Ask Mike: Why Black Friday?
Hey Guys,
Black Friday — that most unholy of shopping days — is just around the corner. The day after Thanksgiving is commonly referred to as the “busiest shopping day of the year,” but is that actually true or just one of those myths that became a fact? And, by the way, who coined the phrase “Black Friday”?
Anyone who has gone to the mall on Black Friday knows that it can be a complete madhouse. Parking is impossible, workers are overwhelmed, and shoppers are cutthroat. But, it could be worse. According to Snopes.com, Black Friday may be the busiest day of the year in terms of foot traffic, but it rarely wins the crown as far as money spent.
Snopes writes that Black Friday usually ends up being in less cash for retailers than the last Saturday before Christmas. For example, in 2002 Black Friday was actually the fourth busiest shopping day of the year. The point: Procrastinators spend more than early birds./p>
As for how the day after Thanksgiving got its name, there are a couple of theories. One states that it’s due to the fact that stores make so much money, they instantly go from being “in the red” to turning a profit or being “in the black.” Another theory — the Philadelphia police gave it day its name in the 1960s because the day after Thanksgiving is full of bad traffic, irritable people, and possible stampedes. Or, maybe, as one site explains, it’s a little bit of both.
What about you guys? Are you planning to risk life and limb to score some deals on Black Friday or will you stay at home in your bunker and wait for the madness to die down? That’s my plan. After all, there’s always Cyber Monday.
Thanks for reading,
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Being the sane and sensible sort………I stay as far away as possible from any mall, or other shopping destination, from the day after Thanksgiving until about January 15th.!
We always try to avoid black friday. Last year, a staff at wal-mart got killed by a stampede of people–no joke, it was all over the news. We do our chrsitmas shopping around 2 weeks before christmas. But what’s really the best option is to do christmas shopping AFTER chrisrmas, because everything goes on sale AFTER christmas, haha.
I’m aiming for “black Wednesday” tomorrow, but Friday shopping is crazy. Why would anyone start at 4 a.m.? I don’t think the deals warrant that.
I risked life and limb the last two years. Now I work retail and I have to work that day. 4 AM. Ugh.
Well, the world has become rich and people will spend like crazy. Hate to say this but women really love to get out there and get in the fray and spend. Men will wander off to Best Buy and ogle the tech. stuff. It’s just the way of our spirits my friend. Buy something!
A lot of people think that all these stores have sales on black friday and so they go crazy. I work at a certain popular lotion/beauty store and I can tell you right now that we are jacking our prices up some. And I know for sure a certain very expensive and popular purse store is doing the same.
Actually im goin to shop till i drop on black friday
The good stuff is never on sale.It’s a marketing idea of ‘Black Friday” to get the pure of heart in for a quick rip off.
it not really unholy it is however one of the busiest shopping days of the year and it is the best time to do your christmas shopping
I hear that the name “Black” for the Friday after Thanksgiving day identifies it as THE DAY that retailers finally get out of the Red in the economic calendar year.
Most retailers view this day as a day to celebrate by offering $ales…. so why not share the wealth?
I LOVE IT!
I might not spend a lot of money, but I enjoy it more than Thanksgiving. Being out there amidst all the madness and taking in all the excitement! Not to mention creating a strategy for checking out the sales.
You don’t do it 100% for the sales, you do it to experience the excitement of people.
Everyone has the right to like whatever they wish, however, for big city people, we love the thrill of seeing people.
If it wasn’t for the fact that friday is payday, I am flat broke and I need money, for kerosene (for heat) as well as animal feed and by friday gas for my truck, I would be at home baking and not moving a muscle toward anything that resembled a shopping area. Sadly I will be working Wenesday night and Thursday night as well so I will deal with idiots that getup and stand in line for the store to open at what ever ungodly hour they set forth. There has never been a sale quite that good to get me up and out to face those mobs.
I will probably have to go out over the weekend but I honestly hope not.
