- Major Black Friday deals, such as the Nintendo Switch and the Instant Pot, sold out before Thanksgiving Day was over, infuriating shoppers.
- Retailers like Walmart, Target, and GameStop sold out of some major deals quickly on Thursday.
- Online sales on Wednesday and Thursday hit record highs, with shoppers spending $2.4 billion online on Wednesday – a whopping 31.8% increase over last year.
Black Friday is starting earlier than ever, especially as shoppers move online. And as a result, some of the biggest deals are selling out before Thanksgiving Day is over.
Shoppers spent $2.4 billion online on Wednesday, a whopping 31.8% increase over last year, according to Adobe Analytics data.
By 10 a.m. Thursday, they had spent another $406 million online. By 5 p.m., they’d spent $1.75 billion, representing 28.6% growth over last year.
Read more: Black Friday is starting earlier than ever – and companies like Walmart and Lululemon weren’t ready
And with the massive spending, some of the biggest deals of the holiday season have already sold out.
By Thursday evening, the Nintendo Switch had sold out at Target and GameStop, according to BlackFriday.com. Walmart, Target, and GameStop quickly sold out of the PlayStation 4. And the Instant Pot was sold out at Walmart and Target.
In some cases, these deals were marketed as doorbusters and expected to sell out quickly because of their limited quantity. But for some of the biggest Black Friday deals to sell out before Friday rubbed many shoppers the wrong way.
how tf is the nintendo switch already sold out everywhere
— johnny (@_johnnyyats19) November 23, 2018
https://twitter.com/JohnRaizor/status/1065595377405968385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfwhttps://twitter.com/TheGamingGeko7/status/1065708473319608320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
To paraphrase one shopper, it's strange to see Black Friday deals sell out on Thursday.
https://twitter.com/itsimogensis/status/1065784191038758912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Lol they sold out of PS4’s in 20 mins after opening at 5pm today and it’s not even Black Friday pic.twitter.com/L6Bu5wI1zq
— Don Jon 👑 (@2_Men_Nelli) November 23, 2018
https://twitter.com/norathelostgirl/status/1065795387775246336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Whether items sold out instantly or as Thanksgiving Day went on, shoppers weren't happy to miss out on deals.
@Kohls Ordered an Xbox One X 2 minutes after deals went live for Black Friday. Order was cancelled. Ordered another at 3 AM-order cancelled. When I called they said it was sold out. I’m seeing all over social media that almost all orders have been cancelled on PS4 and Xbox One.
— Christy Harris (@cpharris217) November 22, 2018
https://twitter.com/drNMD/status/1065635343045603328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfwhttps://twitter.com/NadiaC5/status/1065806160077488128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Companies also faced technical difficulties online because of the boost in early-shopping traffic. Retailers including Walmart, Lululemon, and GameStop dealt with website issues on Wednesday and Thursday.
More on Black Friday:
- Thanksgiving is killing Black Friday by replacing it
- Furious shoppers faced off against crashing websites on Thanksgiving Day - and it reveals a massive evolution of Black Friday shopping
- Black Friday deals sold out at stores like Walmart and Target before Friday even began - and people are furious
- Walmart is trying desperately to contain the Black Friday chaos by creating what customers are calling a 'maze' - but photos reveal a wild shopping fiasco
- Walmart shoppers are complaining that stores are running out of iPhones as Black Friday sales begin
- Shoppers using smartphones under the dinner table have made Thanksgiving one of the biggest days for online shopping