Black Friday has lost all meaning for shoppers

Has “Black Friday” lost all meaning?

The value of the so-called deals that retailers offer on this dubious shopping holiday has been debated since it migrated to Canada close to a decade ago, but what was once a sale held on the day after U.S. Thanksgiving has spread to so many other dates in November and December that it might have become virtually pointless.

“Black Friday” has become marketers’ shorthand to alert consumers of price cuts: Amazon, Walmart, Target and Best Buy have all held “Black Friday in July” sales in recent years, and this year many retailers begin promoting Black Friday deals a day after Halloween.

“I don’t believe there is such as thing as Black Friday anymore because this summer we had Black Friday sales, this fall we had Black Friday sales,” said Ronald Goodstein, associate professor of marketing at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business in Washington, D.C. “Whereas Black Friday traditionally was the Friday after (U.S.) Thanksgiving, my question to you today would be which Black Friday are you talking about?”

All of that has led to some understandable confusion among consumers about how to find the best deals, according to Sara Skirboll, a shopping and trends expert at RetailMeNot. ca.

A survey from the online coupon site found that just 26 per cent of Canadians said they plan to shop on Black Friday and the following “Cyber” Monday, and 42 per cent said they were confused about how to find the best deals.

“The good news is that the number is down from 48 per cent in 2016, so it appears that Canadians are getting the hang of these big shopping deal days, becoming savvier spenders and sourcing coupons when they can,” said Skirboll. Consumers can maximize savings by doing online research and setting a budget, she added.

Research from PwC found that fewer Americans intend to shop on Black Friday this year than in previous years, with 35 per cent saying they plan to shop on Nov. 25, down from 51 per cent in 2016 and 59 per cent in 2015.

The prevalence of preChristmas sales means that many consumers are doing their holiday shopping earlier than in the past.