Black Friday deals sold out at stores like Walmart and Target before Friday even began - and people are furious
- Major Black Friday deals, such as the Nintendo Switch and Instant Pot, have already sold out before Thanksgiving Day is over, infuriating shoppers.
- Retailers like Walmart, Target, and GameStop all sold out of some major deals quickly on Thanksgiving Day.
- Online sales on Wednesday and Thursday hit record highs this year, with shoppers spending $2.4 billion online on Wednesday - a whopping 31.8% increase from 2017.
Black Friday is starting earlier than ever. And, as a result, some of the biggest deals are selling out before Thanksgiving Day is over.
Wednesday and Thursday - Thanksgiving Day - proved that Black Friday sales begin far before Friday, especially as shoppers move online. Shoppers spent $2.4 billion online on Wednesday, a whopping 31.8% increase from 2017, according to Adobe Analytics data.
By 10 a.m. Thursday morning, shoppers had spent another $406 million online. By 5 p.m., they'd spent $1.75 billion, representing 28.6% growth compared to last year.
Read more: Black Friday is starting earlier than ever - and companies like Walmart and Lululemon weren't ready
And, with massive spending, some of the biggest deals of the holiday season have already sold out.
By Thursday evening, the Nintendo Switch sold out at Target and GameStop, according to BlackFriday.com. Walmart, Target, and GameStop quickly sold out of the PlayStation 4. And, Instant Pot sold out from Walmart and Target.
In some cases, these deals were marketed as doorbusters, and expected to sell out quickly because of their limited quantity. However, for some of the biggest deals to sell out before Friday even began rubbed many shoppers the wrong way.
To paraphrase one shopper, it is strange to see Black Friday deals sell out on Thursday.
Whether items sold out instantly or as Thanksgiving Day went on, shoppers weren't happy to miss out on deals.
Companies also faced technical difficulties due to the boost in early traffic. Retailers including Walmart, Lululemon, and GameStop all dealt with website issues on Wednesday and Thursday.
