People lining up nights before, shoppers fighting over the last discounted item, and sales bringing out a craziness in people.
“I would’ve thought that they were giving Nike shirts for a penny,” said Black Friday shopper and OE teacher Stacy Sajder Adams.
The yearly tradition of rushing to the store the night of Black Friday has been around since the 1950s, bringing out not only incredible deals but also outrageous shoppers. The amount of publicity and advertising depicts Black Friday as such a grand event, but this begs the question: is it worth the hype?
Companies, websites, or even small businesses use this day to maximize their sales, as the period of Black Friday is short and incites purchases. Along with this, they take advantage of other tactics not known to the common shopper. Psychological tricks such as loss aversion commonly known as FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), restraint bias or impulse buying, and classic advertising are utilized to feed into the excitement and hype of Black Friday. These things cloud consumers’ rational thinking which further allows sales to flourish, resulting in overspending, irrational purchases, and buyer remorse.
Although this misfortune does occur, others argue that Black Friday is a great thing for consumers, as the deals set the standard for what constitutes a fair price in the months that come. Black Friday Sales can be approached safely, and the avoidance of marketing tactics, that lead to overspending, can easily be done. Many people can benefit from the sales as it is not limited to just luxury items, so Black Friday allows everyone to be able to afford certain necessities.
The holiday has also changed throughout the years, as being described by OH business teacher Sarah Carlson as “way less crowded” and “no long lines.” Since Carlson’s experience is in contrast with Sajder’s, it concludes that hype over Black Friday is not consistent, and differs between stores.
So what does this mean? Is going lines and a crowd worth saving the money? Within reason and rational thinking, Black Friday is a great opportunity for consumers to finally be able to get that certain thing they have been wanting. Along with choosing the right store, this time is a good opportunity to save money.
So how does one shop with confidence and not fall victim to the traps of overspending?
Making a plan is crucial. A lot of times, people stray away from their original purchase as they approach deals that seem too good to be true, so having a list of items, or sticking to certain deals is important.
Exploring different sales is also another way to shop smart. For example, a TV could be on sale for 30% off in one store, but 40% in another, so be sure to explore your options.
The last thing that consumers should keep in mind is to be aware of deals that aren’t exactly on Black Friday, as many stores and retailers have sales before or after the holidays, so researching is key.
I am Enrique Salas-Aguirre a senior at Oswego High School, this year would be my first with 42Fifty. I excited to start writing and publishing my ideas and contribute my part in the 42Fifty team. I enjoy writing opinion pieces the most although I am open to all types. I like listening and making music, my favorite genre at the moment is R&B. I train weight lifting outside of school and plan to compete some day. Overall, I am excited to contribute my piece to the site, and hopefully leave a significant mark in my short time here. 🙂
Hi Enrique. Congrats on your first year with 4250! You make great points about Black Friday. Before “the online”, things were much more exciting but also sometimes dangerous. Access to online sales, early sales, and sales between Thanksgiving and Christmas have lowered the hype. I personally think it is fun to be at the mall at 4 am, even if I buy nothing! But it is good to check prices and be aware of the many sales out there.