As Black Friday approaches, shoppers in Massachusetts, especially at South Shore Plaza, can expect a busy shopping day. The general manager anticipates higher sales due to new store openings since last year. Crowds are expected to peak between noon and 7 p.m., a busy period for those looking for deals, according to NBC Boston.
Today marks the start of Black Friday shopping, with early deals drawing shoppers to malls in Massachusetts. As discounts begin earlier each year, the significance of Black Friday is fading, as reported by WCVB. The National Retail Federation expects over 183 million people to shop from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday. However, Kevin Brasler, executive editor of Consumers' Checkbook, believes Black Friday deals aren't as special as they seem. He said, "But they're not special. They're just the same, you know, fake discounts week after week," as mentioned by NBC Boston.
He also pointed out that many retailers create the illusion of big discounts, even though the prices are often the same as before. "The problem is few retailers actually charge that original price anymore. Instead, what they're doing is just presenting the illusion of getting you giving you a special deal when in fact most of the sale prices that are going to be out there are the same prices that were available a month ago and that will still be available a month from now," he said. Still, some items may have real holiday discounts, as stated by NBC Boston.
