The tradition of Black Friday marking the start of the holiday shopping season is over. “This year the point at which the psychology switches and prices will start going up will be the weekend of December 11,” Money Expert Clark Howard predicts.
How Will Black Friday Be Different This Year?
When major retail stores like Walmart and Target decided they were going to close Thanksgiving Day, that started a trend other retailers will continue to follow of trying to get shoppers to the stores and online much earlier — and trying to get them to stay much longer. “These retailers recognize that the day really doesn’t matter anymore, that it really is Black Friday month, just one continuous series of rolling sales is really where we’re going to be,” Clark adds.
Will There Be a Lot of Thanksgiving Deals?
If hitting the stores after you've filled up on turkey and stuffing has become somewhat of a tradition in your home, then you might have to alter your plans somewhat. Clark says because some big-box retailers are switching to an online-only model for Turkey Day, that’s where all the deals will be. “On Thanksgiving Day, there will be lots of online deals which will be our new proxy for what we used to have on Black Friday,” he says. It seems that going forward, we will have to come to grips with the end of the concept of a three-day sale weekend following Thanksgiving. “It really was getting there the last two Black Fridays, but coronavirus really put a stake in it: It’s over,” Clark says.
