Are This Year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales Misleading?
A Deep Dive Into America’s Most Overhyped Shopping Season
Every November, millions of Americans wait for Black Friday and Cyber Monday with the same anticipation they give to major holidays. Retailers promise “once-a-year” discounts, consumers flood online carts, and the economy, at least for a few days, feels energized by the annual spending spree. But beneath the flashy banners and countdown clocks, a more complicated picture is emerging.
This year, analysts, watchdogs, and even long-time Black Friday shoppers are asking the same question: Are these deals as authentic as they seem or are they increasingly misleading?
The answer is nuanced. While genuine bargains still exist, evidence shows that a significant portion of 2025’s discounts are inflated, inconsistent, or simply not deals at all. And the shift isn’t just financial, it’s psychological, reshaping how consumers perceive value, urgency, and trust.
The Good News: Real Deals Still Exist and Plenty of Them
Despite widespread skepticism, research shows that some deals during Black Friday and Cyber Monday are real and meaningful. In a price-tracking analysis covering more than 1,500 items, nearly two-thirds matched or beat their lowest prices seen since early fall. According to VisualPing.
Electronics, appliances, and tech accessories still offer the deepest genuine price drops. Retailers facing inventory pressures or competitive product cycles (such as laptops, earbuds, gaming consoles, and TVs) have strong incentives to move stock, and those incentives translate into real savings for consumers.
In other words: The season isn’t a scam. It’s just crowded with noise.
The Problem: Over a Third of “Deals” Aren’t Deals at All
The bigger issue, and the reason consumer trust is declining is that an enormous share of discounts fail to reflect real savings.
Multiple studies found that:
About 36% of products advertised as “Black Friday deals” were the same price weeks earlier.
Some discounts were based on inflated “original prices”, artificially raised in late October or early November to make a markdown appear larger.
Certain categories, especially home goods, travel accessories, and hobbies, saw deeply inconsistent pricing, with products fluctuating up and down in the weeks leading up to the sales.
This practice isn’t new, but it has become more common as competition intensifies and retailers attempt to maintain the illusion of savings in a saturated shopping landscape.
Consumers are noticing. Surveys show rising frustration and a sense that retailers are “gaming” the system using psychological pressure rather than genuine discounting to drive purchases.
The Rise of “Black November”: How Month-Long Sales Dilute Real Value
One of the biggest trends reshaping holiday shopping is what analysts call “the Black November effect.” Black Friday is no longer a single event; it is now a month-long marketing season stretching from Halloween to early December.
While this might sound like a win for shoppers, the reality is more complicated:
Sales feel less urgent, reducing the need for retailers to slash prices deeply.
Consumers become desensitized to promotions, leading to a reliance on psychological urgency tactics like countdown timers and “limited stock” banners.
The traditional spike of doorbuster deals has faded, replaced by modest but constant discounts.
In short, the longer the sale season becomes, the less meaningful the sales are.
The Psychology of Misleading Discounts
Beyond the economics, the marketing strategy behind holiday sales relies on powerful behavioral triggers.
1. Anchoring
The “original price” (even if inflated) forces the consumer’s brain to evaluate the discount relative to a high anchor.
2. Scarcity pressure
Warnings like “Only 3 left!” or “Sale ends in 1 hour!” drive impulsive decisions, even when the deal isn’t good.
3. Fear of missing out (FOMO)
Black Friday is framed as a once-a-year opportunity, creating emotional pressure to buy now, not later.
These tactics drive billions in revenue, and explain why shoppers frequently buy items they didn’t plan for, and later regret.
Shoppers Are Becoming More Skeptical and More Frustrated
New consumer surveys reveal a steady erosion in trust:
Many shoppers feel discounts are “rigged” or “overhyped.”
More than half report some level of buyer’s remorse after holiday shopping events.
Younger consumers in particular are sharply aware of manipulative pricing tactics, yet continue shopping due to habit, peer pressure, or the cultural hype of the season.
However, this skepticism doesn’t stop spending. It just alters the psychology of the purchase, turning what should be value-driven decisions into anxiety-driven ones.
So, Are This Year’s Sales Misleading?
In many cases, yes but not universally.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday in 2025 are best understood as:
A mix of authentic deals and carefully engineered illusions
A marketing spectacle shaped increasingly by psychology rather than pure price-cutting
A sales ecosystem where the responsibility has shifted to the consumer to verify whether a discount is real
The modern shopper is no longer just buying a product; they're navigating a pricing puzzle designed to influence behavior.
How to Spot Real Deals (and Avoid Fake Ones)
To cut through the noise this year, consumers should:
✔ Ignore the “original price.”
It’s often meaningless. Compare today’s price to its actual historical price, not the inflated retail price.
✔ Use price-tracking tools.
These reveal whether today’s discount is actually the lowest price in the last 30–90 days.
✔ Shop with intention.
Buy only what you already planned don’t let a timer or flashy sale create a need that never existed.
✔ Focus on categories that consistently offer real discounts.
Electronics, laptops, earbuds, TVs, and large appliances usually have genuine markdowns.
✔ View month-long sales with skepticism.
Early-November and mid-December deals are often identical to Black Friday prices.
The Bottom Line
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are no longer the deal-rich holidays they once were. While genuine bargains still exist and can save consumers meaningful money—this year’s landscape is crowded with exaggerated claims, recycled discounts, inflated reference prices, and psychological sales tactics.
The result is a shopping season that is part opportunity, part illusion.
For consumers, the smartest approach is neither cynicism nor blind enthusiasm—it’s informed skepticism. With the right mindset and a bit of price awareness, you can still navigate the noise and take advantage of the real value that remains.