As the air becomes frigid and tree leaves begin to turn hues of gold and red, consumers begin to prepare for the biggest shopping day of the year: Black Friday. Yes, it is that time of year again; the time when shoppers leave the warmth of their homes to enter the bitterly cold and bustling shopping malls in the wee hours of morning in order to try their luck at snagging goods at unbeatable prices.

In today’s suffering economy, consumers’ hunger for affordable prices is ever-growing. As a result, this day, which may even be considered an unofficial holiday by some, has expanded significantly over the past few years.

According to the National Retail Federation, 152 million Americans planned to partake in the Black Friday frenzy of 2011, but 220 million shoppers actually participated. This year, the federation reports that fewer shoppers plan to go out, stating that 147 million Americans plan to do some holiday shopping during the Black Friday weekend. Only time will tell just how many consumers get in on the holiday madness.
Despite slightly lower attendance estimates, MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse predicts the total U.S. retail sales on this year’s Black Friday could rise up above $21 billion in sales, compared to the $19.3 billion in 2011.

Major competitors include retailers such as Target, Macy’s, Best Buy, JCPenney, Sears, Toys R Us, and, of course, the notorious Wal-Mart, where it seems violence has become another tradition in addition to low prices. In years past, incidents such as stampedes, shootings, and even pepper-spray attacks have made headlines.

Fierce competition has been established between retailers to offer the best deals and most consumer-friendly experiences in an attempt to lure buyers. Every year retailers seem to find ways to up the ante, whether it be by enticing customers with “early bird specials”, opening doors earlier, or extending sales to last longer throughout the weekend.

The most recent trending competition among retailers seems to be regarding who will start their sales first. Last year, consumers saw major retailers, such as Toys R Us and Wal-Mart, opening their doors as early as 9 and 10 P.M on Thanksgiving day. This year, stores plan to break that record, with Wal-Mart opening stores starting at 8 PM Thanksgiving, Target opening at 9 PM, and multiple stores, including Macy’s for its first year, opening at midnight.

However, not all states will be allowing these so-called “Black Thursday” sales. In some New England states such as Massachusetts and Connecticut, Colonial-era blue laws will prevent stores from opening their doors on Thanksgiving. The blue laws, which were created by New England’s early settlers, were established in an attempt to enforce religious standards, including the proper observance of Sundays and holidays. While most states consider the laws outdated and no longer enforce them, some still do.

In addition to blue laws, families and retail workers in other parts of the country are finding ways to stop the holiday shopping mania from impeding on Thanksgiving. Many argue that Thanksgiving is supposed to be a time for families and that allowing stores to open on Thanksgiving takes away from the holiday, especially for those employees who would be forced to work the sales As a result, protests and petitions have sprung up across the nation.

A group of Wal-Mart workers are planning to strike on this year’s Black Friday, with organizers claiming that over 1,0000 activities across the nation are set to take place. The movement has gained a great deal of support from members on social networking sites such as Facebook, where more than 30,000 people have “liked” the group’s page. As well as strikes and protests, over 40 petitions have been created on the site Change.org, asking retailers to stop sales set to start on Thanksgiving.

Still, there are those that are anxiously anticipating scoring some of the season’s greatest deals on everything from laptops and TVs to the season’s hottest toys during this year’s sales. Undoubtedly, some shoppers will once again go out at the crack of dawn (or in some cases, before 9 PM) to form seemingly never-ending lines outside of retailers, in order to try their luck at grabbing the best “doorbusters”. Some describe the shopping rush to be “fun”, “exhilarating”, and a “smart way to save money in tough times”.

Although this American tradition has become somewhat controversial, it will certainly go on, and probably in a way that is bigger than ever before. Whether Black Friday is a day that is excessive and devalues the holiday season, or is an exciting way for Americans to get the most bang for their buck is up for you to decide. Will you be venturing into the crowds or staying at home with family this year?

WORKS CITED
Fox, Emily Jane. “Black Fridy: Shorter lines, but bigger checks”. CNN Money. 21 Nov 2012.
< http://money.cnn.com/2012/11/21/pf/black-friday/>.
Seelye, Katharine Q. “Blue laws still keep shoppers home for holiday”. Union Tribune San
Diego. 22 Nov 2012: A17.
Tyko, Kelly. “Retail expert predict Black Friday shoppers will break last year’s record”.
TCPalm. 24 Nov 2012.
< http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2012/nov/24/retail-experts-predict-black-friday-shoppers/>.