Quick Facts

At its peak, Black Friday would bring in 30 percent of annual retail sales.

In 2011, the average Black Friday shopper would spend $398, compared to only $299 in 2015, said Peters, who studies shopping with Winthrop Professor of Marketing Jane Thomas.

Four themes emerged in 2015 from interviews with shoppers: family versus consumerism, fun versus stress, online versus in-store shopping and Me versus My Children.