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<a href="http://www.brandiron.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Black-Friday-2010-Poster1-300x281.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1363" src="http://www.brandiron.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Black-Friday-2010-Poster1-300x281.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="281" /></a><strong>Hot DEALS! SALE, SALE, SALE!!!!!!</strong>

<strong>LOWEST PRICES OF THE YEAR!!!!!!</strong>

It’s nearly impossible to escape the Black Friday promotions this time of year, and undoubtedly you’re bombarded with messages from Macy’s, Best Buy, Target, and the like.  It seems these days it’s no longer about the one small window of opportunity for deals that you can’t find on any other day to shop, that are so awesome you’d be willing to wake up at some un-godly hour and stand in a line with other people only hoping you’ve made it in time to get that once-a-year sale deal. Instead, it’s become an entire weekend or even week of “hot deals” and “low prices”.
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        Black Friday advertisers start advertising well before we’ve had a chance to collect our Halloween candy these days. If you ask me, these extended sales have diluted the power behind the all-mighty Black Friday connotation. I know I no longer feel an even semi-urge to set my alarm to take advantage of an opportunity to come home with a sweet deal on this years hottest electronic. Who I am I kidding, I never got that urge, but I certainly know people who have!pportunity for deals that you can’t find on any other day to shop, that are so awesome you’d be willing to wake up at some un-godly hour and stand in a line with other people only hoping you’ve made it in time to get that once-a-year sale deal. Instead, it’s become an entire weekend or even week of “hot deals” and “low prices”.

<img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1362" style="border-style: initial;border-color: initial" src="http://www.brandiron.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/black-friday-electronics1-300x202.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="202" />

Getting up at 2am and waiting outside a Target for that small window of opportunity to get the latest gadget at 50% off sort of loses some appeal when it’s counterparts like Amazon and Kmart provide Black Friday pricing for 2 or 3 days in stores, and online, where you can get the same gift from the comfort of your own home, in your pajamas, at a normal hour of the day.

So is Black Friday becoming a more-or-less “Gray Friday” in the minds of shoppers? I think somewhat. On one hand, it’s become easier to still get deals, without getting up and waiting in lines. However, in this new style of Black Friday pushes, marketers have become more creative in the ways they lure Black Friday shoppers in. Check out these apps made just for Black Friday: <a href="http://gigaom.com/apple/7-apps-for-conquering-black-friday/">http://gigaom.com/apple/7-apps-for-conquering-black-friday/</a>. There are also a slew of early bird specials and limited offers which are still used to bring in the die-hards.

Yesterday I saw on the news that a family has been camped outside a Best Buy since last Tuesday (read the story here <a href="http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/286949/71/Black-Friday-shoppers-camp-out-one-week-in-advance">http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/286949/71/Black-Friday-shoppers-camp-out-one-week-in-advance</a>). So while some may be doing their shopping at a more normal hour this year, I think stories like this are evidence that Black Friday is here to stay.  I don’t foresee shoppers giving up on the lure of Black Friday

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anytime soon; it is after all the World Cup of shopping days. I do however see marketers continue to be forced to get more creative and more outrageous to compete for shoppers business. So what will they come up with next? We can only wait and see…

-Kaitlyn Anderson

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