When I was younger, my grandfather would pick me up after Thanksgiving dinner, and we would drive to Easton Town Center in Columbus Ohio, to shop all night long. As one could assume, my favorite stores at age ten were Justice and Claire’s, and I’ll never forget how exciting it was to walk into these stores on Black Friday, and seeing all of the other ecstatic young girls with their parents getting new matching sets and silicone spiky earrings. It was always cold, possibly even snowing, but I never cared. If anything, the icy sidewalks and snowflakes falling into my hair made the experience even better. Smells of cinnamon, pine, and Vanilla Bean Noel wafted into the streets as other shoppers sprayed themselves with perfume samples from Bath and Body works. And the best of it all, was Christmas music playing in every store on the block.
Black Friday is one of the most well-known and widely participated in days out of the year. Originally, Black Friday got its name due to the retailer’s accounts being “in the red” to “in the black” from all of the shopping occuring the day after Thanksgiving. Since the 1950’s, Black Friday has become a yearly tradition for most, as it helps many prepare for the Holiday season, because of the mass sales that high retail stores, and even small-businesses have.
One of the very special things about Black Friday is the pure serotonin that it brings. Maybe not ENTIRELY to your wallets, but hey, that’s what the sales are for!
Sadly though, due to online shopping becoming more prominent, Black Friday has lost its exciting touch.
“With online shopping it definitely has changed,” said Samantha Scarnechia, a retail employee at Old Navy.
Most people look forward to Cyber Monday nowadays. Which don’t get me wrong, I love online shopping. And with sales, that’s even better! But it doesn’t feel nostalgic, and it definitely isn’t as exciting as fighting with someone random for that last pair of jeans on the rack.
Scarnechia explained her love for Black Friday, but how it lost its excitement.
“I do think that Black Friday has lost the excitement. I started going Black Friday shopping with one of my friends in middle school and I loved the thrill of getting there when stores opened at 10pm and shopping all night” Scarnechia said.
The nostalgic, and fun feeling to Black Friday is a universal feeling to many. And it really is sad to see the magic of it go.
Though, that shouldn’t stop you from going shopping in person! The sales are incredible, and everyone deserves to experience a night of Black Friday shopping, at least once in their life.
Not to mention, it’s a fun experience for all, even the workers!
“I love working Black Friday! This will be my 9th year working and while it’s stressful, it’s so much fun” said Scarnechia.
Don’t forget to go Black Friday shopping in person! It’s so much fun, and it helps keep the magic of it alive. It would truly be sad to see the excitement of it disappear completely. So on November 24th, 2023, go to your favorite store and experience the thrill of Black Friday shopping in person. Happy shopping to all!
