TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – The dinners are done, the leftovers are in the fridge, and now it’s time for some in southern Arizona to turn their attention to shopping while hoping to cash in on some of the best deals.

But the way people are doing it is much different than in the past.

“No one really waits outside of lines anymore, and I don’t really think there’s deals,” said Alexis Sosa, a shopper.

Lines wrapped around department stores, fights over products, and crowds so large they poured out of front doors used to be the scene on Thanksgiving evening.

People used to wait in line for hours for the best Black Friday deals.

“Maybe a couple of hours, depending on what I was waiting for,” Sosa said.

The Black Fridays of old however have undergone a major transformation. There’s no more sprinting into stores before sunrise to snag the 24-hour doorbuster deals.

“There’s Cyber Monday, and then pre-Black Friday sales, and then there’s Prime Day, Target week. So I feel like it’s all diluted,” said Sosa.

This shift mostly came in 2022 when retailers had to reinvent Black Friday by shifting to online shopping.

“It intensified a bit during COVID and but it’s been a constant trend line for 25 years. Now, online is the fastest growing segment within retailing,” said Kathleen Kennedy, associate professor at the University of Arizona.

This shift means stores no longer need to lure people in early to make a sale. And this year, many people said they are noticing Black Friday has turned into Black November.

“It basically feels like you can get a good deal any time of the year,” said Sosa.

While many people will brave the stores on Black Friday for deals, others are sitting it out.

“I feel like it’s just an excuse to spend now,” said Sosa.

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