When Zhenyu Jin first came to the United States in 2016, he wanted to experience the legendary chaos of Black Friday shopping for himself. Until then, everything he knew about the shopping madness came secondhand, filtered through media reports, viral videos and friends’ stories. He wanted to feel it.

At 1 a.m., the morning after the Thanksgiving party, Jin drove to a local outlet mall in 20-degree weather and watched as crowds hunted for deals. He stood in the parking lot, seeing shivering bodies spilling across the frozen sidewalks as shoppers queued in dramatic, snaking lines outside store entrances, and he realized one thing.

“I told myself it was my first time to experience Black Friday, and it might be my last time to experience Black Friday,” Jin laughs.

Now an assistant professor in the Department of Marketing in Towson University's College of Business and Economics, he uses experiences like that cold Wisconsin morning to study consumer psychology and the emotions that drive shopping habits.

And since that night nearly a decade ago, Jin has seen Black Friday sales change dramatically. What was once a one-day, in-person frenzy has turned into a monthlong online shopping season.

Digital marketing can precisely track consumer behavior and feed consumers advertisements for what they’re searching for. From a retailer’s perspective, it’s much more effective and efficient than doing a one-day, offline sale.

Zhenyu Jin

According to Forbes, 2024 online Black Friday sales totaled $10.8 billion—up more than 10% from 2023—while in-person shopping dropped by 8%.

Daraius Irani

Tariffs and the holiday season

“For Black Friday, many retailers will eat the tariff cost on their big sale items. [But o]verall, we expect to see imported goods be more expensive overall during the holiday season.” – Daraius Irani, vice president of business and public engagement

Learn more about tariffs and the holiday season

Jin credits several factors, including the pandemic, the rise of convenience-driven shopping and the power of digital marketing analytics, for this change.

“Digital marketing can precisely track consumer behavior and feed consumers advertisements for what they’re searching for,” Jin says. “From a retailer’s perspective, it’s much more effective and efficient than doing a one-day, offline sale.”

2024 online Black Friday sales totaled $10.8 billion—up more than 10% from 2023—while in-person shopping dropped by 8%.

Retailers like Amazon and Walmart have already spread their deals across November, with early “haul” and “Black Friday” sales launching weeks ahead of Thanksgiving. Jin says this shift benefits both sides: Retailers gain longer sales windows, and consumers can shop smarter.

“Many consumers have realized that most doorbusters are not truly exclusive or deeply discounted,” he says. “Once consumers become more price savvy and can compare prices online, the illusion of the once-a-year deal has kind of faded.”

Tips for Holiday Shopping

Think rationally, not emotionally. 

With sales spread out over weeks instead of hours, Jin says shoppers have more time to plan strategically—and less reason to make impulsive purchases.

“Come in with a list, and make sure you’re looking for what you really want,” he says. “I suggest consumers track prices and compare between retailers. There are online tools and even AI programs that can show whether a price is really the best deal.”

Be a loyal shopper.

Jin says that another way to get the best deal is to pay attention to specials that retailers offer in their loyalty programs.

He says that many different retailers offer their loyalty program members early access to deals and sales. They also offer specialty deals to loyalty members.

Understand what’s really on sale.

Jin also warns that not every Black Friday discount is worth chasing. In his research, he’s found that many retailers use the holiday to move products that haven’t sold well throughout the year.

“I see them put products that are not that popular on a discount and ask consumers to buy them,” Jin says. “That’s why a lot of people can’t find what they really want—because what they really want isn’t on sale.”

So before clicking “buy” or waiting in line before sunrise, Jin suggests shoppers take a breath, compare prices and focus on value over hype.

Because while Black Friday might not look like it used to, the smartest deal is still the one you need.