https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/22/18106711/walmart-black-friday-cyber-monday-in-store-shopping-amazon-competition

Although we may be doing an increasing amount of shopping online, a vast majority of retail still occurs in the real world — and no event better emphasizes that fact than Black Friday, the annual holiday shopping extravaganza that consumes US retailers every Thanksgiving. Last year, Black Friday generated nearly $8 billion in sales, according to Adobe Analytics. It remains the best time of the year to get discounts on expensive electronics like 4K TVs, video game consoles, and laptops, while scores of new gadget categories like smart speakers and streaming set-top boxes have prices slashed in the hopes they get scooped up as holiday gifts.

Yet with so many deals moving online as retailers blur the lines between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, there’s a growing need to try to improve the in-store experience. Many retailers, now feeling heavy competition from Amazon’s dominant e-commerce operation, are now turning to technology to incentivize consumers to skip the shipping wait times and pick up an item in-store, or at the very least order it online first.