Black Friday isn't just a day anymore - it's become a month-long retail marathon that's completely transformed how Americans shop for deals. As Wired veteran shopping expert Louryn Strampe explains, what used to be a single-day door-busting event has morphed into November's biggest retail spectacle, with sales starting weeks before the traditional Friday after Thanksgiving and extending through Cyber Monday.
The shopping landscape has fundamentally changed. What Louryn Strampe calls "a hydra where the heads are slashed prices and the sword-wielding hero is an overwhelmed customer" reflects how Black Friday has expanded from its single-day origins into something much bigger and more complex.
The numbers tell the story. Amazon now runs early Black Friday deals for weeks leading up to the main event, while Walmart and Target have followed suit with their own extended sale periods. This shift means consumers no longer need to camp outside stores or rush through doors at dawn - but it also means navigating an increasingly complicated web of deals and marketing.
Strampe, who's been covering Black Friday since 2013 and shopping the sales since childhood, offers a reality check on deal quality. "Some Black Friday deals aren't all that great or are repetitive from year to year," she notes, pointing to predictable discounts on smart home devices like the Amazon Echo Dot and Google Nest Mini, which typically drop to around $20 every November.
The expert's advice focuses on preparation over impulse. She recommends staying up late Wednesday, November 26, to catch sales starting at midnight Eastern time, but more importantly, doing price research before buying anything. Tools like Camelcamelcamel for Amazon price history and Keepa for broader tracking help shoppers verify if deals are actually worth it.
"Always do your price research," Strampe emphasizes in the Wired guide. "When you're shopping online, take a quick second to look up the item you're considering." This approach helps combat what she calls the "frenzy" of Black Friday marketing that can lead to unnecessary purchases.
The traditional doorbuster concept has evolved too. Those legendary in-store deals that required camping out for days have largely moved online, but they maintain similar restrictions - limited quantities and precise timing requirements. Strampe advises having accounts set up and payment information saved at trusted retailers to speed through checkout when these deals go live.
