Are the days of the mad rush to stores for Black Friday discounts over?
DALLAS - Are the days of chaotic lines, doorbuster sales, and the mad rush for Black Friday discounts inside stores over? We all know how technology has reshaped various aspects of our lives, and Black Friday is no exception.
The usual signs of Black Friday—crowds, doorbuster sales, and shopping bags—are still visible at malls across North Texas, but research says that online shopping is changing the face of Black Friday.
Celeste Enriquez, another shopper, emphasized the ease of online shopping amidst the chaos: "I think I would do mostly everything online."
According to Adobe Analytics, shoppers spent nearly $77 billion online in the first 23 days of November, marking a nearly 7% increase from the previous year.
Ed Fox, a marketing professor at Southern Methodist University, noted the change: "The ritual of shopping and hitting multiple stores for one's holiday shopping is really not as widespread as it was a decade ago."
Fox says the evolution of Black Friday deals, bleeding into November and even October, has shifted spending online.
Some shoppers at the Galleria Mall agree. "A lot of stuff online is 50 percent off. I'm not sure if it's gonna be like that in the store," said shopper Brittany Fuller.
Adobe Analytics reported over $5 billion spent on Thanksgiving Day alone, doubling the figures from 2017.
Yet, some still appreciate the in-person experience, like shopper Emelia Kolander, who says, "It might be better discounts online because then you can compare, but I like to see, touch, and feel what I buy, so I like to go in-store."
For some, Black Friday is more about tradition than sales. As one shopper put it, "I just came out to walk around with the baby, but for me, this year, I've definitely done a lot more shopping online."