Right after Thanksgiving, a day of expressing gratitude and surrounding yourself with loved ones, comes Black Friday - a day dedicated to consumerism. While most shoppers are looking for great deals on Christmas presents for those near and dear to them, the day is usually anything but peaceful. We’ve all heard stories of shoppers being brutally injured, and nowadays, it can be hard to even find deals that are worth it.

But the evolution of the day doesn’t stop shoppers from trying to get the best bargains they can find, even if that means ordering them online instead of leaving their homes at the crack of dawn with a Thanksgiving hangover. And lucky for us, sometimes those shoppers manage to snap photos of hilarious fails that they’ve encountered in stores!

To learn more about Black Friday and how to take advantage of the day, we got in touch with Arfa Nazeer, Blog Strategist and creator of She Means Blogging. First, we wanted to know how she typically chooses to participate in Black Friday.

“As I run an online business at She Means Blogging, I make purchases on discounts and also find the best offers for my readers,” Arfa shared. “For example, buying any online tool, digital product or any subscription. Similarly, I find the best deals for growing bloggers, so they can make affordable choices when they are at the beginning stage. I also make a separate listing for my subscribers, so that they find the best deals in their inboxes. Who doesn’t like saving some money, right?”

We were also curious about any Black Friday deals that Arfa has snagged in the past that saved her a huge chunk of change. “I got myself an online course at a 50% discount last year,” she told Bored Panda. “As for this year, I’m planning to grab a website theme and maybe find some office stuff on sale.”

What advice does Arfa have for shoppers who want to make the most of Black Friday this year? “The first thing I would say is to clearly know what you have in your wish list,” she shared. “Before making your purchases, it’s important to do your research to compare the items and deals. If it’s a physical item like a piece of furniture or a display thing, I would definitely suggest checking stores and seeing it yourself. Otherwise, it is a smart choice to do online purchases, as it saves a whole lot of time and gives you the best discounts from the comfort of your home.”

“Another tip is to bookmark the pages and save the dates, as many websites run Black Friday offers for a limited time,” Arfa added. “And, you don’t want to miss those deals!”

And if you’re looking for even more advice to snag the best bargains, be sure to check out Arfa’s blog post “2024 Black Friday Deals For Bloggers And Cyber Monday Deals!”

While Black Friday might sometimes seem like an outdated event, it was still the biggest in-store shopping day of 2023 in the United States, Queue IT reports. And online spending on Black Friday continues to increase almost every single year, jumping up from $9.12 billion in 2022 to $9.8 billion in 2023.  

Not everyone gets to spend the holiday season shopping, though. Some are forced to spend their days working behind a cash register or stocking stores to prepare for the seasonal crowds. According to TechTarget, retailers hire an additional 400,000-500,000 employees each year for the holiday season. In fact, Amazon alone announced that they planned to employ 250,000 additional workers to make sure that everyone’s Christmas presents are delivered on time.  

Is this list making you rethink whether or not you should go Black Friday shopping this year, pandas? It’s always fun to snag a great deal, but if you’re encountering sales like the ones featured on this list, you won’t be missing anything by just staying home. Keep upvoting the pics you find most amusing, and let us know in the comments how you feel about Black Friday. Then, if you’d like to check out even more photos like this, be sure to visit this Bored Panda article next!