Black Friday sounds more like it should be a Halloween celebration than one connected with the Thanksgiving/Christmas season. Traditionally, what we have come to know as Black Friday falls on the day after Thanksgiving. Although it’s not an official holiday many people have the day off – unless you work for a retailer such as Sears, Kohls, Macy’s, Toys “R” Us, Walmart, K-Mart, Target or anyone else hoping to make a profit during the holiday season. Technically it’s the first shopping day of Christmas and stores hope to get out of the “red” column of debt and into the “black” column of profit. Thus they use the phrase Black Friday.
The idea of Christmas shopping the day after Thanksgiving actually dates back to holiday parades sponsored by department stores like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, which started in 1924. Stores used this venue to advertise. Believe it or not, in those days it was an unwritten rule that retailers wouldn’t do Christmas advertising until after these parades. Those days are long gone. This year I saw Christmas items on sale before Labor Day.
Today stores try to offer deals to entice consumers out on Black Friday, which makes it one of the busiest shopping days of the year. They lead you to believe that the early bird will get the “best deal” because many stores open one minute after midnight. Bargain hunters gather outside store doors ready to trample those who stand in their way, and indeed, some casualties and fatalities have occurred. Some have thought of renaming it “Black-eye Friday.” There isn’t much a shopper won’t do to save a dollar.
All I can say is shopper beware. Standing in long lines for hours to save 10% isn’t all that cost effective. You could probably save that much by watching sale brochures during the year or surfing the net. Also, realize retailers are masters of allusion. They under stock shelves to make it appear there is “only one left” when in reality they may have a hundred in back or have a shipment coming in tomorrow.
I always remember that Black Friday was first used to mean the day that a disaster occurred on a Friday. Such was the case on September 24, 1869 when a group of speculators led by James Fist and Jay Gould attempted to corner the gold market. They failed, which caused a financial collapse and economic depression.
To be honest, I find the whole prospect of shopping on Black Friday depressing. I guess if you approach it as a fun time with friends or like you are exploring a jungle for adventure – go for it. As for me, I prefer to do my Christmas shopping the day after Christmas. While disgruntled gift receivers are in long lines to exchange what people bought them on Black Friday, I’m filling my cart with after Christmas clearance items. Sure, you have to plan ahead, but 50% off beats 10% off every time!
