Wild 1994 Black Friday video shows the chaotic shopping frenzy of the past—and how much has changed

Over time, many things and events undergo transformation—some for the better, while others are simply inevitable. A striking example of this shift is seen in a video from a 1994 Black Friday sale, highlighting the stark contrast in shopping culture over the past 30 years. Those familiar with today’s Black Friday may be shocked by the chaos of decades past. A video shared by NBCDFW News (@nbcdfw on TikTok) offers a glimpse into just how much Black Friday sales have evolved.

"What Christmas shopping, Black Friday was like 30 years ago," the text overlay of the video read. At the start, supermarket workers in white uniforms stood by each door, bracing for the flood of eager shoppers. Outside, people knocked and screamed in anticipation. The moment the locks were released, a massive crowd surged forward, forcing employees to sprint out of the way to avoid being trampled by the incoming customers. Chaos erupted as shoppers dashed through the store, racing toward products. Many sprinted onto the escalator without waiting, determined to beat others to their destination.

The flood of shoppers seemed endless, with waves of people pouring in nonstop. At one point, the store was packed so tightly that there was barely any room to stand, let alone move. Shoppers attempted to squeeze past one another, but the sheer density made it nearly impossible. The camera then panned outside, revealing an even larger crowd still waiting to get in—stretching as far as the eye could see. Inside, chaos continued as customers rushed to checkout, forcing cashiers to work at lightning speed to keep up. Meanwhile, store employees scrambled to manage the overwhelming crowd.

The caption read, "Black Friday is just around the corner. But the sales and shoppers don't go nearly as crazy as they used to.⁠" The video was from North Texas in 1994, at the peak of holiday shopping that year. The video received nearly 32 million views and over 3.4 million likes. People in the comments expressed their thoughts on the big change. @definitelynotsarcasm wrote, "This was back when things were actually like 80% off. My mom once threw her hands in a toys section over that damn Elmo. She got it."

@eclecticlittleme commented, "No because I remember my friend getting a $250 bracelet for like $16. Now they’re talking about: Here’s your 8% off coupon." @hloon20 remarked, "Picking up a newspaper on Thanksgiving day and planning your Black Friday store schedule, I miss that. But I don’t miss the 4 am and lines." @lolaleeann430 shared, "My family would buy the Sunday paper before Black Friday, bring it to Thanksgiving and after food, we'd go through the ads and make a plan of attack." @drd4life expressed, "Now things are typically more expensive or they just put the same price on a new sign in front of the old sign."

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