Black Friday is the day when shopaholics crowd the stores and online platforms to discover the best deals of the year. This term has established itself as an iconic part of American shoppers’ culture. Let’s delve to know the history of Black Friday and reveal its myths and facts!
How did Black Friday come into existence?
Black Friday is the next day to Thanksgiving in the United States, marking the beginning of the holiday shopping spree. The retailers lure the customers with high discounts, starting their stores early in the morning, and in most cases on Thanksgiving Day itself.
What is the history behind the term Black Friday?
It is obvious that when something is preceded by black it is expected to be something bad, similar to the phrase Black Friday. The first use of the phrase Black Friday was made in September 1869 and it was not related to Christmas shopping at all. The duo Jay Gould and James Fisk intended to control the market but eventually witnessed the gold market crash that affected the economy of the United States for years.
Another theory suggests that it originated in the 1950s or 60s when the traffic police officials of Philadelphia used the phrase to describe the traffic mess that was seen due to the overcrowding at the retail stores. The potential consumers turned up in the US streets which resulted in the havoc situation for the traffic police to control the crowd who marched for their holiday shopping. The term that was used in Philadelphia later spread worldwide. This is a fact.
One more theory suggests that the phrase derived from the idea of businesses converting their financial loss (“in the red”) to a profitable one (“in the black”) after Thanksgiving, as they witness larger sales that allow them to earn a reasonable profit. This is just a myth!
Myths and Facts related to Black Friday
- Black Friday witnesses the highest shopping across the year.
- This is a myth. Black Friday may seem to be the biggest shopping day due to the commercials, big queues, and the insane American Shopping culture shown on Television. As per the reports, shoppers spend more during the Christmas week, then, particularly on Black Friday.
- It is the busiest day for the plumbers.
- This is a fact. A large number of people gather for their Thanksgiving meal leaving leftover food which may result in the clogging of their kitchen drain. This proves as the busiest day for American plumbers.
- It is just about the lowest prices offered by the retailers.
- This is a myth. The price factor is definitely the point of consideration, but the shoppers expect quality, convenience, and trustworthiness for their better shopping experience and are ready to pay a reasonable amount for the same.
- Black Friday got popular in Norway due to a naked stunt.
- This is a fact. it reached Norway through a controversial publicity stunt by a Norwegian outlet gaining a lot of media attention. People criticized it for the Americanization of Norway, Black Friday made its way to gain traction increasing its shopping reach every passing year.
