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"The savings we make, we feel good to have found a good deal and to be a wise consumer," she said, adding to a key factor. Plus, as many stores offer black Friday sales, it's easier to find discounts without having to search as hard as you would for the rest of the year.
But, added Dr. Erdem, tradition is another reason for the popularity of Black Friday.
"It still has its appeal because of this ritual aspect," she said. "It's like going to a big baseball game or the Super Bowl as an American family."
[See how one family spent their Black Friday last year.]
Consider that the National Retail Federation surveyed 7,516 consumers on their shopping plans this year, and 26% of those who planned to shop on Black Friday said it was because of tradition. 23% said they would do their shopping because it was just something to do. (As far as we know, no one was asked about shopping just to get away from family members.)
Of course, Black Friday is only the beginning of things. If retailers do not start making discounts before Thanksgiving – and most seem to do so – they are certainly using the holiday shopping season to promote their products at every turn. The biggest discounts tend to arrive on "Super Saturday" – the last Saturday before Christmas, said Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners, a retail analysis firm.
But black Friday is important. Consumers surveyed by the retail federation have announced their intention to shop more for Black Friday than any other day on the Thanksgiving weekend.
And Black Friday maintains a cultural cache, especially for "new Americans," said Johnson, as recent immigrants are more likely to participate. "That's how you learn to be an American consumer, by introducing yourself and shopping on Black Friday."
– Zach Wichter
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