Black Friday: Why is it called by this name, how did it start and learn about its history?
Every year, the fourth Friday of November marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season in the United States and many other countries around the world.
This day, known as Black Friday, has become a global phenomenon, characterized by huge discounts and special promotions. But, beyond the irresistible deals and long lines, the origin of the name “Black Friday” and its international spread deserve a deeper look.
- Why is it called Black Friday?
The name Black Friday has an interesting history that is not directly related to the color black in a negative sense. To understand its origin, it is necessary to go back to the 1950s and 1960s in Philadelphia, a major city in the history of this phenomenon.
In its early years, the Philadelphia Police Department used this date to describe the chaos that occurred each year on the Friday after Thanksgiving.
On that day, the streets were filled with crowds of shoppers who came to stores to take advantage of the discounts, causing great chaos and traffic congestion. Police officers used the term Black Friday pejoratively as they had to deal with an increase in thefts and accidents caused by the crowds of people.
However, over time, the term began to take on a more positive connotation. In the 1980s, merchants and retailers began to adopt the term, but in a completely different way.
In business, “being in the red” means making a loss, while “being in the black” refers to a company making a profit. Therefore, merchants began using Black Friday to highlight that due to the massive increase in purchases on that day, companies eventually went from being “in the red” (with losses) to “in the black” (with profits), which reflected a more optimistic outlook. Since then, the term has been associated with record sales and the start of the Christmas shopping season.
- Black Friday Global Expansion
Although this date originated in the United States, its popularity has crossed borders. In the last decade, this phenomenon has begun to be celebrated in many countries around the world, adapting to different economic and cultural realities.
- Canada : Although it is an American tradition, Canadians have started adopting it in recent years, especially after American chain stores expanded their presence in the country. Thanksgiving is celebrated in Canada in October, so Canadians take advantage of the November sales to start their Christmas shopping.
- Europe : This date has spread to countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Spain, although the way it is celebrated differs. In the United Kingdom, for example, the phenomenon began to gain popularity in the first decade of the twenty-first century, and physical stores and online stores began offering heavy discounts, turning the Friday after Thanksgiving into a huge shopping event.
- Latin America : In countries such as Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, and other Latin American countries, Black Friday has become increasingly popular. Many chain stores and online businesses offer special discounts to compete with the rise of e-commerce on this date. However, the celebration does not have the same cultural depth as it does in the United States, and in some places, the event is seen more as a bargain opportunity than a consumer tradition.
- Asia and other regions : There has been resonance in places like China, Japan and Singapore, where global brands have started to implement discounts to attract consumers. In countries like China, e-commerce platforms like Alibaba have set similar sales dates, such as “Singles’ Day,” which is celebrated with more aggressive discounts than those celebrated on the American Black Friday.