Serena Ahmad (9) | STAFF REPORTER
Black Friday is a day many look forward to as sales begin to commence and prices begin to drop. The holiday is a phenomenon that causes many to go into a frenzy by lining up early in the morning and emptying stores within a few hours or less. However, the holiday has recently raised concerns as people begin to question its credibility and realize the malicious motives behind it.
Many people recognize Black Friday as a day where everything is alarmingly cheap, but the majority of these sales are similar to year-long deals. A prime example is Bath and Body Works. The store’s sales seem like a good bargain at first glance but in reality these promoted deals can simply be found on an ordinary day, not just Black Friday. This creates the impression that the sale is exclusive to Black Friday, which makes the holiday lose its purpose of having the best and most exclusive deals.
Another contributing factor to this scheme is the slump of sales caused by inflation. The rise in prices over the years has resulted in products still being expensive despite being labeled as discounted. This causes consumers to purchase expensive items, thinking they are saving money even though they are still buying a highly priced item.
Black Friday’s propaganda of products being comparatively cheaper than usual has misled consumers rather than benefited them. A next step that can be taken to ensure the holiday’s success in years to come is to increase sales to larger numbers instead of small discounts such as 20-30% off. This outcome would allow buyers to purchase discounted items that actually differ from original prices.