No I think I will wait till Dec 10 or so to start. I remember one year I did all my shopping on the 24th.
I think its true. People jack up prices on some items and lower prices on others and post ads on them to lure people into the store where they will see the products that have been jacked up. There are many good sales out there that last for 1 day but this year I’m doing all mine online after that chick got trampled to death last year. then the morons didnt even have the decency to stop shopping when they had to close the store because of the death they were angry!! crazy people man. supposed to season of love joy and family.
i am a retail manager for aeropostale and black friday is hell!!! people are so rude and they just don’t care. the week alone i’m putting in seventy hours. i agree, BLACK FRIDAY IS HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I never find deals on Black Friday and I am an expert clearanc eshopper even!!
We’ll see this year, I am going to hit Target first. The myth intrigues me so.
CDLTNLA
I worked at Toys R Us from 96-01. We averaged about 30k a day throughout the year. Beginning in November those numbers steadily creep up. 45k, 60k, 75k. The first four hours of Black Friday (or Green Friday as TRU called it) saw just under 100k! We would finish the day out at 200k. From there on out until Christmas we would be anywhere from 85k-95k a day.
I am one of the lucky few that really does not have a big crowd on black friday. for me it is just as busy as any other day. the only thing is the mall only has a few people but the parking lot is always full. I do my shopping when I actually have the chance as I work 7 days a week.
actually the bussiest day of shoping is jan 26 because its the day before my birthdat! lol
I like my sleep entirely too much to get up that early….
Typically, the busy day before Christmas is the last Saturday before Christmas.
Wouldn’t go near a mall of Black Friday. I don’t like to shop in the 1st place and 2nd there are not that many really good bargain out there on Black Friday.
i go, but not because i actually have to buy anything. actually, standing in line to check out is the worst part! i just go because all the commotion and craziness is exciting.. i buy things at different times and get much better deals, but i go anyway with my friends, in hopes of seeing a fight or something else.. exciting! haha
When the mall gets too crowded I stay home. Thats how I handle it.
I’m already finished with most of my holiday shopping. I pick up things throughout the year instead of setting aside time close to the holidays to shop for everything at once. It’s way less stressful and I end up spending much less money in the long run.
I would never limit myself to doing the bulk of my shopping on one day like Black Friday for exactly the reasons you listed. The crowds, the noise, the pressure, why go through that?
But this year we are looking in to getting a Blu Ray player and several stores are supposed to have them on sale for very cheap on Black Friday. I don’t mind getting up at the crack of dawn and running over the Best Buy for ONE particular item and then going home to go back to bed. The money I’ll save would be worth it.
I love Black Friday. My girls and I get started around 4am, this year we are aiming for 2am. I hope we make it out and get all the shopping done. Most of it we are using for comparison shopping and my girlfriend does lay-a-way so she puts stuff aside and then bargain shops the rest of the season.
I worked at JCPenney and CompUSA for about 15 years total. I guarantee you Friday is absolutely the busiest (both units and dollars sold) shopping day of the year. To the tune of nearly double the 2nd best day (usually today!). Depending on the day of the week Christmas lands, Dec 23 is generally 3rd, sometimes 2nd. (Dec 24 is less because most places close early).
Certain stores will see different patterns (such as – candy stores likely do better before Valentines, Dad’s Apparel Only stores before Father’s Day, etc). But your big box stores will easily have their best day on Friday.
Just another reason to give thanks for the internet. The best deals are online and they are there everyday.
Oh, I still go to the malls and retail stores to see what’s out there and physically examine different brands, but frankly, when I go home to price these same brands online, the savings are too great to ignore. I usually give the local guys a chance to compete with the prices online, but they just can’t do it.
So, no more fighting the crowds in the malls and parking lots. By the way, I found the most amazing shopping tool ever and it is absolutely free. It is great for online shopping and finding local retailers as well. I have saved hundreds with it on just a few purchases already. It is called MyShoppingGenie and you can download it free at GenieUnleashed.com. Check it out!
