When is "Black Friday"? Is the US the only nation which 'celebrates' Black Friday?

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

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The Sticks, Northeast PA.
I'm confused. ( DUH!) I thought "Black Friday" was the Friday after Thanksgiving Day, a Thursday. But I've been seeing all these TV ads, which intimate that it's 'Black Friday' season, or something. I know Covid has screwed up things, so what's going on? When is "Black Friday"? And, is the US the only nation which 'celebrates' Black Friday? There is another thing. Black Friday used to be a day when you got up early, stood in line, and then you scoffed up real bargains. Do you believe buying things online has more , or less, killed off Black Friday?
 

@fuzzybuddy I’d like to know why Black Friday is so early this year. Will there be another one on the day after Thanksgiving. Is it something about making sure items can be shipped? Or is it to just create two ‘hot’ shopping days.

In Canada we have Black Friday because you do. Our big sale day is/was December 26th, Boxing Day.
 
"Black Friday" has expanded. It begins on January 1 and continues until December 31. The biggest spending day in the US is an internet sales day, I think the first Monday in December is always highest.
 

One of the reasons I’ve seen for spreading out the sales over the month now is to avoid the “super spreader” events of huge indoor crowds like the Friday and weekend after Thanksgiving.
 
The term Black Friday is creeping into the retail business over here in OZ. What I want to know is why 'black' Friday? Is is because the shops need it to keep their ledgers in the black?
 
Its spread over here a few years ago too, and will keep getting mentioned no doubt when it comes up in early December, though it may not gain the same purchase if the current pandemic lockdown continues this year longer than initially set or predicted, (did you notice the play on words there. :rolleyes: ?).
 
Not to mention that, if you're not rushing to do Thanksgiving or Christmas shopping, prices generally drop in January or February (in the U.S.). Just something to know.
 
Warrigal said:
The term Black Friday is creeping into the retail business over here in OZ. What I want to know is why 'black' Friday? Is is because the shops need it to keep their ledgers in the black?
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In the past, Christmas sales provided sellers with the biggest profits. In the US, Thanksgiving always comes on the last Thursday of November. That's a big major holiday. People tend to congregate, and celebrate it. Retailers use this holiday to prod people into thinking about Xmas gifts. Thanksgiving is when Santa arrives from the North Pole. And we begin the count down to Xmas. The next day, a Friday, was always a day of big sales. It became the day, when there were more sales than any other day of the year. . The retailers provided more sales, and the public bought more.. In fact, most retailers went from being debtors to becoming rich because of the enormous volume of sales on that one day In the past, the ledgers of stores used red ink to record losses, and black ink to record profits. It was an accounting tradition. The store owners went from being in the 'red' to being in the "black", hence the term "Black Friday". It became a day of tremendous sales, and people lining up to buy goods- and profits..
 
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I kind of liked the old Black Friday days. You got up at 4 am. Then got in line, in front of a store. The doors opened, and everybody ran and got stuff dirt cheap. Then it was over. The thing was you had to be there at the store to get the bargains. Of course, there were sales after Black Friday, but nothing quite like on B. F.
Lousy internet sales screwed that all up. There's no waiting on line for hours-no drama- no comradery of being in line-zilch.-nada Who gets excited by a "click" of a keyboard.
 
Always fun to watch the fisticuffs on youtube at Walmart the day after as people fought over an el cheapo TV that nobody would pay any attention to at any other time. I have never been involved with Black Friday because I learned some time ago that the best deals to be had in the areas of my interest, happen between sales with good 'ole bargaining.

Tony
 
It used to be the Friday after Thanksgiving, but like everything retail, someone asked why don't we extend Black Friday Promotions to more than just one day to sell overstock crap nobody really needs or wants? The boardroom exploded with applause and it was done.
 
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My older brother used to be a Black Friday guy. This was a few years ago, before internet sales and Black Monday. He'd show me the stuff he got at ridiculously low prices. He got a printer for $10, at the time $39 was the cheapest you could find. Of course, you had to be in line at the store well before dawn, And you had to scramble to get the items. Stores didn't have many of the items on sale, sometimes only a couple. He didn't mind the pushing and the shoving. It was more like participating in a sports game.
 
RadishRose said:
Interesting @Bonnie! There have been a few injuries as I remember. It seems it's the young male's X Boxes that have been the most sought after items.

I have never shopped on Black Friday and wouldn't ever. 2 years ago, somewhat close to Christmas I went to Kohl's and saw a huge line at the checkout! I just left; not worth it.
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Not worth it to me either. I am watching the online sales, though, for a couple of items I am looking for, but that's the extent of it.
IMHO in this current pandemic situation, you'd have to be nuts to go stand in one of those long lines and then fight the crowds in Walmart or wherever. I am curious, though, as to how this city will be handling Black Friday, because here stores are limited to the number of customers they can allow in their store at a time, based on square footage.
 
When I purchase something, I determine in part if it is worth it to me by how many hours I would have to work, based on my last working wages, to pay for it. If I had to stand in line for hours to buy something, the cost to me would quickly go up into the realm of not worth it unless it was exactly what I wanted and was quite expensive with a steep discount and I am certain that it will be in stock once I finally get into the store. That is asking a lot that probably won't likely happen.

I may well be wrong on this, but what I have seen from people I know who bought Black Friday deals in local stores, it seems as if the products were nothing more than some no-name stock that the store needed to clear out of the warehouse, rather than something most people would consider buying at any other time.

I am sure that some people do get real, brand name items at a reduced price during Black Friday, but I have not seen that among folks I know. This may well be different with the "Black Monday" online sales, I don't really know.

Tony
 
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Many stores only put a few of the biggest sellers on the floor at those deep discounts, as a come along. They count on the masses to buy all the other stuff.

This is our economy; they create the need in us to buy, buy, buy- overspend, throw it all out and buy more next year. Mass consumerism. It's what runs our economy.
People don't even know why they're doing it anymore.
 

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