As the week of Black Friday comes to an end, it’s no secret that the “hype” of this once sacred day in America has died down in the past couple of years. But why? The reasons for this may not be evident to some, but to others, the answers are clear: Online Shopping and COVID-19. Over the past couple of years, the internet and access to online shopping have grown exponentially.
Beginning in 2020, the prevalence of online shopping began to grow due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With everyone locked away in their homes and unable to shop in person, the growth and love for online shopping began to grow. Promo codes, holiday discounts and grocery delivery had begun to sweep the nation. Along with Online Shopping and COVID-19, the lack of interest in Black Friday can be credited to the lack of jaw-dropping discounts, along with easier access to deals like Cyber Monday. In 2023, Cyber Monday made 12 billion dollars in online sales. According to reports, mobile sales accounted for 59% of sales in 2023. Consumers can now get outstanding deals from the comfort of their homes.
However, this downfall is not only contributed by consumers but companies as well. Companies in recent years have shown extremely minimal effort to advertise like in years past. For example, Walmart used to open at midnight the day of Black Friday, and offer $10-dollar TV’S to customers, now the discounts are minimal and Walmart opens during its everyday store hours.
The downfall of Black Friday was fast. As the once most shopped day of the year has been now overshadowed by all-year-round deals and Online Holidays like Cyber Monday, the future of Black Friday seems to be on a steady decline.
