Wait in line for hours on end on Friday? Or wait until Monday and get the same deals? Or better yet, why not both? That is the question many people ask themselves during the biggest shopping weekend all year.
Black Friday has been getting bigger and bigger with each passing year. Most stores have also carried on their sales through the weekend as well. Malls and outlets are getting fuller, the lines are even bigger than ever before and people believe they are getting the deal of a lifetime; consumers spend over 59 billion nation-wide during the 3 days of sales according to CNN.
But why shop when you’re half asleep and full from your Thanksgiving dinner? That doesn’t stop most people who are too eager to wait and instead go shopping at their local mall and electronic stores. There are many people who take advantage of these sales such as moms buying toys and clothing for their children. Dad’s buying new LCD TV’s so they can watch Monday night football or getting a killer deal on the newest BBQ grill.
A man carefully making his way towards the line with a TV during a Black Friday sale at Best Buy. 2013.
Others get smarter and avoid the lines all together and shop online since websites will have similar deals to what they would have in actual stores. Most websites have deals start as early as Thursday and carry on throughout the weekend. And there’s another big day for shopping, which is Cyber Monday, which everything is purchased online but items can be purchased for just as much as they were on Black Friday.
Armando Hurtado, 23, a civil engineering major at Cypress College chooses to shop online.
“I don’t really have a preference on what day I like to go shopping most but if it comes down to it, I prefer Cyber Monday,” he said. “I avoid the long lines, still get the same deals as everyone else and I get to spend my thanksgiving dinner with my family.”
Black Friday shoppers might get a better deal or greater deals on certain items, but will have to deal with long waiting lines, full parking lots, and extra long walks. Some shoppers go for a certain item that everyone wants and luck out sometimes when there is only a limited quantity. Some people are even willing to wait a day or two, maybe even three days outside a store in order to get everything they want. And then there are those shoppers who go to the extreme and wait outside stores for over a week just to get the deals of a lifetime.
Nick Martin, 22, a health information technology major at Cypress chose to camp outside of a Blockbuster three days in advance to get what he wanted. “I thought I would’ve been the first one in line but there are another 5 people in front of me doing the same thing I am. I just want to get a good deal on a Xbox One, a smart TV, and a surround sound before they run out because I know they will.”
Even though Cyber Monday may sound good, it can have some drawbacks as well. Some people don’t like shopping “blind” or not seeing the product until it arrives at their doorstep. One can always see the product in store before they purchase it online. Another drawback is shipping and waiting for the item to arrive.
Some people or window shoppers go see what stores have on Black Friday sale for the thrill of it. Vanessa Perez, 24, a local resident of Buena Park chose to window shop on Black Friday.
“I came with my friends because they wanted to buy some clothes but I don’t have any money to spend,” she said. “I came to see how crazy some people get with these sales.”
Even though both have their pros and cons, one can still get great deals with whatever day they choose to shop on. The hard part is deciding if you want to wait in line or wait for shipping.
