Black Friday — it’s complicated.
Perhaps above all, the pandemic isn’t over (and unfortunately could be entering another worrisome phase, according to a report from the World Health Organization over the Thanksgiving weekend). Throughout 2021, retailers and consumers have continued to grapple with its many consequences beyond the health threat, and that was evident on Black Friday.
Actually, that was evident well before Black Friday, as retailers began their holiday marketing just as trick-or-treating wrapped up, with many consumers starting their seasonal shopping even before that. Getting a jump on holiday shopping was growing even before the pandemic. But this year, headlines about inventory worries, as the pandemic continued to roil supply chains, made an early start seem prudent for most everyone.
