Why Black Friday Deals Don’t Feel as Special Anymore

Black Friday once symbolized a rush of excitement — predawn lines, doorbuster chaos and a sense that the year’s best prices lived on a single day. That image has faded. The shopping event still matters, but its character has shifted as consumer behavior, retailer strategies and the broader economy reshaped the experience.

What used to feel like a rare moment of extreme value now blends into a long stretch of promotions that start months before Thanksgiving weekend.

The Day That Lost Its Edge

Black Friday built its reputation on massive crowds, steep markdowns and a sense of urgency. The early morning stampedes at retailers such as Walmart and Kohl’s in the late 2000s reflected that culture. Shoppers flooded stores with the belief that the offers they chased were the lowest of the year.

Mark Cohen, former CEO of Sears Canada, described the shift bluntly: “The integrity of the event is pretty much gone.” He noted that past Black Friday pricing was unparalleled, but today’s promotions often get better as the holiday approaches. When nearly every day brings a new markdown, the idea of a one-day sale becomes harder to sustain.

Freepik | Massive crowds and steep, urgent discounts created Black Friday’s historical culture and reputation.

Foot traffic numbers echo the change. Data from Placer.ai shows that store visits on Black Friday haven’t seen meaningful growth in recent years, even though they remain higher than the typical daily average. Many shoppers now stay home, relying on phones and laptops rather than camping outside a store.

How Consumer Habits Reshaped the Holiday

Retailers used to anchor the holiday season around the day after Thanksgiving. Now, Black Friday stretches across weeks due to shifts in how people prefer to shop.

1. More shoppers buy online than in stores during Black Friday and have done so for six consecutive years, according to the National Retail Federation.
2. Millennials and Generation X shoppers planning to make most of their purchases on the day have declined from 2023 to 2025, Bank of America Institute data shows.
3. Spending during the “Turkey 5” — Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday — has fallen nearly 13% between 2019 and 2024.

Online adoption surged during the pandemic, reducing the need for retailers to rely on one chaotic shopping day. Consumers also appreciate the ability to spread spending between November and December, a point highlighted by Georgia State University marketing professor Denish Shah.

Even the promotions themselves have become less convincing. Sonia Lapinsky of AlixPartners pointed out that “rampant discounting” across the season has made many shoppers wary. Some markdowns only appear steep because base prices were raised earlier. The constant cycle of sales weakened trust and chipped away at the urgency Black Friday depended on.

How Retailers Contributed to the Decline

In the 1980s and 1990s, pulling off a compelling Black Friday offer took months of planning. Retailers needed vendors to agree to deep cost cuts. They had to choose the exact product that would draw crowds, while protecting the secrecy of their plan to avoid tipping off competitors. Inventory had to be timed precisely to avoid shortages or overcrowded stores.

As Black Friday became more entrenched, retailers pushed for ways to extend the momentum. Opening hours crept earlier, eventually landing on Thanksgiving itself. Deals expanded from select doorbusters to entire departments. Cohen explained it simply: “To sustain the ride, they started to dilute it.”

Running massive in-store events for a single day also created staffing challenges. Tiffany Yeh from Boston Consulting Group noted that hiring for only one intense day is difficult. By spreading promotions over weeks, retailers can better train staff and maintain consistent support.

Today, many stores — including Walmart, Target and Kohl’s — launch seasonal deals in mid-November, followed by additional waves over the holiday weekend. Cyber Monday adds one more promotional surge. This structure keeps shoppers engaged but erodes the special status Black Friday once held.

Are the Deals Still Worth Chasing?

Freepik | Black Friday loses its pull due to repeated discounts and instant price comparisons.

The question continues to surface every year: are Black Friday deals actually good?

In many cases, promotions appear similar to earlier offers from the same brands. Gap, Levi Strauss and Under Armour rolled out Thanksgiving Day sales that matched the discounts presented earlier in the season. Cohen described modern urgency tactics as “kind of goofy and gone,” pointing out that many advertised deals feel like illusions rather than exceptional value.

Shoppers can compare prices across retailers in seconds, leading to greater skepticism. When nearly every brand pushes the same discount multiple times throughout fall and winter, Black Friday loses its unique pull.

New Reality of a Once-Epic Shopping Day

Black Friday still commands attention, and millions continue to shop in stores. Yet its identity has shifted. It no longer stands as a singular retail spectacle. Instead, it functions as one part of a long, steady promotional calendar shaped by online convenience, changing financial habits and an industry eager to distribute demand rather than funnel it into a single morning rush.

Black Friday’s evolution reflects broader changes in shopping culture. The event no longer represents a one-day pursuit of unmatched deals but fits into a season marked by rolling promotions and cautious consumers.

The shift wasn’t sudden — it happened as retailers stretched the holiday to maintain momentum, ultimately diluting the exclusivity that made the day legendary.