UNITED STATES—I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Black Friday might be officially over. In the past retailers would wait until the day after Thanksgiving to unleash those deals that were so great, you would be pushing people over to get the item(s) before they all run out. However, with the pandemic in 2020, that changed EVERYTHING and I mean everything.

It used to be tradition in my family where we would get up at three or four in the morning to stand in line at our favorite retailers to capture those steals of the year. I don’t think it was so much about getting the deal, it was more about spending time with family, friends and creating memories. My grandmother did it with my mother and she did the same thing with those children who wanted to partake.

However, things got bad, so much to the point that you had retailers like JC Penney, Target, Best Buy, Toys R’ Us, Walmart and so many others OPENING doors on Thanksgiving Day. Why is that a problem? The workers didn’t get to spend the holiday with family and it also led to many family members skipping out on the big meal to grab deals.

I hate to say it, but I was guilty of doing it at least two to three times in previous years. I’m glad the pandemic changed that because it put a halt on those super crazy hours and a return to the norm. Getting up at four or five in the morning to get to many of those retailers in the middle of darkness to get freebies or deals that are too good to pass up.

What is new now? The retailers have started their Black Friday deals in the first week or two of November. Do I like this? Absolutely! Why? As a youngster I loved dealing with the crowds, but as I have gotten older my patience is smaller and smaller. I had a recent outing to the mall to do some Christmas shopping and it was crowded; it was very crowded and I was frustrated. Why?

People are going to the mall to hang out. Go ahead do that, but don’t do it to the point where you stifle those who are actually trying to shop. Nothing, and I mean nothing annoys me more than when you have three people walking super slowly and blocking those from behind them from passing. Sorry, but move your butt out of the way. If you want to stroll move to the side of the walkway not in the middle of it. Also people, stop bringing your kids with you when you shop. They are bad as hell, some are just rambunctious and are a complete mess.

It is smart of retailers to start these deals early because it limits the crowds on Black Friday and makes the shopping experience at lot more pleasant and fun. Shopping should be fun, not stressful, also you’re getting deals on top of deals which is a bonus in my opinion. Whenever the consumer can save money, they are going to spend more money in the process. I actually think some of the deals I’m seeing now are better than some of the deals that are in about a week on November 29.

Black Friday has become more like Black November, where the sales are throughout the entire month, so there is no rush to do it on the big way, you can stack your money or spend as you please, without that worry that the item you truly want will NOT be available when you want it to be. I think retailers are coming to grips with the reality that the consumers will spend money if the price is indeed right, which is a win for them as well as the consumer.