Black Friday shoppers wait for Cyber Monday deals
Photo courtesy of: AFP/ Flickr
During previous Black Fridays, shoppers crowded into stores and even waited outside malls before they opened. This Black Friday was a little more sparse, with shoppers waiting until Cyber Monday to get good deals.
As families across the country finish their Thanksgiving meals, many head out to seek Black Friday deals at retail stores from JCPenny to Walmart. However, with the growing popularity of online shopping on websites such as Amazon and eBay on Cyber Monday, the way Americans approach Black Friday has changed significantly.
A recent study conducted of over 2,300 American adults by technology firm Morning Consult has shown that from Gen Z to Baby Boomers, Americans of all age groups have shown a preference to shop online for Cyber Monday deals rather than in store for Black Friday deals for a variety of reasons.
Many have cited long lines and traffic as the reason for dropping Black Friday shopping at all. SENIOR Alan Zhang found that “while the traffic to get into the malls was heavy, there definitely was a decrease in the length of the lines at the store. I found it easier to go through the line and buy the things I picked out this year, compared to other years where I had to wait hours to finally get through the line and complete my purchase.”
I found it easier to go through the line and buy the things I picked out this year, compared to other years where I had to wait hours to finally get through the line and complete my purchase.
— SENIOR Alan Zhang
Aside from the long lines and the ease of shopping from the comfort of their own homes, shoppers have also found it easier to find the items and products they’re looking for with quick online searches rather than searching through the never ending aisle shelves from store to store.
SENIOR Mohit Pinninti found similar sentiments in his shopping experience. “I still went to the stores on Black Friday with my family and friends, but I found it easier to find the products I need online rather than having to scour the shelves for them. I found that I got the same deals, if not better, online, so I am definitely inclined to reconsider going to the stores next year,” Pinninti said.
The Thanksgiving shopping sprees seem like they will continue their trend to shift to online markets rather than in-store. With many local businesses and even chains of stores going out of business due to the increase in popularity of online shopping, the future of Black Friday will be an interesting one.
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