For years, Black Friday has been the busiest retail shopping day of the year. Retailers and business owners see a huge profit on products on the “unofficial first day of the holiday season”. Black Friday, which is the Friday after Thanksgiving, gives shoppers an early start on Christmas gifts at stores such as Macys, Toys ‘R Us, Kohl’s, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Target and more that open in the wee hours of the morning providing sales for the crazed shoppers. Hundreds upon thousands of Black Friday shoppers wait for the doors to open and the saving and shopping to start.
But is it worth leaving the house only hours after a filling Thanksgiving meal to save a spot in line in the freezing cold?
The prices on Black Friday are to die for, literally. Prices get slashed in half and big deals such as buy-one, get-three-free are the reason people come at five in the morning after a big turkey dinner. There have been cases where crazy shoppers have gotten injured getting the best deals such as plasma screens for half the price of the retail value. Some stores practically give their products away, but there’s no guarantee as to how many people get an item.  “No rain checks” warn the fine print in Thursday morning’s newspaper ads.
However, in-store sales are not the only available specials. Many Black Friday sales are available online, making it possible so that you never have to leave the comfort of your own bed to purchase your Christmas gifts.
Some people still prefer all of the fun of waking up early to spend a day braving the crowds.
“It’s worth the experience,” said sophomore Jade Acevedo. “My family and I go out around midnight and when we get home, everyone makes flautas.”
And now, Friday is not the only day consumers and buyers can expect to see great deals. The Monday after Thanksgiving, known as Cyber Monday, is another big bargain day. Websites have crashed due to the deals online. Shoppers can expect to see next day shipments, no shipping fees and money off just by buying offline.
Waking up early on these two days to get the best deals are not only worth your buck, but worth your time. Enjoy your holiday shopping and may the best deal win.