For those of you going out to shop on Friday, happy hunting and be safe.
Actually, Black Friday gets its name from the body count that occurs when greedy idiots bash and trample each other to save a few bucks on some items. Stores should issue rainchecks or not advertise they way they do. Makes no sense to spend millions in advertising “Doorbusters” when each store only has 3 of the items everyone wants. Go kill each other on Friday and show the real meaning of Christmas( that was sarcasm for those who couldn’t tell).
I always rush to the mall. In fact, the mall will be open at 5 a.m, so i am going to line up around midnight
I don’t mind the actual shopping part of it. Once you’re in the mall or wherever the crowds don’t bother me too much. It’s usually getting to and from shopping centers that takes so much time. I remember it taking nearly an hour to get out of the mall parking lot one year when my shift was over. I’ll just pay the extra shipping and get Black Friday deals online.
Not I. I will be no where near any shopping arena. There is nothing or any deal I want that badly to go get it at 4am. I find better deals online regularly. I was annoyed when I worked part-time retail one year during holiday season & they demanded I take off my regular job to work all day Black Friday. Well they lost me as a cashier that year. I offered my evenings & weekends only from the door.
shops are even open at 4am?
i’m not being stupid, I seriously had no idea, I mean we don’t even have thanksgiving here I don’t even know what its about really…sooooo but thats crazy.. why would anyone get up that early just to get a bunch of christmas presents :S
Everyone goes Black Friday because there are so many sales. The reason you get so many sales is because retailers know MOST people get the day off, because the old days of Manufacturing. Working in Manufacturing I understand how that works. When you work Monday to Friday they aren’t going to open for one day and then have the weekend, so they stay shut for the day.
I used to LOVE Black Friday. I would be out at 3 Am, in line for the list of things I wanted, and just last year, it hit me. I never get the things I say I want. I always end up with something that I could’ve actually stayed in bed, and gotten for the same or even better deal later in the season. Now, I’m over it. Unless I’m in the market for a TV, which they never have enough of, or a PC, or some other high end merchandise, I will choose to spend my “Post Thanksgiving” holiday, like other sane people- gorging on turkey and dressing leftovers!
i find that somethings are cheaper before black friday. i bought a 2000 dollar tv the day before thanksgiving for 1500 dollars and included a free 120 gb ps3. on black friday the tv cost 1800 dollars andonly 200 dollars off and no free ps3 or gift. it is cheaper than black friday.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE black Firday!!
It is not just the sales that gets me out in the cold in the early early morning, I love the planning of where to go & just being with all the people. I actuall have not come past that many people you are just rude. In all the years that I have been going people seem to have a pretty good Christmas Spirit going on……maybe it’s just where I am at?? IDK
Yeah it’s crowded & cold & by the time you are done you feet hurt…….But I have to say it is fun!! One of my favorite days of the years!!
I do all of my Christmas shopping this day, I don’t get things just because they are on sale & I get things that are not on sale because somebody I love put it on their list. I also somewhat price check things I need before going so I will not pay higher because of price markups.
I just like to shop in one day, have fun while doing it & be done to relax the rest of the season
Last year I was a seasonal employee for Bath and Body Works and Black Friday was actually kind of fun! Sure, the store was PACKED, and people got pretty irritable about the way we had to set up the line because the store I worked at is TINY and not laid out well for all the merchandise they have to cram into it. The line wound through the store and out into the mall and there were a LOT of people trying to sneak into it. We actually had three employees stationed at different “breaks” in the line (where we had to keep aisles clear) in order to stop this from happening. Every employee worked that day and I’m pretty sure there were moments when the entire staff was on site. There was never a dull moment for me, since I was a stock replenishment person; it was 7 hours of running back and forth trying to keep the shelves full and grabbing random stuff for customers.
