Target Shopper Exposes the Store's Disappointing Black Friday Deals
Updated Nov. 27 2023, 11:59 a.m. ET
Remember when Black Friday deals were so epic it felt like we were competing in The Hunger Games? Well, brace yourself because now Black Friday is like Black Fri-meh-day. The deals are so lame that getting 20 percent off feels less like a shopping spree and more like finding loose change in your couch on a regular old Tuesday.
Take it from TikTok creator DeJay Downey (@djdowneygirl), who spilled the tea on Target and their lousy Black Friday deals — seriously, you might need a magnifying glass to spot these so-called bargains!
Keep reading for the full scoop, and stay tuned to catch the internet's hilarious take on this retail escapade.
A Target shopper unveiled the store's "incredible" Black Friday deals.
In the viral video, posted on Nov. 24, 2023, DeJay removed a sign boldly declaring "Black Friday Deals" to expose the original price tag of the same item. Lo and behold, both tags unveil the truth that a 75-inch Samsung TV comes with a price tag of $649.99.
DeJay and the person behind the camera then shifted their attention to another TV, this time a 65-inch Samsung. "Oh, it's the same," the shopper remarked. They removed the sign to uncover matching prices on two distinct tags, both stating that the TVs cost a whopping $429.99.
The duo moved on over to their third and final TV set and discovered that a 50-inch model also sported matching prices on two distinct signs: $329.99. Target, we love you, but these "Black Friday Deals" are nonexistent.
TikTok users agreed that Black Friday has always been a scam.
As of this writing, DeJay's video has amassed over 38.2 million views and is still counting. Additionally, it has garnered more than 3.3 million likes and attracted 58,900 comments from fellow TikTokers expressing their opinion that Black Friday is a total scam (and we couldn't agree more).
"That's why I didn’t go shopping anywhere," one person said. "It's been a gimmick for years!"
A second TikTok user agreed, pointing out, "Black Friday deals used to be SO GOOD. Now, I don't even bother. Even online, they raise the price to 'drop it.'"
"I've noticed everything was cheaper like two weeks ago [than] it was Black Friday," a third TikToker penned, while another person quipped, "I found one where the regular price was lower [than the] Black Friday deal."
Someone else shared, "I got my mom a Coach purse for Christmas last week for $145. They marked it up to almost $200 for Black Friday." OK, our minds are officially blown... has it always been this way?! If so, we can't believe it's taken us this long to uncover these retail shenanigans!
Others revealed that Black Friday sales kick off way before Thanksgiving, morphing it into a November-long shopping extravaganza — because why limit the madness to just one day when you can have a whole month of mayhem?!
"I worked at Target back in 2015 [through] 2020, and it was always like that things are on sale a month before Black Friday," a former retail employee commented.
Another person explained, "At Walmart, a week before black Friday, Keurigs were $35, and on Black Friday, it was $49 and marked as a Black Friday deal."
"I've been saying this for years," a third TikTok user responded. "If you really pay attention, you'll notice they raise the price in October to lower it in November."
Distractify reached out to Target for comment, and a spokesperson responded with the following statement:
"A recent TikTok video showed a guest questioning if there was a sale on three Samsung TVs that had both a Black Friday sale sign, as well as a sale sign behind it indicating the same price.
In fact, the TVs were on sale before Black Friday as part of our early Black Friday sales. We continued to offer those items at the same discount during Black Friday, but updated the signage to reflect the extended timing.
In both instances, guests would have saved the same amount, between $20-$80 depending on which TV they purchased. Those discounted prices compared to the regular prices are clearly shown in both sale signs in the video.
We know our guests are looking for flexibility when they shop holiday deals, which is why we began Black Friday deals in late October and will continue offering great discounts throughout the holiday season. We also offer a Price Match Guarantee, and will match the price of any item purchased by a guest that is offered at a lower price later in the season."