THE BLACK FRIDAY FRENZY OFFICIALLY BEGINS TODAY. BUT MANY SAY THE THRILL IS GONE.

By Abha Bhattarai, Washington Post

Shoppers, it seems, are over the frenzied, harried, wait-all-night-in-the-cold madness of Black Friday. They are increasingly shunning the shopping holiday, opting instead to spread out purchases over a course of weeks or months. For the first time, more Americans are preparing to shop online this holiday season than in department stores, according to data from the National Retail Federation.

“Frankly, Black Friday has become meaningless,” said Mark Cohen, director of retail studies at Columbia Business School. “Retailers are desperate — they’re offering discounts weeks in advance, so what more is there to do? There’s no urgency anymore.”

Among those shopping Thanksgiving week, 13 percent are expected to go to a physical store on Thursday, while 28 percent plan to shop online that day, according to data from PwC, the professional services giant.

Over the past decade, big-box chains have slowly moved up doorbuster discounts from Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) to the Thanksgiving holiday itself, and even earlier, as they try to lock in sales that might otherwise go to their competitors.

That shift in how Americans shop, analysts say, is creating new problems for retailers. It’s no longer clear exactly when Americans are ready to begin spending — or what will get them to open their wallets.

Customers, too, say they’re facing new challenges: They’re never quite certain when the best deals might take place. A sweater might be marked down 70 percent on Thanksgiving Day — but will the discounts be even deeper on Cyber Monday?