Do you plan to shop in the shops on Black Friday Log on to your preferred eCommerce portal, mobile application, or store.
According to statistics, you have a good chance to do both. According to the National Retail Federation, 164 million people plan on shopping online and in-store over Thanksgiving weekend 2018. Black Friday was the most popular shopping day. Three out of four Thanksgiving weekend shoppers planned to shop online or in-store.
Black Friday is so beloved. This is the traditional start to the holiday shopping season. This is the best day of the year to find great deals on the latest toys, games, and electronics. You don’t have to look far for the Black Friday shopping list. This list includes the best Black Friday deals each year.
If you’re on a tight budget, this holiday shopping event is a great option. This holiday is the most sought-after American shopping holiday. It’s easy to find holiday gifts at great prices throughout the year.
Since I was curious about Black Friday’s history and evolution, I decided to investigate it. These are the things that I found.
Black Friday History
It is helpful to understand the origins of Black Saturday by placing the event in the context of the holiday shopping season.
Origins Of The Holiday Shopping Season
Holiday gift-giving is a tradition that dates back to ancient times, but the holiday shopping season was invented by the consumer culture of the 20th century.
Parade Of Sponsors
Every Thanksgiving Day, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City is a tradition. This parade is just one of many Thanksgiving weekend parades that millions can see.
These parades attracted large audiences in both smaller and larger cities in the middle of the 20th century. National or local retailers sponsored many parades, including the Macy’s Parade. This meant that most parade sponsors were department stores in those days. It was easy: Department stores added their names to the most important events on the pre-holiday schedule, reminding customers that they were open during the holiday shopping season. Thanksgiving parades marked the official beginning of the holiday season.
The Holiday Shopping Calendar
When President Abraham Lincoln issued the proclamation declaring that Thanksgiving would be observed, he declared that it would be observed on Thursday, November 1863. This was the status quo until 1939 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order to change Thanksgiving’s date to November 4. In 1941, Congress passed legislation to make the change official.
Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving one day earlier than anticipated. Congress refused to accept this change. Due to strong support from retailers and other business interests, Congress did not agree to this change.
Holiday shopping was synonymous with the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas. If Thanksgiving falls on November 30th as it did in 1939, then there are only 24 holiday shopping days. There are sometimes fewer stores because they close on Sundays. Retailers and other businesses in the vicinity were worried that holiday shoppers might shop less during a shorter season.
Their pitch to Roosevelt was more egalitarian. The American economy would benefit from a longer holiday shopping season. Although this sounds suspicious, it is true that the United States was still struggling to recover from the Great Depression of 1930.
Roosevelt was sold regardless of its economic merits. Black Friday marked the official start of the holiday shopping season.
Who was the First to Say “Black Friday?”
Black Friday existed long before the advent of e-commerce, suburban malls, and department stores in cities. According to The History Channel, the origin of Black Friday was not connected to holiday shopping.
Two untrustworthy oligarchs planned to seize the American market for gold in 1869. This was the basis for the U.S. dollar. Ulysses S. Grant’s family was also involved in the scheme, which was so complicated and extensive. The plot fell apart on Friday, September 24th, sending the U.S. markets reeling and ruining many investors. This was known as “Black Friday”.
It would take nearly 100 years before the term “Black Friday”, as it is commonly known, was given its current meaning. It is believed that Black Friday was the day after Thanksgiving. This high level of shopping led to retailers gaining more revenue for the year. This is a plausible claim, but the evidence does not support it.
Black Friday is Not About “Black”, It’s About The Real Reason.
In 1950s Philadelphia, Thanksgiving weekend was a bustling mob scene. To celebrate their fierce rivalry, each year the Army and Navy college football teams held neutral ground matches in Philly. The city was flooded with thousands of people, both from the surrounding area and those who were Navy or Army devotees farther afield, the day before. They took advantage of the opportunity to stockpile clothing, home goods, and other giftable items at central Philly’s many department and retail shops.
Even big cities such as Philadelphia can be clogged by shoppers and fans, putting a strain on safety and resources. Sarah Pruitt from The History Channel reports that police officers would need to work longer shifts to cope with the increased traffic and crowds. Shoplifters could profit from chaos in shops to steal merchandise, which would increase law enforcement headaches.
In the middle of the 20th century, Black Friday was not a good time to be a Philadelphia public official. In the 1960s, locals started to call the chaotic day after Thanksgiving “Black Friday”. Given the racial tensions of the time, this was an unflattering title. Local politicians and business leaders attempted to rebrand Friday as “Big Friday,” which is more positive. It didn’t work. “Black Friday” was. As retailers started to merge and grow, the term “Black Friday” was a popular catchphrase.
Black Friday’s Evolution Through the Years
Black Friday is not a fixed holiday. Its evolution can be attributed to socioeconomic shifts that have fundamentally altered the fabric of American society.
The Department Store Model: Holiday shopping from the mid-20th century to the early 20th century
It was simple to shop for holidays when Congress and Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving back one day. Brick-and-mortar shops were concentrated in the centers of cities, often in dense commercial districts or in large commercial avenues. There were smaller but still vibrant, shopping areas in smaller towns and cities where residents could shop for essential holiday necessities.
To get luxury and specialty items, people who lived in the country needed to travel or use mail-order catalogs. This was before online shopping. Sears & Roebuck’s catalog featured a large selection of non-perishable products, including prefabricated houses.
The heart of large-city shopping centers was the department store. These multistory, multi-story centers of commerce were multi-story. A department store has everything you need, including clothes, accessories, jewelry, and home goods. A single department store can be your one-stop shop for all of your holiday shopping needs.
The likelihood of shoppers going into town to shop at department stores was higher after Thanksgiving. Most families were still together after Thanksgiving and only a few middle-class individuals were required to work.
During the golden age of department stores in the early 20th century, the industry was highly localized. Alabama was home to 12 chain department stores. Each store offered its customers its own post-Thanksgiving promotions. Black Friday is a day for great deals.
Dispersion – Black Friday Moves Suburban
In the years following World War II, millions fled their cities and volatile neighborhoods to seek better pastures.
Mass migration had an unintended effect: brick-and-mortar retail was driven out of downtown shopping areas. The Minnesota Historical Society says that Minneapolis was the location of the first climate-controlled enclosed shopping center in 1956. Over the next three decades, hundreds of imitations were created all across the United States. Many of these imitations were larger than the original Southdale and cost more.
In the 1980s and 1990s, large-format, “big-box” stores like Walmart, Target, and Best Buy grew between super-regional malls and regional malls. This created a more competitive suburban retail market.
It was then that Black Friday truly came to life. This was also the time that “Black Friday” was popularized. Signs advertising Black Friday sales, and opening hours at an alarming time proliferated in urban and suburban shopping centers. By the dawn of the 21st century, images of deal-hunters queuing up in parking lots to get their deals were commonplace. For years, every Black Friday was bigger than the last. But don’t forget to read reviews on toplistall.com to choose the most suitable products with best price.