Have you started shopping for the holiday season yet? If not, there is one week in particular which is the best time to start. During this week, there are fantastic sales both online and in stores. This week starts the day after Thanksgiving with Black Friday, and ends after the weekend with Cyber Monday. Black Friday first earned its name in Philadelphia in 1951, because before Thanksgiving, department stores were in the ‘red zone’, operating with lower profits. Then, on Black Friday, when they move into the ‘black zone’, their profits rise from holiday related purchases. However, recently there has been a slight decline in the mass amount of customers shopping in stores. This is due to Cyber Monday and its convenience. There are many pros and cons of each day, as countless people participate in both. 

With Cyber Monday immediately following Black Friday, it has recently gained more popularity. In 2019 189,600,000 people did their shopping on Black Friday, however in 2020 there were just about 100,000,000 shoppers. This is due to Cyber Monday’s convenience and effortless experience. Thanksgiving leaves most people who celebrate tired and lazy. No one wants to leave their house and wait in extremely long lines when they can be buying the same items while lounging on their couch. Edison Intermediate School (EIS) seventh and eighth grade science teacher Mr. Christopher Wiley explained, “I want to clean up. I want to decompress. I never liked Black Friday. I hate when people in the family just get up and are like, ‘Oh, we got to go to bed early because we have to get up at four o’clock in the morning to wait on line for two hours to bum rush this place.’” 

During the Thanksgiving holiday many events take place such as playing football, cooking, eating lots of food, traveling, and more. With all these activities, many people can get fatigued easily and not want to do more work the following morning. Cyber Monday is days after Thanksgiving, so there is time to relax beforehand. To restate, Cyber Monday is significantly easier and less demanding for many individuals. 

However, many enjoy the thrill of purchasing gifts in stores on Black Friday. Media Specialist Mr. Andrew Cusumano explained, “I do like going to the stores during the holiday season just to actually see and touch things inside.” 

This proves that it is more difficult to buy gifts online because one cannot view the actual product and see its true characteristics. The items might look more pleasing online because the pictures might portray them differently than how they are in person. Therefore, many prefer taking part in Black Friday. 

 There are many stores that are going to be busy during this week either online or in person. Target, Best Buy, Lululemon, and many more chain stores have items that are available to buy in store and online. Many products will be marked down at lower costs such as Lululemon’s leggings going on sale for 50% off their original price of $98. In addition, Target is giving $15 Target gift cards when a $100 Apple gift card is purchased, and Best Buy is selling Chromebooks for under $100. While these deals are outstanding, some suspect they are less than previous years. Seventh grade European Transformations and the New World teacher, Mrs. Jacqueline Messinger commented, “We’re seeing so much inflation in this economy. So a worthy deal would have to be, you know, about 25%. I mean, I don’t think we’re gonna get the Black Friday deals that we used to get, which were like 50% to 60% off.” 

This quote illustrates that while stores have impressive sales, the major reason for this is because of their already high prices, which continue to rise. While the sales aren’t as substantial as they used to be, the deals from Black Friday and Cyber Monday both still benefit society. EIS seventh grade student Shylah Verma added, “I think it’s a good chance for everyone who maybe has different circumstances to at least try to buy something.”

In addition, these astounding sales help everyone, because with the approaching holidays the deals make gift giving more accessible. Holidays can be expensive and without these lower prices the costs would be immeasurable. There are many Americans who struggle financially, so sales like these are helpful to many people throughout the country. 

In closing, the deals over the Thanksgiving weekend make holiday shopping a more positive experience for everyone. EIS eighth grade student Emelia Dengler stated, “I feel like the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals help you save money when you’re buying gifts for your family and friends for the holidays.”