editor for the online and printed Paschal Pantherette. This is her second year on staff and she is eager to focus on the behind-the-scenes aspect of running an online paper. She is an avid reader who loves chai lattes, overalls, and linguistics.

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