I enjoyed it but I’m sure a lot of people don’t. I really DON’T like being a shopper on Black Friday! The lines are absolutely ridiculous; it must be the only time of the year that Walmart actually uses the five hundred check stands they put in their store! The rest of the year they use, what, one or two per shift?I
i think i am going to risk going to black friday day .And it is the perfect time to go shopping for christmas present for the family. So really there is nothing to complain about it is great to have BLACK FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Heck no! i don’t enjoy shopping at the best of times, so I certainly wont be out and about on Black Friday!! And I feel for those unfortunate enough to have to work retail, you have my sympathies!
The ONLY reason I like black friday is because I work retail and I get extra hours! And I get to laugh at people acting like idiots fighting and acting like children. People will buy anything if they think its a good deal. You see people buying the most random stuff when your a cashier on black friday. My favorite last year was a guy who purchased 100 $5 cheaply made toasters! TOASERS! And LOTS of wrapping paper! Who gives toasters for Christmas??? To EVERYBODY!!!??? I dont even know one person who would want a cheap toaster for xmas, let alone 100! Its so funny how people dont realise the stores mark up all their merch the week before and your actually spending more! And the actual good deals are limited. Example this year on friday all the walmarts are advertising the Nintendo DS Lite on sale for $98. Thats a great deal! But did anybody notice the fine print…? “Limit 10 per store”. Only 10 people will be getting that great deal. So thousands of people are going to get up and get into line at walmart at 2am just to get turned down 3 hours later and get pissed off because they didnt get their cheap Nintendo. I love it. I think its funny to see just how incredibly rude and pushy people get on that day, way to get into the spirit.
I went out on black friday 3 years ago for the first time and bought 1 item. the stores were out of everything. I have never gone out again. probably never will. just not worth all the trouble.
No – Definitely won’t be going out on Black Friday. In fact, I’m curbing my spending considerably this year. We’re a two income family and one of those incomes was lost earlier this year. There’s thousands out of work in my town — could happen to me anytime. I’m not going to spend anything that I don’t have to.
I saw tents up at Best Buy today. I love the Christmas rush. The most wonderful time of the year!
To me,its just an opinon
Well i wont be shopping that day, but unfortunately i have to be up very early and ready for all you shoppers to come in and have a ball. So one thing to remember while you are out there trying to get good deals is… be nice to the people that work at the stores. Yes we are there to help, but we are not machines, we get tired too and 99% of the time our bosses make us work extra that day just so the stores can make their sales for that day.. yes we get tired. I would rather pay to get that day off than to get pushed and violated by people trying to get to an item before someone else does. I work in a fitting room and as the holidays get closer and closer i can see how the people get more and more rude and demanding. We have rules we have to follow or else we get our ass fired, but people have no respect for that. They demand and they throw things at you expeting you have a million hands to clean up after them and still have enough time to get them what they want without respecting if there are other people in line in front of them. So PLEASE! this holiday season… try to actually act hand in hand with what the spirit is all about. Be nice, shop nice.. and think of others
Last year, everything I liked was expensive, and everything I didn’t like was on sale. I barely bought anything, and then in the confusion, my mom left me outside a Target! I forgot my phone, so I waited an hour before I walked home for almost two hours. If my entire family wasn’t going, I wouldn’t go. But I’m definitely bringing my phone, ipod, and wearing good walking shoes this year!
I work in retail and, sadly enough, must work in a mall on Black Friday. I only hope I don’t get tramped to death by the deal seeking soccer moms!
One store (which opens at 5am) will be selling a 32″ high def LCD TV for $250, so you bet I’ll bet there!! The only ones risking life and limb are those that are going to try and get between me and that TV!
im not going this yr because last year i almost got into a car accident driving through the mall, i mean it was jam pack ppl trying to to get a parking spot its just a hassel to many ppl everywhere, and there was already 3 car accidents as i was driving through the mall
Black Friday is going to be a Friday at home for us. Had enough driving about the day before Thanksgiving, with more than a fair share of roadmorons making ordinary life tough.
