For over 80 years, Black Friday has attracted Holiday shoppers across the country to venture out to stores in search of some of the best deals of the year. Black Friday is one of the biggest shopping days out of the season and always occurs on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Although Black Friday, entices an immense amount of customers, there is another shopping day is effecting Black Friday’s success, Cyber Monday.
Cyber Monday occurs on the Monday after thanksgiving weekend and is shopping online which usually begins at midnight with a variety of sales and free shipping. Although both shopping days have great deals, the fact that Cyber Monday allows shoppers to do so from the comfort of their homes without the chaos of the stores, crowds and traffic has boosted its popularity.
“I prefer Cyber Monday a lot more than Black Friday,” freshman Jessie Frengut said. “ I can order all of the items I would normally get at the mall in stores and it’s a lot easier all you need is a credit card.”
According to executives at Adobe, Cyber Monday sales are estimated to increase by 12 percent bringing in an estimated 3 billion dollars, which is more than ever before. Also Cyber Monday shopping can be done anywhere and so now overseas customers have realized to and will order stuff for the holidays and have it shipped to them or delivered to friends and relatives in the USA.
Some shoppers believe that getting up at the crack of dawn to get to stores on Black Friday can be a hassle at times with the crowds. Often, shoppers on Black Friday find that only big-ticket items such as flat screens or other electronics end up having decent sales on their prices due.
“I prefer Cyber Monday, a lot more than Black Friday because the deals are way better online than in stores,” junior Evan Elias said. “ Often times, I find that stores will have half off on an entire purchase online and then in stores there will be 20 percent off only on one item.”
The conditions of Black Friday are becoming more extreme as shoppers go out earlier and earlier only to have to struggle to find parking and at times deal with people who will do anything to get the products they want.
In recent years, stores have started to open in the evening of Thanksgiving to let shoppers get a head start on their holiday shopping. The deals are rarely any different then ones on Black Friday as retailers usually have a limited amount of big sale items.
“I find it ridiculous that Black Friday sales now start on Thanksgiving usually around 6pm,” junior Allison Fleisher said. “Thanksgiving is a time to be with your family and celebrate, not a time to go shopping. Also it’s not fair for the workers at retail stores to have to leave their homes and families to go work when they should be enjoying their holiday.”
Although some people are not huge fans of Black Friday shopping, for others it’s the novelty of it, which is like a tradition just as much as eating turkey on Thanksgiving. It is evident that many people still go Black Friday shopping or else the stores would not open in the early hours to let shoppers rampage through their stores.
“I love Black Friday and I go every year,” junior Brooke Peri said. “To me it has become a tradition getting up early and go to the mall with a huge group of friends. Black Friday shopping will always have its appeal to some, but others wouldn’t be caught dead going out on Black Friday.”
For some usually those with no access to online shopping or no credit cards to shop with they, will go out to the malls and department stores because its more accessible for them. However, for most of society there is a preference to shop online as the convenience is too appealing.
Although, one of the biggest downfall to Cyber Monday shopping is that popular sites will crash with heavy traffic on the web. This is usually temporary and the stores will allow you to now order online and pick up in stores.
Whether people prefer to shop on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, both days will always bring high revenue to stores and will continue to attract many customers with their Holiday deals.
