Before Christmas, many people are looking for ways to find deals on gifts. These items can range from electronics, beauty products, fashion and toys. In today’s economy, a lot of these items can become fairly expensive which justifies the reason why many people wait and look forward to Black Friday deals. The first recorded Black Friday started in the early 1950’s, when workers started to take days off after Thanksgiving. It was credited that the term was started by police officers in Philadelphia that noticed the trend of shoppers after Thanksgiving flooding the streets of the city buying various products.
This year’s black Friday had record breaking online sales with Forbes listing $41 billion spent just on Thanksgiving weekend. Since 2023, online sales have gone up 10.2% and are projected to go up even higher as Black Friday continues throughout the years. Amazon, the globally known e-commerce business, also recorded record breaking sales through their website. The biggest items sold from their website included Amazon’s TV devices and Echo. There were plenty of sales on other electronics such as Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo switch consoles.
Best Buy saw their biggest sales in the speakers and electronics department. Software such as Adobe were also some of the biggest purchases from Black Friday at Best Buy. Adobe claimed online shoppers totaled $10.3 million between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Black Friday. Best Buy’s electronic department saw phones such as Apple and Samsung being purchased through trade-in promotion providing a “Buy one get one free” exclusive. If you were a Best Buy Credit Card member, you received points back for your purchases made during Black Friday. If eligible, the card would allow you to earn up to 5% in rewards for multiple products and services. Their card promotes 3% in rewards on gas purchases, 2% back on dining and grocery and 1% back with miscellaneous purchases. Best Buy’s credit card also helps you save money on bigger purchases, including products like Beats and Thermador.
Fashion Companies such as Nordstrom, Gap and J.Crew had major discounts on selected items up to 60%. Some of the biggest purchases from these companies included accessories like beanies, trucker hats or jewelry. When it came to clothes, the company saw big sales in sweatshirts, hoodies, dresses, and sweatpants. It was listed that colors such as burgundy, white, black, steel grey and pale blue were some of the most picked out colors during Black Friday 2024. People who purchased from Gap chose out items such as denim utility jackets, plaid shirts, corduroys and cardigans.
My personal experience during Black Friday was an eventful one. I went to Best Buy and purchased a new mouse for my computer since the one I had before was over 3 years old and the wireless battery was becoming faulty. When I went to pay for my item, an employee asked if I’d like to sign up for their Best Buy credit card, but you had to be 18 and over for eligibility. I also drove to Tyson’s Corner to pick up some clothes, but most of the items I wanted were already out of stock. Fortunately enough for me, I was able to pick up a beanie and was put on a wait list for the other items I wanted to purchase. When I was leaving Tyson’s, almost every lot had a sign that indicated that the parking garages were filled. I also had a hard time leaving the garage because so many people kept trying to take over my parking spot and waited until I left.
If you’re looking forward to Black Friday 2025, get ready to start saving. Most retailers have already teased hints of early discounts and dates of opening for 2025. According to Best Buy, they intend on making the next Black Friday “even more memorable.” My biggest tip to get better deals is to sign up for any rewards programs available and build up points that you could use for next year’s deals.
