With the holidays steadily approaching, shopping malls and big brand stores are preparing for one of the biggest days of the year: Black Friday. People begin to prepare themselves for the madness that Black Friday brings. However, is Black Friday as popular as it used to be, or has Cyber Monday taken over?

Black Friday has become a tradition for those who want to get the best deals whilst doing their holiday shopping. This year certain big brand stores such as Macy’s, Toys R Us, and Target open their doors at 8 P.M. on Thanksgiving instead of the usual midnight opening. Many stores such as Brandy Melville save their best deals for this one day. Katherine Valencia, the manager of the Topanga branch of Brandy Melville, said that the store never does sales and when they do, it gets packed. Due to the high demand they received this year, they are the only Southern California location to extend their Black Friday deals to Saturday and Sunday, calling it Black Weekend. People wait all year for this one day to get what they want for a cheaper price.

However, not all stores wait for this one day to have deals people will do anything for. Bath and Body Works is a store that has several deals year round so why, like others, is it jam packed on Black Friday? Lauryn Vartanian, one of the managers at the Northridge branch, has observed why her customers do this.

“Most people are attracted to Black Friday because they believe that they will get better deals,” said Vartanian.

Bath and Body Works does have special deals on Black Friday, which include VIP bags, $40 bags with merchandise that’s worth over $100, and time-framed deals that last between certain hours, but they still include deals they have on certain days year round. Although the days leading up to Black Friday are busy, nothing compares to that day.

It’s certain that some deals are worth the long wait and the bustling crowds but is Black Friday and the madness it brings slowly going out of fashion?

This winter season, Cyber Monday has been climbing the charts as the new Black Friday, as more people switch to the online shopping craze. Students in particular barely want to get up in the morning for school, why not stay in bed and do all your online shopping there?

The basic question, what could possibly be better about online shopping?

An attractive perk about online shopping are the early bird deals. People who sign up online to add items to their virtual shopping cart makes them feel like they are preparing for a nice night at home, and not suiting up to battle an army of crazed moms in track suits. Macy’s, Toys R Us, Apple, Urban Outfitters are only a few big brand businesses that successfully market and advertise their deals in advance to draw their customers in to surf their websites for the latest and greatest, before dealing with the black Friday crowds. Target has just released a sneak peek of what they have to offer the public on Cyber Monday Deals. More than 100,000 items will be on sale on Cyber Monday, with new doorbusters being issued daily.

There have been numerous reports of people being injured, and killed during the Black Friday rush. There is a huge risk factor involved when trying to beat the crowds to get to a piece of merchandise, one Moorpark College student learned the hard way.

“I almost broke my ankle during Black Friday of last year going to Urban Outfitters, it’s completely insane,” said Sarah Edelsohn, 20, “I always use online shopping now, it’s way easier.”

Location is also a major factor in buying merchandise during Black Friday. The shopping malls are swarming with people that are looking to find the best deals at the same time. With Cyber Monday there is no crowds to beat, and with more time to get holiday chores done before Christmas Eve it makes more time to spend with family, stress levels decrease, and the holidays become a breeze.

Cyber Monday also offers deals in a timely fashion, offering endless options of shipping and handling for fragile items such as Ipads, Iphones, T.V.s, shoes, clothes, jewelry, cameras, and a plethora of any item can be shipped before the big night arrives and arrive in better condition from the UPS truck, then straight off the shelves. That closes a few doors for the big businesses of Black Friday.