Whether it’s shopping for groceries, gifts, or for the sole purpose of retail therapy, shopping is a common habit amongst society. In the mid 1900’s, it was noticed that staff who worked in retail stores had an annual habit of missing work on the day after Thanksgiving because of the busy schedules surrounding the winter holidays. As a result, the Friday after Thanksgiving became known as the unofficial start of the Christmas season, and an extended holiday weekend. On this day, it’s recognized that many stores might open early, or promote sales and discounted deals.
During COVID, there was a stage where most of the physical and present aspects of life were transitioned into online resources. People have gotten used to sedentary lifestyles, and nevertheless it’s common for people to prefer using online resources regularly, rather than in person errands.
After the pandemic, many people became accustomed to their house. Franchesca, or Franki Luna is a senior at Ridgeview and she is also familiar with this lifestyle. “All people did to shop was go online, and they got so used to having stuff brought to them that they just constantly have things delivered now.” While online shopping can be preferred because of comfortability, another big reason is because of convenience. Biology teacher Jordan Portillo has shared, “It’s convenient to shop online. Whereas in person there’s traffic, it takes so much time. And I also noticed that stores were even out of stock and advised me to order online.”
The tradition and trend of black friday is changing, especially for newer generations. Some would say that when the facade was harmless, it was fun, but now people take it too seriously.
Hailie Burnett is a junior and she recalled, “As a kid I thought it was fun, but now that I’m older, it’s just stressful because everyone is in a rush and it can get hectic. People will take material items, argue for them, and it can all just get out of hand.” The idea of black friday half heartedly lost its meaning when it comes to shopping and welcoming the holidays. Older generations might tend to still perform the rituals because that’s what they’re used to, as opposed to younger folks who might be unfamiliar with the concept. Brenda Noel, is a History teacher who tends to not shop around black friday, but she has noticed the early deals. “I feel like some stores start the black friday sales, even before thanksgiving. Especially after COVID, I feel like you don’t have to wait until the day after Thanksgiving to find big sales.”
The ideal concept of black friday is to influence people to spend more money, by thinking they’re saving. People might think they’re saving, but end up spending more in the long run, due to ‘exclusive’ sales and impulsive shopping.
“I think black friday stimulates people to buy things that they wouldn’t particularly need to buy,” Noel said. While this trend is true for the majority, there are also people who are wise about their spending habits. “If the things I need to buy are on sale then I will get them, but I don’t purchase things just because they’re on sale, especially during black friday,” Noel also stated.
When deciding to buy expensive items, it might be worthwhile to save and wait until the major deals at the end of the year. Especially for Portillo, he noticed that, “Christmas shopping can be a year round thing, but if there are major deals my ears will perk up.”
Some enjoy the search that shopping in person provides, while others favor buying necessities online, in the comfort of their house. “To me, black friday means staying home to avoid the crowds” Noel prefers.
