The day after Thanksgiving marks the consumer-driven rush of customers searching for the best discounts and deals offered at retailers. Students at Montclair State University had different experiences; while some spent the day bargain hunting, others chose to stay home and avoid the crowds.
Rohan Gandhi, sophomore business administration major, used Black Friday as an occasion to spend more time with family.
“I went to Macy’s and other smaller stores in the Quaker Bridge Mall with my cousins,” Gandhi said. “There were a lot of people and families buying items and gifts for their loved ones and friends.”
Some students felt that sales were not as good as advertised and only saved them a few dollars.
Alexa Spear | The Montclarion
Following their successful shopping trip, Gandhi’s family compared their purchases.
“A lot of stores had 50% off and buy one get one free deals,” Gandhi said. “After I finished shopping with my cousins, we then went out to dinner and showed each other what we bought.”
In recent years many brick-and-mortar stores have been opening their doors on the night of Thanksgiving, even if the aisles remain empty because most people are still spending time with their family members.
That of course means that employees who work in retail don’t get to enjoy the holiday. While some gear up to shop on Black Friday, others head to work early to wrangle the crowds.
Senior computer science major Michael Mahabir shopped at Target, but was not impressed with the deals they were offering.
Target started offering Black Friday deals at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving night.
Alexa Spear | The Montclarion
Mahabir was not only disappointed with price tags, but was also overwhelmed by the chaos caused by the overcrowding.
“My experience made my mind go all over the place as people were crowding different sections of the store,” Mahabir said.
Ultimately, some customers wanted to avoid all the traffic in the store on Black Friday weekend and opted to find deals online. However, some also chose to skip the mad spending rush entirely.
Some students took the time to enjoy a simpler holiday full of food, family and non-stressful fun. Junior theater and production major Selin Gunderen did not want to go shopping on Thanksgiving night or during the Black Friday weekend.
“I spent my time mostly staying at home with my dad and I just felt tired of shopping,” Gunderen said. “There was nothing that I needed at that time and nothing that I had to order online.”
