What was expected to be one of the busiest shopping days of the year instead delivered a surprising sense of disappointment for many retailers. According to CNBC, Black Friday foot traffic and sales fell short of expectations, leaving stores with weaker-than-hoped results.
Analysts noted that shoppers showed up later in the day and spent more cautiously, opting for targeted purchases instead of the doorbuster frenzy that once defined the holiday. Retailers had hoped early deals and heavy advertising would boost momentum, but inflation-weary consumers remained selective with their spending.
The muted turnout became most visible in major malls, where crowds were thinner and lines shorter. While some online sales grew, they weren’t enough to fully offset the slowdown with the in person shopping, creating challenges for stores that rely heavily on Black Friday revenue to close out the year on a high note.
Industry experts say that changing shopping habits like shifting toward online browsing and more spread-out holiday sales are making traditional Black Friday surges less reliable than in the past. Many consumers now prefer to shop during extended deal periods rather than crowd into stores on a single day.
As retailers reassess their expectations for the rest of the holiday season, the question becomes whether shoppers will return in December with stronger demand, or whether this year’s Black Friday is the latest sign of a broader shift in how Americans shop during the holidays.
Link to Article: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/28/black-friday-shopping-retail-letdown.html
It’s not surprising to see Black Friday losing its appeal since so many people are struggling this holiday season. There was also a call for black out of certain companies. This shift away from crowded, high-pressure shopping days actually feels healthier, even if it’s tough on retailers who rely on the old model. I'd bet this will be long term change.
ReplyDeleteI would be curious to see how Black Friday shopping trends have changed in the post-COVID era. I wonder if more and more consumers are doing the majority of their shopping online over the course of the year, as access to online sales and discounts increases with increased usage of online retailers like Amazon. The days of waiting in lines, fighting over the same products, and racing from store to store may be over with the ever-increasing presence of online sales.
ReplyDeleteThis is interesting and may be something that retailers have to begin to account for as the way that people shop changes. I would be curious to see the results of shopping after Cyber Monday, and whether or not that is able to offset the loss of in-person shopping anymore.
ReplyDeleteIt does feel like Black Friday is starting to become one longer sale period instead of the main event. And a lot of people seem to want to shop online now and wait for Cyber Monday deals, so stores aren't seeing the same in person rush that they used to.
ReplyDeleteI am not surprised to see this happening with the lack of people I know deciding not to do their black Friday shopping anymore. Just seems like places are not giving the same type of deals they have been in the past. Another reason for the lack of business could be due to the middle class feeling the stress of the financial state of the country right now.
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