Black Friday

Origin of the Term

In Philadelphia during the 1950s-1960s, local police began using the term "Black Friday" to describe the chaos that occurred on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

This day attracted large crowds of shoppers and tourists to the city center, which caused:

• Heavy traffic.
• Streets overcrowded with pedestrians.
• An increase in security incidents.

Exhausted and frustrated police officers nicknamed the day "black" due to the chaos.

Black Friday is a shopping event that takes place the day after Thanksgiving Day in the United States, which is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. Key features include:

1. Discounts and special deals:
   • Retail and online stores offer significant discounts on a wide range of products, from electronics to clothing and appliances.
   • It's common to find especially low prices on electronics like TVs, laptops, and smartphones.
2. Start of the holiday shopping season:
   • Black Friday traditionally marks the unofficial start of the year-end holiday shopping season.
   • Many people take advantage of this day to buy Christmas gifts.
3. Origin of the name:
   • The term "Black Friday" originated in Philadelphia, where police used it to describe the chaotic traffic and crowds caused by shoppers after Thanksgiving.
   • It’s also associated with the point when stores went from "red" (losses) to "black" (profits) on their balance sheets due to the surge in sales.
4. Global reach:
   • Although it started in the U.S., Black Friday has expanded to other countries and become a global shopping phenomenon.

Black Weekend

Black Weekend refers to the extension of Black Friday deals throughout the weekend. Key features include:

1. Extended duration:
   • Instead of being limited to Friday, discounts and promotions continue through the entire weekend, up to Sunday.
2. Retail strategy:
   • Many stores use this concept to attract more shoppers who couldn’t take advantage of Black Friday.
   • It serves as a bridge to the next big event: Cyber Monday, which focuses on online deals.
3. Increased access to discounts:
   • It allows consumers who are busy on Friday or couldn’t shop to still benefit from the promotions.
4. Growing popularity:
   • This approach of extending deals has gained traction, especially with the rise of online shopping, where retailers aim to sustain sales momentum for several days.