With Thanksgiving break approaching, university students are choosing convenience over crowded stores by switching to Cyber Monday this year.
Black Friday 2025 will take place on Nov. 28, the Friday following Thanksgiving. The weekend is traditionally peak shopping before the holiday season. Since the rise of online shopping in the early 2000’s, the Monday after Black Friday was named “Cyber Monday,” in 2005 by the National Retail Federation and it has quickly taken the lead.
“Black Friday isn’t worth it anymore because the deals are so much better on Cyber Monday. It’s lost its magic,” said sophomore family science major Grace Coggeshall.
Cyber Monday sales in 2024 exceeded Black Friday sales with a total of $10.8 billion spent in the United States, according to preliminary data. Many young shoppers are claiming that online shopping is a more convenient and less stressful way to shop before the holiday season.
“Black Friday is extremely chaotic and it has become a pain to shop in stores,” said sophomore information science major Grace Eberling.
Black Friday, which has been an American tradition since 1869, is now being overshadowed by online sales offering up to 50% off on select products. Major retailers such as Target, Amazon and Best Buy will still keep their Black Friday tradition with in store sales, but these big corporations are attracting customers regardless of the holiday.
Some students believe that Black Friday weekend still holds value specifically for the smaller businesses that rely on the sales before the holidays.
“I think it’s important to give Black Friday a chance especially for small businesses,” said junior criminology major Madelynn Dorf.
Following Black Friday many local retailers participate in Small Business Saturday, a shopping day designed for smaller independent owned stores. Businesses like Shop Made in MD on Baltimore Avenue, offer customers similar holiday deals but rely heavily on in store sales rather than online.
As Black Friday approaches, retailers are relying on major discounts to keep the tradition alive, but with many shoppers switching to a convenient alternative online, Cyber Monday will be taking the lead for this holiday weekend. However, the real hope lies in Small Business Saturday, which gives smaller retailers a chance to gain support and participate in the holiday shopping season.