It’s jsut not worth the hassle, so time @ home will be a fine time to chill and pull a brewski or 2 in out of the rain while Her Ladyship etc. sip on something less frothy but stronger…
Aiming at a long road trip to see my son graduate from boot camp right before New Year kinda takes the edge off the first Tksgiving that he’s not at home.
it is THE most holy shopping day; are you kidding?! this day in most retailers business is the one day that puts them in the black(profit) for the year. without it there would be less ability for stores to remain open the rest of the year.
it kicks off 5 weeks of shameless self-indulgence, joy and gift giving the likes of which has never been seen in history heretofore. enjoy it while we still have an economy that makes it possible!
all my family gets into it. they may only spend a couple hundred but they enjoy the getting out. it’s like their idea of excitement. hahahahahahahaha
i laugh at them, but i know someday i’ll join them.
i think it’s almost a game for them as well. they shop for the person next to them and they will try to hide what they’ve bought each other amist all the other presents for us “children” (18 and below) hahah. i love it.
My mom is out right now probably camping for stuff
Black Friday was coined this year by the US media. They call it Black Friday because stores open from 4AM -Midnight, so it’s bopen when it’s dark outsideand close when it’s dark outside.
And people wonder why Christmas is so stressful? LOOK IN THE MIRROR, PEOPLE! IF ALL YOU WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS THE BEST DEAL AND FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO BUY YOU TOYS (CHILD AND ADULT) THEN YOU HAVE NO ONE TO BLAME BUT YOURSELF!
I went to my local Radio Shack around noon last year, after seeing none of the computers offered by the scamful Office Depot when the doors opened. I bought the second of the two Gateways they had in stock, because they had half a dozen people at opening time. This year, I went right to Radio Shack. They might play the same stupid crapitalistic games as the other pigs, but at least the joke is on them.
I have only gone shopping on like 2 black fridays have gotten some great deals, yes I got up at 4am. But I got a DVD for $19. DVD’s that were like $20 for like three and four bucks a good deal if you are an avid movie buff like me.
Also if you go after 7am you mind as well forget it because whatever you want is gone and the real sales end at 11am and whatever you want is definately gone by then. But the two times I did go it was super fun.
shopping online from china electronics wholesale is more and more popular in the world
thankx,it is very usefull because i realy need to know why we called it blach friday.thank u.mina
As I look back there have been few times that I have shopped black friday but did not arive at 4 am. Actually the first time I heard the phrase was when the employee got trampled to death. That was a tragedy that even though I never shop at Walmart I am willing to concede that it could happen at any store when the parameters ar the same. The way I see it is shopping black friday is one of those things you do once in your life. I think it would be fun to plan for and prepare for black friday almost the way you would prepare for the birth of a child. I would be watching the weather channel to see if it willl be cold or if there will be rain or snow (in Arizona, not bloddy likely) The night befofre you pack your little picnic basket with hot coffee croissants and donuts or whatever people like to eat with coffee. Pack it away in the car with a nice blanket to sit on. All with ability to be put up in a momments notice. Of course getting there early. I remember going to see a Star Trek movie. We ended up being about the fifth in line. I think it was because we got there to early for the other showing. I think it was fun because it had a party feel to it. My husband went at got food because we wee lucky thee was a burger joint close by. Although as the time for the movie got clow our fifth in line status was increased to how many I don’t know because it turned o ut one of the people ahaead of us were saving the place with a bunch of people. That did not change the enjoyment of the day because it was no surpricse that happened. People are going to do whatever they are going to do. You can either let it get to you or your are just going to put a smaile on your face and enjoy the evening and that is exactly wht we did. I have fond memories of that night. I think as long as I keep that thought in mind I think it will be fun. If someone wants to get in that badly then let them go. It is not worth making a fus over.
Samantha