Black Friday: The Illusion of a Good Deal?

Photo by Miguel Schincariol/AFP/Getty Images

There is nothing more American than eating a huge turkey dinner (covered in gravy, I might add) before shopping like a maniac the next day.

Black Friday has been a part of the “American Way” since the dawn of time, or I guess since 1869, but that’s basically the same thing. There is something about the draw of “Cheap, low prices for one day only!”

Seems more like a marketing scam to me, and maybe it is? 

Retail experts have reported that since the COVID pandemic, Black Friday has not been as popular, much to corporate America’s dismay – leaving some stores nearly completely empty on this “cherished” holiday. Other cities or stores have seen a surplus of people, battling hand-to-hand for the newest electronics to get an amazing deal.

However, is that deal as good as the retailers want the public to perceive? 

Recently, countless TikTokers have showcased themselves inside stores removing the “Black Friday Sale” price tag, just to reveal the same dollar amount underneath. Are companies such as Walmart and Target just sticking a “Black Friday” tag on the original price to create the illusion of a sale? If so, that’s pretty scummy. An anonymous Walmart employee reported that workers had to mark up prices on big ticket items a week before Black Friday, so that when items went on “sale” they was just marked back to the original price.

One word: Wow.

Most shoppers stated that they believed they did not save as much money this year compared to last year during Black Friday, according to DealNews.com. A reported 72% of the purchases were impulse buys – which left many people feeling as if they spent way too much.

 When looking at the spending, online sales were up 7.5% from last year and companies reported  a record total of $9.8 billion in sales from Black Friday. Corporate America does not care if you do not realize the sale was as good as they made it seem; they are making money, either way. 

There were a few companies that did present good sales, one being Macy’s, a department store, which had discounts that totaled up to 58% off, according to WalletHub. Meanwhile Target was projected to have discounts of only around 28%. But the “big ticket” stores did not provide the sales desired, compared to the others.  

All in all, Black Friday is a majorly big way for companies to increase revenues, and for consumers to either get a great deal – or the illusion of a great deal. Next time you go deal hunting, make sure to price the check online before you buy, and of course, compare! That is the best way to judge if you are truly getting the best deal.