Black Friday & Cyber Monday Show Retailers Must Have Digital-First Perspective

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are officially behind us for the 2022 holiday season, and as is the case each year, some surprises and trends held true for consumers.

I traveled out to a variety of stores on Black Friday, and the key takeaway from my visits and social media was that consumers no longer feel the need to get to stores early on Black Friday. At each location I went to, parking lots were empty, but had filled by the time I left. Between the elongated holiday season, plenty of simultaneous online deals, and a lack of compelling doorbusters, consumers would much rather sleep in after Thanksgiving and look for deals on their own time. It can be disheartening to witness the lack of enthusiasm for in-store deals as the day represents so much for the industry, but there were some bright spots.