The Friday after Thanksgiving has always been one of immense chaos. It marks the start of the extremely lucrative Christmas shopping season, and is gradually starting to become recognized as its own holiday. Retail stores across the nation have used this day grossly to their advantage, offering amazingly discounted prices in order to draw in more customers – and it’s working.

Every year, more people participate in Black Friday, and that means that every year more people are getting amazing deals on regularly high priced items. Holiday shopping is almost always a chore, and usually leaves a dent in most people’s wallets. (Unless, of course, they work in retail). However, this iconic day of the year allows people to alleviate that headache by offering better sales than any other time of the year. Junior Holly Salas says “It was super crowded but the deals made it totally worth it.” Although it is extremely hectic, being able to acquire the most coveted items in the country without breaking the bank is what keeps millions of people coming back year after year.

Those who have attended Black Friday can attest – it is as crazy as it sounds. Some of the big name stores such as Walmart and Macy’s have started opening their doors on Thanksgiving night, allowing customers who may not have the stamina to wake up in the early hours of the morning the chance to get their share. Parking lots are crowded, people line up for hours outside the store of their choice, and matters have gotten violent on several occasions. Unarguably, those who are afraid of pushing and shoving to get where they want to go may struggle on Black Friday.

However, the chaos is a small price to pay. The repercussions of a good Black Friday are astoundingly positive, with the exception of any who may have been injured. The holiday shopping is almost completely done before December has even arrived, and at half the amount it would’ve cost to wait until later. Not to mention the huge profits made in the retail industry, which in turn, benefits the consumer. So, while some simply don’t have the strength to handle Black Friday, the efficient shoppers will be having a bargain-filled holiday season.