With Black Friday right around the corner, many SHU students are setting their sights on the big deals on the holiday—but perhaps not in the traditional manner.
Over the years, retailers extended the holiday shopping season to before the usual Black Friday kick-off, with 45% of shoppers this year beginning before the upcoming holiday. In general, shoppers are turning away from the in-person rush and instead prefer online shopping, with overall sales down 8% from 2023 to 2024.
This year, new issues arise for the holiday shopping hopefuls: tariffs. While both physical and online stores are forecast to increase sales this year by ~4%, it is likely to be at a slower pace than in previous years, meaning added costs still weigh on purchases.
With these factors in mind, along with the common money struggles of a college student, SHU students seem split between traditional in-person rushes and the transition to online shopping. Some reminisce about better times, while others dread the idea of the vicious shopping experience.
In-person vs online shopping
Sofia Sanchez, a sophomore finance major, said she went Black Friday shopping for the first time last year and it was “hell” —she could not even find parking.
“People are so greedy and selfish just to get what they want,” Sanchez said. “I understand the demand, but there’s no need to be rude.”
However, Sanchez said she avoids in-person shopping altogether because of the awkward interactions with employees.
“I feel like I’m getting judged and I don’t like that,” Sanchez said.
Arianna Amezquita, a sophomore nursing major, said she has also gone Black Friday shopping once, back when she was twelve years old, but it was very overwhelming.
“I usually shop online because I like to avoid people,” Amezquita said. “But I subconsciously start shopping for the holidays around Black Friday, even if the sales aren’t really good sales.”
Sanchez also said that as a college student, she finds her relationship with shopping to be tumultuous.
“I’m broke, so I usually just go shopping whenever I actually have the money to and just get whatever I really need something new of,” she said. “Like I have $2 in the bank account right now, so I don’t know what I’m gonna do.”
Amezquita said she faces the same struggle.
“With my major, I don’t have time for a job, so I really have no money,” Amezquita said.
For Amezquita, she said she finds the older generations still want to go to the malls and shop on Black Friday, but now that she is grown, it does not interest her.
“I would see my older cousins go to the mall and go shopping, so I thought I wanted to do it, but not necessarily because I wanted to, I just thought it was cool,” Amezquita said.
Sanchez said she does not feel like she misses out on anything by not participating in the typical Black Friday festivities.
“Look at you wasting your precious time waiting in line for something you’re probably going to use three times throughout the year,” Sanchez said.
Paolo Reyes, a junior biology and philosophy major, did not even consider in-person shopping for Black Friday because he said he is so conditioned to thinking about the online sales.
“Now that I’m in college, it’s a lot more online shopping,” Reyes said. “When I was a kid, I would go to the mall with my parents to different clothing stores and a random Best Buy and see what video games they [had].”
Reyes said he pre-plans his shopping since it is online.
“I have the websites where I know discounts are going to happen,” Reyes said. “Gymshark sells out in minutes or seconds—it’s quick. You got to know your websites and know how to use them.”
While Reyes said he thinks in-person shopping is better for entertainment, he is unsure if he would be willing to participate in it.
“It depends where I am in life. Maybe when I settle down with a family and kids, it’ll be fun to go in person and shop, but right now it’s a lot easier to be online,” Reyes said.
Samnang Top, a junior engineering major, said he used to shop in person on Black Friday, but he stopped after his style changed.
“It’s not like I’m lazy or don’t like people, I just like certain brands, and the things that I want more were not things that stores would sell,” Topp said.
Topp said both holidays and shopping in general have started to fade and fewer people engage in real life.
“It used to be crazy and there used to be lines, and stuff would be sold out,” he said. “But I could see it turning into a regular shopping day soon.”
This year, Topp would like to go to New York City on Black Friday and shop around there.
“It would definitely be hectic but I’m not the type of guy to get overstimulated, and I feel like it would be a new and very college-y thing to do,” Topp said.
Budgeting on Black Friday
Sophia Restrepo, a freshman nursing major, said she usually goes to department stores like Macy’s and higher-end stores in Short Hills with her mom.
“Those kinds of stores are broad with a bunch of different things to choose from, so we always target those,” Restrepo said. “Seeing the 50% discount on shoes I wanted all year, I’m like, ‘Of course I’m gonna buy them right now—it’s the perfect time to.’”
Compared to years in the past, Restrepo said the deals have definitely changed, but she still enjoys seeing the discount signs.
“I still see the 50%, 60%, 70% off sales, but then I look back and a lot of the retailers just price the base item higher, so you still get a discount, but they still make their money,” Restrepo said.
Another change in Black Friday for Restrepo is that she said going by herself now that she is older changed her holiday shopping experience.
“I definitely will be spending less this year, not being with my parents every day,” Restrepo said.
Restrepo said she likes to go shopping pre-Black Friday, but still in person.
“I don’t even think I could make it in the store on Black Friday,” Restrepo said. “The people who actually go must be really hardcore to deal with that.”
The reason for the decline in in-person shopping, Restrepo said, is not only due to online shopping.
“Dealing with traffic, fighting with other customers, and tired workers, everything is a factor,” Restrepo said.
Reflecting on Black Friday’s past
Floey Seals, a senior biology major, said it is sad to see a childhood event like Black Friday fade away.
“I grew up in the middle of nowhere, so it’s all we had,” Seals said. “On Thanksgiving, all we could think about after is going to the mall.”
