PORTLAND — Pacific Northwesterners are feeling decidedly “meh” about Black Friday this year.
A survey of 1,000 residents conducted by Washington State University’s Carson College of Business found that 64 percent said they aren’t planning on hitting the stores Black Friday.
This data comes as what was once one of biggest shopping days of the year has crept earlier in the month, with retailers now offering Black Friday deals on Nov. 1.
In addition, retailers offer many of their best deals online on Thanksgiving and Black Friday.
According to the study, 69 percent of respondents said they get anxious thinking about the crowds at stores and 60 percent said they could get Black Friday deals anytime. And 65 percent said they would likely shop online the day after Thanksgiving.
“With Black Friday historically being such a crucial time for retailers, it is fascinating to see consumer interest in this shopping day drop dramatically,” said David Sprott, Carson College senior associate dean, in a statement. “We see this shift as an indicator of consumers’ desire to shop for holiday gifts throughout the year and an increasing expectation for deals year-round, not just during Black Friday sales.”
The survey found that 62 percent of respondents said they were skipping Black Friday to spend time with family. A quarter said they were passing up the in-store deals to get outdoors.
This trend of trading shopping for hiking got a boost in 2015, when REI shut its doors on Black Friday as part of its “Opt Outside” campaign. This year, state parks in Oregon and Washington will once again waive all day-use fees for Black Friday.
