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Some of the finest bargains of the year can be found on Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year. These in-store and online promotions are typically advertised several weeks in advance. Shoppers can see what's on offer this year courtesy of Black Friday ads, allowing them to budget and prepare ahead to make the most of these once-in-a-year opportunities. Black Friday is indeed a fantastic time to scoop up high-end items at steep discounts.
Almost everyone thinks of Black Friday as a day to stock up on goods at a discount, but the name has other, less pleasant associations as well. While Black Friday is known for great prices, discounts, online shopping, and other conveniences, it also has an ugly side. So, what is this thing called "Black Friday," and where did that name come from? When and how did Black Friday begin? When will this year's Black Friday take place? The Black Friday sale begins and ends at what times? When will the Black Friday 2023 ads be released?
Read on to discover the answers to these inquiries and many more.
What does Black Friday signify, and why is it so named? Let's go back to the very beginning of things to find out where Black Friday sales actually originated.
The annual shopping fever, known worldwide as Black Friday, actually began in Canada, as opposed to the United States. Back then, a Canadian department store known as Eaton's organized the inaugural Thanksgiving Parade in 1904 in Toronto. They did this by having Santa ride a wagon through the city streets. Over time, they continued to throw these shows, continually raising the stakes with each new one (which was appreciated in the cold Canadian month of November). By 1916, the parade had been upgraded even further, with seven floats depicting figures from nursery rhymes and fairy tales joining Santa and his eight real reindeer. And as time went on, the event continued to grow.
When this type of event was proposed in a neighboring country, the United States had to respond. The Eaton's Thanksgiving Day Parade in Canada served as an inspiration for Macy's inaugural New York City parade in 1924. They hoped this would remind customers of the good times they had during the 1920s and inspire them to make further purchases. What was predicted to happen indeed occurred; business picked up considerably the day after the parade. Naturally, every business wanted in on the holiday sales action, but they all made a pact not to promote their discounts until after the parade.
But there was one problem! Thanksgiving that year was in the fifth week of November, and stores were worried about losing money since the holiday shopping period was very brief due to the Great Depression. They submitted letters to President Franklin D. Roosevelt requesting that Thanksgiving be rescheduled. There was a lot of misunderstanding in 1939 when the president unexpectedly designated the next-to-last Thursday of the month (November 23) to be Thanksgiving Day (at the time, the holiday was sarcastically termed "Franksgiving"). In 1941, Congress approved a legislation establishing the fourth Thursday of every November as Thanksgiving Day and ending the uncertainty.
It has been noted that ever since the 1950s, an increasing number of individuals have called in sick the day after Thanksgiving so they can have a full four days off. People who didn't show up to work were able to get a jump start on their holiday shopping since most businesses were open. With the mindset of "If you can't beat them, join them," many employers have since made the day after Thanksgiving a paid holiday rather than slashing wages and going after sneaky staff. Meanwhile, stores viewed this as a chance to boost sales, so they offered customers great prices on sales items and other merchandise. This is essentially the genesis of Black Friday: the day after Thanksgiving became synonymous with the finest offers and extraordinary discounts on a wide variety of items.
The term "Black Friday" first appeared in literature in 1966, and its notoriety may have contributed to its eventual adoption as an official term. Philadelphia police officers coined the term to characterize the mayhem caused by holiday shoppers in the city's historic district. For many years, the term had a negative connotation, reflecting the aggressive competition amongst shoppers. Recently, the problem has worsened; since 2006, eleven people have been killed, and over one hundred have been injured on Black Friday alone, according to various reports. As a result, people began referring to that day as "Black-Eye Friday." In 2008, a part-time employee at Walmart was crushed to death by the flurry of shoppers who burst through the gates; despite his robust frame, he was pushed down, stomped, and smothered, making his death perhaps the most horrid one to date.
That was a pretty grim tale, right? Fortunately, Black Friday has taken on far more positive attributes in the last several years, being synonymous with only the finest prices and the biggest discounts on typically highly costly products.
The media's focus on the issue of intense competition amongst shoppers has sparked a national discussion about the state of the retail industry. As a result, several retailers started holding their Black Friday discounts online, reducing the stress level of shoppers at brick-and-mortar establishments.
Consumers looking to save money on high-end items like gadgets, watches, and more flock towards the finest Black Friday discounts and ads. Tens of thousands of people brave the Black Friday crowds every year, armed with coupons and ads and lured by the promise of heavy discounts and the rarity of the event.
The very first Monday post-Thanksgiving is known as Cyber Monday, and as the name suggests, it is a day when online retailers offer substantial discounts to consumers. This alternative to brick-and-mortar stores was conceived by Shop.org in 2005. Cyber Monday wasn't an immediate success because it was before the times changed. Nevertheless, Cyber Monday has become the largest shopping day of the year, surpassing Black Friday for the first time in 2017 and again in 2018. Industry experts have credited faster and more widespread internet access for Cyber Monday's meteoric rise in popularity.
So, which should you go for: Black Friday or Cyber Monday? It's up to you to choose which tickle your fancy. But then, why not do both? There's no stipulation for a Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday showdown.
When Black Friday was limited to brick-and-mortar establishments, it sometimes descended into violence (earning it the title "Black-Eye Friday"). However, thanks to the advent of online shopping and a general shift in perspective, things do not have to go violent on this day anymore. Now, the only danger is excessive time spent glued to the computer and developing scrolling-related index finger pain when selecting the best Black Friday discounts and offers available both online and in traditional stores.
Want to know how many days till Black Friday? Black Friday is usually the Friday following Thanksgiving, so if you want to know when it is this year, all you have to do is check a calendar for the fourth week of November.
"How early will Black Friday begin this year?" is yet another common query. Given that some retailers open at or around midnight on Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday may technically begin on Thursday and continue through Friday. However, since store hours vary widely, it's best to do some research online before the big day to find out when your favorite store will be open.
Who wouldn't want a sneak peek at the biggest Black Friday bargains and offers for high-end items before they even happen? Simply put, it would be depressing to wake up on Black Friday without knowing when it is and be completely unprepared for the finest deals and promotions at local and online stores.
The first step is to determine the exact date of Black Friday in the year in question (e.g., 2023), which is typically the fourth week of November.
Second, once you've learned the date Black Friday will take place this year, research which retailers (both online and physical) offer items that appeal to you, then visit their websites to evaluate their Black Friday-related news, ads, discounts, watch bargains, promotions, business hours, and more. Then, when Black Friday finally arrives, it's time to make your selections and compete for all the deals you can.
According to industry forecasts, increasing numbers of discounts are expected to be available on Black Friday in 2023 and continue into the foreseeable future.