For Seals, she said she remembers the rush Black Friday shopping with her family brought.
“Back in my day, people were throwing elbows,” Seals said. “It was so exciting, and it felt like team bonding. With my sister, we’d always pick a store, usually Macy’s because their tween section was it, and we’d literally get on our marks, down in the track pose, and go.”
And it was not just about the deals. Seals said the experience of being there in person is what made it special.
“If you ask me, I can’t remember a single thing I have got during Black Friday, so it was definitely the atmosphere and there was hype around it,” Seals said. “It’s kind of like Ticketmaster and everyone else is in line with me—it was every man for himself.”
But now, Seals said sales happen so often online, and as a college student, she became more aware of this, so she does not stress about Black Friday sales too much.
“Sometimes I miss Black Friday because I’m so busy with school, but I’m always shopping sales some way, somehow as a college student,” Seals said.
Seals said she wants to try to pre-plan her holiday shopping more this year.
“I think I am gonna get together a list of intentional items because I am trying to be eco-friendly and a good consumer and not buy things I see and immediately want,” Seals said.
Another shopper thinking about their consumer impact this year is Emmely Suarez, a junior criminal justice major.
“I am trying to be more cautious of fast fashion this Black Friday season and just get things I know are gonna last me a while,” Suarez said.
For her, Suarez said she remembers her family telling stories about people fighting in-store and throwing elbows for the deals, but she is more of an online shopper herself.
“Black Friday doesn’t Black Friday like that anymore,” Suarez said. “Last year I went to Ulta at 5 a.m. thinking I was going to hit the jackpot, but there were not good deals. So instead, I started shopping online, but on Black Friday and not Cyber Monday because I found the deals to actually be better.”
Comparing past to present
In general, Suarez said there is a difference in spending habits between generations.
“People used to wait for Black Friday to make any big purchase and to treat themselves,” Suarez said. “The new generation spends their paycheck within 48 hours. In college especially we always hear people saying, ‘Treat yourself,’ and those little purchases add up.”
Something Suarez said she thinks contributes to this issue is the implementation of after-pay through services like PayPal, Klarna, and Afterpay.
“We spend all this money we think we have but don’t actually have,” Suarez said.
Thiago Alvez, a junior business analytics and marketing major, said consumers like Suarez are more aware of big business tactics but also are demanding better and more sustainable practices.
“Inflation is a big thing, with importation becoming more expensive for companies, they have to price their products differently,” Alvez said.
Alvez said he noticed the shift to online shopping, especially due to COVID-19.
“If you go to a mall today, you will see spaces for rent which were never a thing before,” Alvez said. “The same way we’re seeing cinemas dying off, malls are doing that too, because even if they are in-person, if they are not online, they lose so many sales.”
Alvez’s family, as entrepreneurs, spoke about Black Friday as a big deal for their sales. His parents still shop in person, but it is no longer hectic.
For Alvez, he finds the best sales to be on Cyber Monday.
“Thinking from a business perspective, they have an estimate of sales they’re gonna make for Black Friday, so if they don’t sell it all, they will sell it for less on Cyber Monday to meet their goals,” Alvez said.
Alvez said he didn’t even remember Black Friday until the weekend before, so he most likely is not going shopping this year.
“Realistically, I’ll be binge-watching the new season of Stranger Things,” Alvez said.
James Harrison, a freshman business major, said he used to go Black Friday shopping in person every year until COVID-19 hit, and now goes less frequently. But he would always want to see the newest electronics.
“Seeing all the electronic items I had never seen before that are half their usual price made it feel like Christmas already,” Harrison said.
There are two factors that Harrison said drive him to in-person shopping: the deals and the immediateness of it.
“If it weren’t for the deals, I would not be there,” Harrison said. “And to be able to buy something and have it right away is a much better feeling than waiting for something online to come.”
In the past couple of years, Harrison said he barely sees the same number of people he used to, but it is not something that discourages him.
“Personally, I like being able to get my stuff in person while still not competing for parking spots or having stuff sell out,” Harrison said. “I don’t want people to go back in person this year. I’m definitely going in person this year with my mom, but I don’t have anything in particular I want like before.”
Nicole Uretzky, a sophomore psychology and Spanish major, said she really wants to see people go back to in-person shopping for Black Friday because “we need to make things a little more fun.”
Uretzky said she goes every year with her grandmother and cousins and 100% considers herself an avid Black Friday shopper, whether it be Hollister, PacSun, Aerie, or Edikted, she said it is more fun in person.
“It used to be crazy, and everyone would [link] up at the mall, but now it’s not that way anymore and I honestly hate the way it has changed,” Uretzky said.
While Uretzky said she loves shopping no matter what, being there in person is a better experience and she enjoys being able to actually see her clothes on her and not a model plus she notes the shipping fees of online shopping that people do not consider.
But for Uretzky, she said the joy of Black Friday is less from the deals and more from the tradition and quality time that comes from it.
“Yes, I love shopping, but I go every year I go so I can be with my grandma and cousins,” Uretzky said. “Especially being at college now, they don’t see me as much, so it’s even more special because it’s our way to reconnect and spend time with each other.”
Overall, students have noticed the popularity of in-person shopping shifting to online, some wishing the holiday would go back to the shopping mania it once was, while others are glad they can still get their shopping done without all the hassle.
Solomon Lee is a writer for The Setonian’s Features section. He can be reached at solomon.lee@student.shu.edu.
