Many shoppers are feeling Black Friday burnout, with two-thirds saying the nonstop promotions and fake urgency have taken the fun out of the holiday shopping season.
Consumers still want deals—but on their own terms, prioritizing real, upfront savings and more intentional shopping instead of impulse-driven spending.
Black Friday is now a marathon instead of a single day, with sales stretching from October through the New Year, leading shoppers to plan ahead and shop strategically rather than scramble.
If it feels like Black Friday has gotten a little… exhausting, you’re not alone.
What used to be the excitement of scoring once-a-year deals has turned into a weeks-long countdown filled with flashing timers, “last chance” warnings, and sales that don’t really feel like sales at all. And shoppers are over it.
According to a new survey from TopCashback, conducted by Atomik Research, more than two-thirds of consumers believe brands are using fake urgency to push Black Friday offers. Instead of feeling energized by the holiday shopping season, many people are feeling tapped out and skeptical.
ConsumerAffairs interviewed Destiny Chatman, a shopping and savings expert at TopCashback, to learn what consumers are really interested in this holiday season: honesty over hype.
Black Friday fatigue
TopCashback worked with Atomik Research to survey 2,000 U.S. adults aged 18 and over to learn how they really feel about Black Friday.
The results may be surprising for some consumers. However, one of the biggest takeaways was the general fatigue that many shoppers experience around this time of year.
“There are major signs of fatigue among consumers from Black Friday,” Chatman explained. “Two-thirds of shoppers no longer see it as a one-day event and 68% think brands are creating fake urgency with their deals.
“Consumers are overwhelmed by the never-ending promotions, shifting timelines, and pressure to keep up. It’s not that shoppers are rejecting deals, but that they’re over the chaos surrounding them and shopping events like Black Friday.”
Will this affect sales?
While the deals might still be too good to pass up – which is of the utmost priority for many shoppers – this feeling of fatigue may affect how consumers shop during Black Friday.
“Though we don’t expect this fatigue to translate into lower sales this Black Friday, we do expect consumers to shop more strategically than ever,” Chatman said.
“Fifty-two percent will now shop online instead of in store to avoid the pressure to make impulsive purchases. Eighteen percent say they spend less than they did five years ago. People aren’t abandoning Black Friday, just approaching it with more intention, more research, and clearer spending boundaries.”
A marathon of savings
Part of the Black Friday burnout comes from the seemingly endless stream of sales that have no end in sight. While there are pros and cons to this method, Chatman says that this season as a whole is a prime time of year for shoppers to save on holiday gifts.
“Black Friday is still one of the biggest savings moments of the year due to its proximity to the holidays; however, it’s no longer the only one,” she explained. “With deals starting in October and stretching through the New Year, Black Friday isn’t the only option for major savings.”
“Forty-three percent of shoppers start hunting for discounts in early November and 32% shop during and after Black Friday. Instead of a single ‘best day’ of holiday savings, there’s now a month-long marathon of savings."