The Decline of Black Friday

My marketing prediction is that Black Friday, as we know it, will soon become a thing of the past—at least for the foreseeable future.

My childhood was all about the build-up to Black Friday. I went into Thanksgiving with the expectation that we’d wake up Friday morning and head out shopping. It felt ceremonial. My sister and I would anxiously await the chance to buy gifts for each other, carefully chosen from the advertisements.

One year, unknowingly, we picked out the same gift—a lava lamp from Kittles. This was pre-doorbusters, pre-2009 economic fallout, pre-online shopping, and certainly pre-what feels like today’s war on American consumers.

Those days are gone, and my prediction is that soon Black Friday will be too.

No Urgency When You Shop Every Day

Thanks to Jeff Bezos and the mega success of Amazon, the floodgates of online shopping have been blown wide open. TikTok Shop, Facebook Marketplace— you can shop your favorite brands directly from whatever app you’re on.

So much so that many people are shopping every day. Anything you want or need can be found on Amazon and delivered to your doorstep by the next day. Not to mention, it’s cheap. There’s no reason to wait for Black Friday, stand in line, or fight with other customers when you can likely find the same products for less and have them shipped in record time.

Low Morale = Low Spend

Maybe it’s because I’m getting older and my circle of friends has shifted, but I’ve heard countless people say they’re keeping it simple this year. Whether for political or financial reasons, many aren’t looking forward to spending their hard-earned money with mega corporations.

True or not, the overarching feeling of “I work 40 hours and can’t afford to live” doesn’t exactly inspire people to line up outside of Target at 6 a.m.

Quality Has Left the Chat

The quality of products has decreased significantly. Customer service has too. Finding someone to help in a store feels like pulling teeth. Finding someone to help with a pleasant attitude? You might as well go to the moon.

I can’t speak for others, but the minute I’m received with bad customer service, I’m out of the door and keeping my money in my pocket. 

It’s Gone Stale

Black Friday as a concept has gotten stale. It’s old. It’s expected. It lacks a memorable experience. At its height, we looked forward to the madness. We didn’t want to fight, but we weren’t opposed to witnessing one. We didn’t want to be the person who missed out on one of the 100 discounted 42” TVs, but if you snagged one, you felt like a million bucks. That rewarding feeling is gone.

Predicting the Future…

Customer experience has to come back to the forefront. If you want people to leave the comfort of online shopping, you have to give them a reason: a special experience, a meaningful discount, a genuine connection.

If you’re a marketer or business owner, focus on the customer experience. One thing I’ve said since I started this journey is that customer service is marketing. Use that as a keystone for building customer-first experiences—not just in your marketing, but throughout the entire customer journey.

✨If your business is ready to move beyond outdated sales tactics and create experiences that truly resonate, I can help. At Limitless Marketing Co., I specialize in designing customer journeys that delight, connect, and convert. Let’s build something memorable together.

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Hi! I'm Lauren Thomas, Marketing Strategist and owner of Limitless Marketing Co. My goal with this blog is to make tough topics easy to understand and apply. If you like marketing news and tips, subscribe to the Limitless Marketing Co. Newsletter!

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