Black Friday

Black Friday

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  1. From the time you are old enough to understand what your parents are saying, most have heard of Black Friday sales. The Friday after Thanksgiving is one of the largest shopping days of the year. What many people out there don’t know is, why it is such a big day for retailers, when and why it was started, and why it is such a special day that you rush right out to go shopping after thanksgiving leftovers. 

    A Bit of History

    The term “Black” in Black Friday refers to the days when a business’s accounting was all done by hand where black meant gains/profit and red meant losses/deficit. These colors are still widely used today in most accounting software programs today with the same representations. The label, Black Friday started in the 1960’s by retailers hoping to go from being in the red to being in the black by the years end. Retailers figured out that they could attract extra foot traffic into their stores by offering specials and capitalizing on their customers good moods. They could also benefit from their regular customers bringing in with their family and friends for some shopping after thanksgiving festivities.

    How Retailers Made this a Special Day for Shopping

    Most everyone has gotten Black Friday sales flyers or ads in the mail, pop-ups, or viewed them on TV. Retailers have mass marketed this day for years. They present customers coupons, special one day only sales, and offer deals like buy-one-get-one free. They start playing holiday themed music in their stores to get the shopper in a holiday buying spirit right after Halloween. Malls even bring in a Santa Clause with huge set ups to get customers into the malls for the annual photo-op. All this hoopla, if you will, has made the Friday after thanksgiving seem almost a holiday in itself where you are all but obligated to spend money. Part of the fun when shopping the Friday after thanksgiving, is that the retailers open their door extra early and stay open late. So you will have no problem getting to all your favorite stores to cash in on the deals.

    If you are a shopaholic, frugal, or just love to get together with your friends and family for a day of shopping, you will find some of the year’s best deals with Black Friday sales. Remember when you are out there shopping after thanksgiving that although it may seem commercialized and crowded at times, it is benefiting the shops you patronize. Smaller, or mom and pop, stores especially rely on this day to make up revenue for the year. So in the words of Martha Stewart, “It’s a good thing” shopping the Friday after thanksgiving whether for the savings or knowing you are supporting your local businesses. Keep your eyes out for the best deals and have fun.

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