Black Friday: Is it worth the hassle?

It’s 5 p.m. Thanksgiving Day. Dinner has just been served and you’re in line at Walmart. Are the deals worth missing a dinner with family and friends? Black Friday deals continue to start earlier than years prior, but are the deals really worth the hassle? 

Black Friday has become a day of self-splurging. Most people take advantage of the sales with hopes of getting ahead on holiday shopping, while sacrificing a holiday dinner with family or friends.

For the most part, Black Friday has become a marketing tool. Many department stores like Macy’s offer average sales on items just to get people into the store. Macy’s usually offers one-day sales just about every weekend with “doorbusters,” and not to mention lots of items go on sale online. 

From my experience, many stores offer only a few (decent at best) sales in order to get customers in the store. Once inside, people get into a shopping frenzy and begin purchasing items at full price. Major appliances like TVs, surround-sound systems, washers and dryers and video game consoles are rarely discounted and Black Friday is no exception. Physically shopping for Black Friday is no longer necessary, as you can get your shopping done online or wait an extra couple of days for Cyber Monday. Moreover, some major retailers are having pre-Black Friday sales. Some stores do offer in-store sales only, but when you consider leaving dinner early and the hours you’ll spend in line, is it really worth saving an extra $20-$50?

According to a 2018 Forbes study, sales on Thanksgiving Day brought in $3.7 billion in online sales and Black Friday saw $6.2 billion in online sales. It’s a promising sign to see people realizing dealing with cold weather, early hours and violence are not worth it. Although it isn’t as common, every year new videos surface of people fighting over a last item in a store.

Before shopping and missing out on family traditions, shoppers should ask themselves if it’s worth the hassle?  

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