The shopping madness, so-called Black Friday, will be on November 29 in 2020. What is Black Friday? This Black Friday sales tradition first started in the US and later spread to Canada, and Britain is now being held in many countries. The formation of the Black Friday tradition and becoming the trend of shopping today has taken a long time. More precisely, this phrase has been mentioned along with several events in history.
Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday
Black Friday is on the last Friday of November following Thanksgiving Day. First, let’s have a glimpse of the history of Thanksgiving Day and answer to the most asked question "What is the history of Thanksgiving?". George Washington gave an order on declaration of the day celebrated as the harvest day “Thanksgiving Day.” Thanksgiving begins to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November under Lincoln’s official decision. Later, the celebration of Thanksgiving on the eve of the New Year holiday has sparked an upsurge in shopping between these two dates. This date was regarded as the official opening of the shopping season for the New Year holiday since 1932.
Nevertheless, it became a trend later. The term “Black Friday” was first used in 1961. High figures were recorded on that date in the sale. The day was called “black” by the Philadelphia police, as heavy and disruptive pedestrian and vehicle traffic in many parts of the city hampered police work. Much news with headlines “Black Friday” was published in newspapers. Attempts to benefit from the Black Friday discounts have led to violence and injuries in many areas. The high-profits earned during the event put the companies into action. True, it took a few decades to develop as the trend. However, since the mid-1990s, mass-discount campaigns have started, and many brands offered good discounts to allow people to join the tradition.
Discounts and incidents of violence
On Black Friday, some brands can make Black Friday discounts of up to 90%. Stores are open in the morning hours. Shops usually open at 06:00 on Black Friday began to open at 04:00 since 2000. In 2011, some stores announced that they would even work 24 hours. Discounts are more common in stores selling clothing and technological devices. Online shops have also joined the trend. Of course, everyone wants to benefit from Black Friday discounts, and it is often remembered by violent incidents. Statistics show that the number of violent incidents has increased since Black Friday in 2011. Some media, however, do not hesitate to use the phrase Black-eye Friday to describe this violence.
Most Black Friday violence was recorded in Alabama, Arkansas, West Virginia, and North Carolina during Black Friday. The most “black” Friday was in 2008, which resulted in one person’s death. A man had died under the feet of the raving and furious mass. In an incident that turns people into mad, customers don’t hesitate to spray tear gas at each other. The increasing numbers of people who think “I can’t miss this discount” were captivated by the magic of the brands since 2000. Some companies that saw sales growth began to sell on the evening of Thanksgiving Day in 2013.
“Black Friday” or “Cyber Monday”?
What is Cyber Monday? Cyber Monday made its debut in 2005 as an alternative to Black Friday by Shop.org. The aim was to launch discount campaigns that can only be used online. It was also an essential step to increase online sales. So why was Monday chosen? Cyber Monday is the following Monday after Black Friday. This year it will be on December 2. The choice of Monday is not accidental. According to research, most of the online purchases are made on Monday.
Online retailers such as Amazon have also joined the Black Friday trend, and make huge discounts. That is, there is no need to go to and wait at the store in the morning. On the one hand, it serves to integrate the world into the Black Friday tradition. On the other hand, it makes to compete with Cyber Monday by switching to the online sale, which results in mass online shopping. The biggest goal is to get consumers to join the race and earn big profits. The statistics and the revenue increasing year-on-year prove this. The figures are quite high. While comparing 2009 and 2018, a striking difference emerges. Thus, sales of $ 887 million in 2009 increased to $ 7.9 billion in 2018.
Companies offering most discounts
Walmart, the network of markets, is one of the companies providing the most discount. There are so many discounts in these stores that people are stepping over each other to buy products. Over the past ten years, more than 51% of Black Friday violence has occurred in Walmart stores. In 2012, crazy mass caused significant damage to the department store in Florida. In Walmart, California, police intervened and surrounded the store because of the vast crowd. The list also includes major networks like Target, Best Buy, and Macy. These stores also have more bunch and more sales. About 20% of annual sales are made today. In such stores, sometimes, along with the buyers, products can suffer too. However, this does not bother store managers, as the high sales figures also raise the mood of manufacturers.
What is the Deal?
It is a Black Friday tradition that emerged some time ago. Briefly, we can summarize it as follows. During Black Friday, the customer is not able to get the technological product she wants. Instead, there is another product that she buys. After Black Friday, she communicates with those who have purchased the technology she wants online and sends about changing the products. In short, the deal means to make barter. Another tradition is to sell the product purchased during Black Friday for a higher price later online. Unfortunately, such cases are on the rise.
Finally, I want to bring one fact to the fore. Previously, high income was shown in black in accounting. The red colour was used if there was a decline in revenue. Many claims that the word Black in Black Friday is related to it. The accuracy of this claim is controversial. However, high sales revenue contributes a certain amount of certainty to the fact. There are other reasons for the growing interest in the trend from day-to-day. The competitiveness of brands, transfer of people’s psychology of shopping beyond the needs, the psychology of mass, and others are among the factors. As a result, both sides seem to win. Both stores that sell more products at lower prices and customers, who buy at lower prices, are more likely to be satisfied with the situation. There is a saying, "willing buyer, willing seller".
