When you were a kid, had you ever heard of Black Friday? Somehow, Black Friday has become a cultural phenomenon of recent years (in the United States, I can’t speak for other geographies). It’s a bit disappointing to see such emphasis put on shopping rather than spending time with family, or other wholesome activities.
I’m not concerned though. Within 5 years, Black Friday (as we know it) will be a distant memory. In fact, we’ve already killed it. This year (2013) most major retailers opened on the afternoon of Thanksgiving Day (Thursday) in the United States. Next year, they’ll open at noon. Then 8am, then 12:01am. Then Wednesday. Add the fact that a huge amount of commerce is now happening online and via mobile devices (Target just announced that they sold twice via their website this year as they did last year). Before you know it, it’s just another retail week.
Or, I could be wrong. We’ll see. (What do you think of all this?)