Black Friday has something of an infamous reputation for becoming a no-holds-barred, bring-home-the-bacon, make-or-break the holiday season for many retailers and shoppers alike. From its humble beginnings as simple day-after-Thanksgiving sales to the modern day spectacle of excess it has become to many, Black Friday has consistently been the busiest shopping day of the year in the United States for decades. In recent years, many retailers have actually been expanding the day into Thanksgiving Day itself, opening stores at midnight the day before to remaining open for a number of hours on Thanksgiving Day before commencing Black Friday Sales. Here’s a brief history of the craziest day of the shopping year, and a list of stores that will be closed Thanksgiving Day in order to let their employees share the holiday with family and friends without requiring them to work.
The History of Black Friday:
Black Friday traditionally falls on the Friday after Thanksgiving Day in the United States (the last Friday of November every year). Many federal and state government employees are off work, and so many employers also extend the day as a paid holiday to many of their workers as well. This means that millions of Americans have a four day weekend right before December begins, and many choose to go shopping for Christmas gifts during this time since they have the time off from work. The long weekend led many retailers over the years to offer special sales and incentives on popular items in order to drive up sales revenue and give the holiday shopping season and their annual sales numbers an extra boost.
Why it’s Called ‘Black’ Friday:
The name actually derives from the business term, “out of the red and into the black”, referring to accounting ledgers that used to write losses in red under revenue tallies, and profits in black. The Friday after Thanksgiving Day has traditionally been a record-breaking sales day year after year, putting many businesses “in the black” for the year with billions in sales revenue. Many retailers report vast crowds that line up for specials each year, sometimes resulting in scuffles or injury as customers strive to get items at extraordinary deals before they sell out each year. Stock shortages are common in the face of high demand, and behavior by the general public in search of bargains for the holidays has proven to be something of an issue over the years.
There is a cultural movement to end the greed, rush, and materialism of Black Friday in the United States by boycotting Black Friday sales, instead choosing to shop throughout December in the weeks leading up to Christmas. This has led to a trend of retailers spreading out their Black Friday sales over the entirety of November and December instead of putting all of their efforts and budget into Black Friday alone. Many shoppers have also started boycotting stores on Black Friday in protest of businesses that require their employees to work hours on Thanksgiving in preparation for Black Friday as well.
In case you were considering having an early dinner and getting in some extended Black Friday shopping on Thanksgiving Day, you’ll want to plan accordingly by knowing which retailers will even be open. To see the list of retailers that will be closed on Thanksgiving, visit www.bestblackfriday.com.
Waitte’s Insurance encourages all shoppers on Black Friday and onward to be safe and courteous to others to ensure that everyone’s holiday season is merry and bright!
The end of the calendar year is rapidly approaching. If you haven’t yet reviewed or renewed your current insurance policies, you’ll want to do so before January 1st! Contact Waitte’s Insurance Agency in Norwich, CT by calling us at (860) 886-1961.