Why do we have Black Friday? 🖤

What is Black Friday?

Black Friday is a day of shopping that takes place on the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States. It’s a time when many stores offer big discounts and sales to encourage shoppers to buy gifts for the holiday season. Black Friday is one of the busiest shopping days of the year, and some stores may even open early or on Thanksgiving.

Where does the term ‘Black Friday’ come from?

The term “Black Friday” originated in Philadelphia in the early 1960s, when police officers used it to describe the chaos of the day after Thanksgiving. The crowds of tourists visiting the city for shopping and the Army-Navy football game caused traffic jams, accidents, and shoplifting, which led to longer shifts for the police.

If it’s a US thing, why do we do it in the UK?

→ Black Friday offers consumers the chance to save money on high-value items.

→ Black Friday is close to Christmas, so it’s a good opportunity to find gifts for loved ones.

→ Black Friday is a key driver of revenue for retailers, helping to start the Christmas shopping season early.

→ Black Friday is a chance for retailers to promote their online channels. In 2021, online spending accounted for almost half of the UK’s Black Friday sales.

→ Black Friday can increase customer loyalty, as people may return for more holiday purchases after the sales.

Black Friday was introduced to the UK by Amazon in 2010, and Asda launched the first in-store event in 2013. The popularity of Black Friday has grown ever since, with consumers spending an estimated £13.3 billion in 2023.

However, the meaning of Black Friday is slowly and recognisably being lost as it’s becoming ‘trendy’ to be a month-long promotion instead of the one day. It’s even been extended into Cyber Monday – which is 2nd December.

For those who have no idea what Cyber Monday is – Cyber Monday is an e-commerce term referring to the Monday following the U.S. Thanksgiving weekend. Online retailers usually offer special promotions, discounts, and sales on this day as brick-and-mortar stores do on Black Friday.

So, are you wanting a slice of the £13.3 billion Thanksgiving pie this year?