Chaotic images of people clamouring to be the first through the doors to get their hands on hot deals have become synonymous with Black Friday in recent years.

However, the one-day shopping frenzy at malls and stores following American Thanksgiving may be on the decline as some consumers and retailers start to shun the tradition by either opting out entirely or turning to internet shopping instead.

B次元官网网址淚n the B次元官网网址�70s and B次元官网网址�80s if you wanted to distinguish yourself as a company you would participate in this event,B次元官网网址� said Markus Giesler of York UniversityB次元官网网址檚 Schulich School of Business in Toronto.

B次元官网网址淭oday itB次元官网网址檚 the exact other way around.B次元官网网址�

Online fashion retailer ModCloth, for example, announced this year that its website would shut down on Black Friday and the company would donate US$5 million worth of merchandise to a non-profit organization.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been fun, Black Friday. You had the deals and the steals, but this year weB次元官网网址檙e looking for the feels,B次元官网网址� the company wrote in a blog post.

Outdoor retailer REI, on the other hand, has closed its stores on Black Friday for the past two years, given their employees a paid day off, and encouraged people to partake in a new tradition and head outside instead.

These brands are mimicking a consumer shift away from mass consumption, said Giesler.

Once fringe activist movements like Buy Nothing Day B次元官网网址� an anti-consumerism protest held on the same day as Black Friday B次元官网网址� have seeped into the mainstream as more people embrace minimalism and choose conscious consumption.

B次元官网网址淢y neighbours left and right would unsurprisingly now say, B次元官网网址榊ou know, we no longer do the mall thing. We no longer do the Black Friday thing,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� said Giesler.

Last year, Thanksgiving weekend sales in stores in the U.S. were down 4.2 per cent, while foot traffic fell 4.4 per cent, according to data from RetailNext, a retail analytics firm.

Two factors seemed to have altered how people view Black Friday, said JoAndrea Hoegg, an associate professor at the University of British ColumbiaB次元官网网址檚 Sauder School of Business.

Sales now last about a week, rather than being a single-day event, she said, and the internet has given consumers the ability to find great deals year round.

B次元官网网址�(There) seems to be less of an urgency about the purchases,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 sort of less of a hype that this is the one day of the year B次元官网网址� this and Boxing Day B次元官网网址� that you can really, you know, get that fantastic deal.B次元官网网址�

Still, she believes the shopping spree remains popular, especially online.

American consumers spent US$30.39 billion online between Nov. 1 and 22, according to Adobe Analytics data, which covers 80 per cent of transactions made with the countryB次元官网网址檚 100 largest e-retailers. ThatB次元官网网址檚 up nearly 18 per cent from the same timeframe last year.

As of 5 p.m. ET on Thanksgiving day, the company said Americans already spent nearly 17 per cent more than they did last year, shelling out $1.52 billion online.

For shoppers not interested in the social aspect of Black Friday shopping, online purchases make much more sense, Hoegg said.

B次元官网网址淵ou donB次元官网网址檛 have to deal with the crowds and the deals are, by and large, just as good.B次元官网网址�

Certain industries in particular are experiencing a Black Friday renaissance online, said Giesler, highlighting that technology firms are known to offer B次元官网网址渓egendaryB次元官网网址� sales.

Shoppers looking to buy an Amazon Alexa, a Phillips Hue system, a Nest thermostat or other trendy technology, he said, scour the internet for Black Friday deals.

B次元官网网址淚 may not go for the big-box television flat screen at Best Buy,B次元官网网址� Giesler said. B次元官网网址淏ut I may go to Amazon, I may go to Nest or to Ecobee to buy myself a little bit of technology.B次元官网网址�

Aleksandra Sagan, The Canadian Press