Black Friday may no longer be such a big deal in the US
05 Oct 2017
It turns out that Black Friday may no longer be such a big event
Fewer US consumers plan to shop on Black Friday this year than in previous years, with retailers offering deep discounts year-round. Of the 35 per cent of consumers who plan to shop during Thanksgiving week, they will do so on Black Friday. The figure is down from 51 per cent last year and 59 per cent the year before, according to consumer markets research from PwC, the professional services giant.
"Black Friday has lost its significance," said Steven Barr, consumer markets leader for PwC, Chicago Tribune reported. "Retailers have conditioned the consumer to believe everything's on sale every day, which means the deals on Black Friday are not significantly different from any other time."
According to commentators, seasonal discounts had become more spread out, both in stores and online, as consumers demand lower prices and greater convenience, which meant the Black Friday frenzy is tapering from its glory days.
"More holidays year-round - including some that are retailer-generated - mean more opportunities for discounts and promotions," the PwC report said. "Consequently, the decline of Black Friday is hardly news at all. Especially from its glory days heralding the start of the in-store holiday shopping season."
Besides, Black Friday has also become controversial as some feel that stores should be closed on Thanksgiving Day to allow employees to spend time with their loved ones. Many shoppers also think that stores starting their Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving night takes away from the fun of it all.
Meanwhile, 56 stores have announced that they would be bucking the recent and somewhat controversial trend of opening on Thanksgiving night, according to bestblackfriday.com. The practice started in 2010, with Sears according to Business Insider.
Bestblackfriday.com, which surveyed 523 American adults over age 18 found that 57.53 per cent of respondents did not favour the stores opening on Thanksgiving, as against 16.22 per cent favouring openings.
