Black Friday.  Only in America do people trample others for sales one day after being thankful for what they already have. Black Friday isn’t necessarily about sales; back in the day, it was about survival. The Black Friday tradition started over 150 years ago when two tycoons monopolized their way into sending shock waves throughout Wall Street.  Retailers have been the biggest winners of this shock wave, with some stores making more money on that day than they have done in an entire month. 

Times have changed and so has shopping. Instead of getting up at 4 a.m. for deals, you can use one click of a button on your computer and have that item delivered to your home. The doorbuster deals are still in effect for some retailers, but the rise of e-commerce has lessened the crowds at stores. Cyber Monday has also provided shoppers with options for their holiday shopping.  

Additionally, Black Friday has changed over the years as places are opening on Thanksgiving night and other stores only have online deals.  Some stores, like Target, are offering online exclusive deals you can’t find in-store, reversing the trend from pre-pandemic times. Target refuses to open on Thanksgiving Day, giving their employees time to spend with their families. Best Buy and Kohls will be open on Friday at 5 a.m., offering TV doorbuster deals. 2022 will be different from last year because of supply shortages and inflation. There will be fewer items on the shelves, and it could lead to higher demand. There is also a shortage of microchips which will affect toys that use music and lights as well as adult items like a neck massager or a drone. There are many stores putting out their Black Friday sales earlier like on Thanksgiving Day or even in early November.  I wish it was back to how it used to be, and all stores would put out their sales that same Friday after Thanksgiving. 

My advice to you is to search all the advertisements for the best deals, read the reviews, and do the shopping from the comfort of your computer and a cozy couch.