Growing up, I remember seeing clips on the news of thousands of people camping outside of stores on Thanksgiving night, in preparation for the Black Friday rush. Stores would open hours earlier than normal and would be stormed with people shoulder-to-shoulder, trying to take advantage of all of the sales. People would even get into physical altercations in order to obtain the last of their desired discounted items. Back then, going out and shopping in person was the main way of getting Christmas gifts. Nowadays, however, there’s a much easier way to get whatever one desires, anywhere, anytime, and in just a few days with only the click of a button: online shopping. With the rise in online shopping and Amazon Prime, especially during COVID, how is Black Friday different?
On Black Friday this year, I threw myself into the action live and set out early on Black Friday morning to a multitude of stores to see what it’s like Black Friday shopping in 2023. My visions of Black Friday shopping come from seeing people stake out in tents in parking lots, awaiting the opening of their favorite stores. However, those news clips came from 2015 and earlier, pre-COVID, and before the massive rise in online shopping.
Early in the morning (yes, I’m quite the morning person), I hopped into my car and headed out. I started my store tour at Legacy Place in Dedham. Legacy Place is nearly impossible to find parking on most given days, especially on weekends – after lunchtime, the only way to find parking is to be in the right place, at the right time, in order to take a car’s spot.
For example, last Saturday, the first day of our Thanksgiving Break, I pretty much went crazy and went there during lunchtime. There were at least fifty cars circling around the parking lot, hoping to be in the right place at the right time, or in other words, the only car in an aisle in which someone is pulling out. Somehow, after a while of circling around, I got lucky and was the only car around while someone else pulled out of their space. As my few hours there went on, the number of cars looking for parking doubled, and when I pulled my car out, many cars dashed over, fighting for my space.
When I first arrived on Black Friday, however, the parking lot was only around a quarter full, and maybe less. That morning, I had left for Legacy Place at around 7:45, and arrived just after 7:50, with all of the stores opening at 8:00. I expected the parking lot to already be packed when I arrived, with long lines outside of every store, and was surprised to see how few people were actually there. I made stops at Sephora, Bath and Body Works, and The Paper Store, where I succumbed to the Stanley water tumbler trend, and got one for myself. I wasn’t sure if the lack of people had to do with the earlier hour, and that people no longer set their alarms to head out and take advantage of the discounts, or that Black Friday is a lot less relevant nowadays due to the increase in online shopping. I left Legacy Place just past 9:00, and by then, the majority of the parking spaces were full.
My second and final stop was Michaels and Target at University Station, right down the street from where I live in Westwood. I arrived at around 9:30, and parking was very tight, but thankfully, I was able to find a close space. While the parking was very tough, I’m still not sure where all the people were, as Target, while lively, didn’t have as many people as the number of cars would say.
Black Friday, while still a very chaotic time in which millions of people utilize the hundreds of discounts to kick-start their Christmas shopping, I can say that, based on both the news and my venture into “the wild,” that is, two malls during the discount-day, Black Friday will never be like how it was years ago, and all of the years preceding that. Now, the masses take advantage of Cyber Monday, as it’s the easiest way to get any desired item, and have it delivered straight to their house. Overall, my in-person look at what Black Friday is like in 2023 was a huge success!
By Kristina Klauzinski ‘24, Sports Editor
24kklauzinski@montroseschool.org
