Recognized for chaotic crowds and intense spending, Black Friday continues to define the modern shopping culture in America. The aggressive consumerism Black Friday brings begins on Friday, November 28, 2025, marking the start of the holiday shopping season for many in the U.S. As the shopping season approaches, Black Friday stands at the center of a growing ethnic obsession with deals, discounts, and bundles. It is a cultural phenomenon that continues to expand each year:  “81.7 million consumers shopped in-store on Black Friday 2024, up 7.22% YoY”. The range and variety of stores that run sales is extensive. From major retailers like Target, Walmart, and Amazon, to clothing stores such as J Crew, Garage, and Old Navy, there is a store for everyone – with plenty of deals to match. The shopping doesn’t stop there; many sales continue onto Cyber Monday – a day of deals for online stores – which is the Monday after Thanksgiving, falling on December 1, 2025 this year. 

Over the past few years, many major brands have adapted to popular tactics to persuade consumers to buy their products while keeping the most profit. One of the most popular tactics major brands have followed is inflating their prices before putting them on sale. By inflating prices beforehand, the sale is not as good as it could be if brands kept the additional prices– but most shoppers don’t know that. Moreover, “Some brands are using exclusive products to generate excitement beyond discounts”. By generating excitement in their buyers with phrases like  “limited time only” and “exclusive”, it convinces them to shop for the products as soon as they are released. The final most common way for major brands to advertise their Black Friday deals is by incorporating the holiday season within their marketing. Most commercials you see on TV now will integrate holiday colors, Santas, jingle bells, snowflakes, etc. This way of advertising during the holiday season connects to how buyers are generated with excitement. With these strategies in mind, let’s take a look at some of the most popular Black Friday deals available this year: