Black Friday is arguably the biggest shopping day of the year, but ECC student Lizzie Mayer no longer finds the excitement in participating. 

“I really haven’t Black Friday shopped, oh my god, probably since like high school,” said Mayer. “I just feel like the deals now aren’t really as good.”

This year, Forbes news reports on Black Friday indicate a significant national trend: while consumer spending remains high, a record number of shoppers are shifting away from in-store Black Friday deals in favor of online sales or skipping the day entirely. This has turned the debate among shoppers from which store to hit first, into whether the deals are even real and if the whole tradition is losing its meaning.

From 2023 to 2025, the number of millennial and Generation X consumers planning to make a majority of their purchases on Black Friday has dropped, according to data from the National Retail Federation. While some ECC students still enjoy the tradition, others find the current landscape distasteful and even manipulative.

“Companies will inflate the price before the holiday, then pretend they are blessing you with a discount. It feels like one big scam,” said ECC student Kemilosa Ojulari. She explains that big companies use Black Friday as an opportunity to take advantage of consumers who are eager for a deal.

With similar regard, Mayer rather do her shopping closer to Christmas since the deals are no longer worth it. To her, Black Friday is “kind of just like any other day shopping.”

In contrast, annual Black Friday shopping remains a tradition for ECC student Jill Rivers, who stands by the savings.

“I love Black Friday,” said Rivers. “I think that it’s really practical for the girls on a budget.”

Furthermore, she explains that she rarely sets a budget for Black Friday because these sales are only around once a year. 

“I don’t budget, I just hope and pray I have enough money and once my card declines and that means it’s over,” said Rivers. 

Ojulari, however, does not get caught up in the sales, finding them to be “repetitive.” “I’m not going to plan a big budget for things that are not even actually reduced. If the price makes sense I’ll buy it; if it doesn’t, I walk away,” said Ojulari.

Beyond the price tag debate, the why of Black Friday has become increasingly about the experience rather than the purchase. The true main idea is that for many students, the event is transitioning from a consumer pursuit into a social tradition.

Whether the Black Friday deals are worth it is up for debate, but students can agree that shopping with loved ones can make Black Friday enjoyable.

“My favorite part is spending time with my family and saving money,” said Rivers.

Even though Mayer has not gone Black Friday shopping in years, she can agree that “hanging out with my friends” made her experience memorable.