A lesson on the best day of the year… Black Friday

We’ve all heard of Black Friday, but do you know what the story is behind this highly anticipated day?

As Black Friday looms around the corner, Aspire is here to explain what is Black Friday and when is it time to get shopping for Black Friday deals.

Here is all you never knew about Black Friday – the origin story.

What is Black Friday?

Black Friday is the name given to the Friday following Thanksgiving in the United States. Brimming with shopping deals, promotions and irresistible discounts, Black Friday is set to kick-start the Christmas shopping season.

In the US, Black Friday has been the busiest shopping day of the year since the early noughties. It is no wonder then that the Black Friday trend sailed across the pond over a decade ago. By 2014, Black Friday firmly established itself as the peak pre-Christmas online sales day in the UK.

When is Black Friday?

We hear you: when is Black Friday in 2021? Well, you still have a little time to save up for this year’s Black Friday deals; this year Black Friday is on the 26th of November.

That being said, early retail deals may just make it a ‘Black November’!

The historical Black Friday

Historically, and a little ironically, Black Friday is the name given to a stock market crash that caused a financial crisis in 1869.

That day, clothes and trending toy sales were far from anyone’s mind as Wall Street faced chaos due to plummeting gold prices causing the market to crash.

The origin story of Black Friday deals

Post-Thanksgiving sales were a common phenomenon long before the name ‘Black Friday’ was given to the day.

As retailers wanted to boost their sales during the Thanksgiving holiday when most people were off work, discounted prices and promotions were used to lure shoppers into stores. The idea of ‘can’t miss it’ deals has only fed the success of the famous shopping day. With the emergence of online shopping, Black Friday has never been more popular.

But it wasn’t until later the term ‘Black Friday’ was associated with the day.

Where did the name ‘Black Friday’ come from?

There are two main theories of how the name Black Friday became associated with post-Turkey Day shopping deals.

Some believe the term ‘black’ refers to an accounting practice where profits were recorded in black ink and losses in red. The hope was that shops would have a huge sales boost on the Thanksgiving weekend to place themselves ‘in the black’ and ideally stay that way for the rest of the year.

However, it is widely believed we have exhausted police officers to thank for linking the name Black Friday with the post-Thanksgiving shopping frenzy.

In the 1950s, shoppers in Philadelphia took to the streets in masses to get the best deals on the day following Thanksgiving. Yet on the same day, the city also hosted a football match and unveiled its Christmas decorations.

The sheer number of people out and about caused traffic police to work over-long, compulsory shifts. These overtired police officers soon started referring to the dreaded working day as Black Friday. Sales assistants in shops saw the name fitting and adopted it.

In 1966, the term Black Friday spread from the overcrowded streets of Philadelphia straight into commercial and print use. By the late 1980s, everyone in the US associated Black Friday with the pre-Christmas shopping craze.

Are you ready for Black Friday?

Finding a bargain is always a great feeling and that is why the success of Black Friday continues year after year.

Will you hit the streets this Black Friday or are you going to be hunting for deals online? Let us know on our social media!