What is Black Friday?
Black Friday, which is the day following Thanksgiving, is widely known as the start of the holiday shopping season. This term was popularized in 2000s by online shopping sites, which used it to compete against physical store sales. It was adopted across the country by both online and traditional retailers.
What Does Black Friday Really Mean?
Thanksgiving Day in the United States is the fourth Thursday in November. Black Friday is the next most-popular shopping holiday in the year. Black Friday is the day that many retailers offer their best sales and deepest discounts.
This also refers to accounting terms “in red”, which are about profits. Many retailers are profitable in November or December, but they lose the majority of the year (in red).
In an attempt to increase the shopping day, retailers moved the start time for their Blackfriday Sales from Friday morning into the evening. This was also done in 2013 and 2014. Black Sales can even be started by some retailers on Mondays prior to Thanksgiving Day.
History and Origin
Philadelphia claims Friday was the first day that Friday was used to refer to Thanksgiving in the 1950s. Police officers used the term internally to describe the large number pedestrians, cars and vehicles that clogged Philadelphia’s shopping streets every year. There were many accidents and violent incidents among the vehicles and people that clogged Philadelphia’s shopping areas every year. Every officer was required to be present in order to manage the chaos and keep order.
Earl Apfelbaum, a Philadelphia rare stamp dealer, published the first known use of Black Friday in 1966. From 1966 to the 2000s, this term was most popularly used in Philadelphia. In the 1980s, it was also used in other locations.
The initial retailers did not use the name, as black days of week were historically a reference for adverse events. Retail stores associate black with negative associations. Accounting shows losses and gains for businesses using red ink, but profits or gains with black is not a common trend. Many retailers would be “into red” after the fall but “into green” during holiday shopping.
Black Friday was renamed to “Black Friday” in order to create a positive association. This meaning was accepted and is much more popular than it was in 1950s.
Black Friday Deals & Online Shopping
Black Friday is a great time to buy consumer electronics such as computers, tablets, laptops and gaming systems. Some shoppers spend hours searching for great deals. Many prefer Shopping Online.
Online shoppers now have the opportunity to take advantage of deals offered by retailers that start simultaneously with in-store sales. Online stores may offer different door-buster deals, even though they only have a few of them.
Cyber Monday was born out of the desire to not be surrounded with people or in long lines. Cyber Monday is for online shoppers. It’s the Monday immediately following. There are special deals on certain shopping sites every hour. Cyber Monday deals often come out earlier than Black Friday deals. Online shoppers should shop around to find the best deals.
Green Monday has been added to the holiday shopping season’s list of special deals days. It’s the second Monday of December, and it aims to attract shoppers who are still searching for Christmas gifts in-store or online.
