Black Friday: some people love it; some people abhor it as much as they loathe capitalism. Black Friday is another supposedly U.S. tradition like eating turkey on Thanksgiving or watching an American football game afterward. Additionally, since the internet, the U.S. has added another day of celebrating capitalism in all its rank glory: Cyber Monday, the Monday following Black Friday—both a bit more divisive as the avarice grows and oftentimes at the cost of more than just those last few dollars left in your checking account after working a twelve-hour shift on a holiday no less.
Myths surround Black Friday and its creation; some nefarious while some paint an unusually positive and romantic picture of capitalism, the evidence is not so conclusive.
How did the U.S. come to celebrate something, while potentially lucrative, also problematic and exploitative? Not so surprisingly, Black Friday’s pernicious roots aren’t as benevolent as one is led to believe.
“Back in the 1950s, police in the city of Philadelphia used the term to describe the chaos that ensued on the day after Thanksgiving, when hordes of suburban shoppers and tourists flooded into the city in advance of the big Army-Navy football game held on that Saturday every year. Not only would Philly cops not be able to take the day off, but they would have to work extra-long shifts dealing with the additional crowds and traffic. Shoplifters would also take advantage of the bedlam in stores to make off with merchandise, adding to the law enforcement headache.
“By 1961, “Black Friday” had caught on in Philadelphia, to the extent that the city’s merchants and boosters tried unsuccessfully to change it to “Big Friday” in order to remove the negative connotations. The term didn’t spread to the rest of the country until much later, however, and as recently as 1985 it wasn’t in common use nationwide.”
Regardless of the spin, Black Friday may generate revenue but it also creates chaos and violence. Other countries have gradually adopted the phrase and custom to promote commercial interests.
Is Black Friday the busiest shopping day of the year?
“As our 2017 Black Friday Report noted, last year’s Black Friday weekend backed up our prediction from the previous year that 2016 would signal a year-over-year shopper visitor improvement. There’s no evidence that 2018 will be any different as we expect the upward trend to continue. In fact, Black Friday sees nearly one and a half times more shopper traffic than the second busiest day, Super Saturday, so it is no surprise that it tops our list again this year.
Another myth surrounding Black Friday is that it’s not only Black Friday anymore, but it’s extending to become Black November. We’ve looked at historical traffic patterns from over the past few years and the patterns of November activity before Black Friday are very consistent. It’s all about the Sunday before Thanksgiving through Black Friday weekend.” Source
ShopperTrak’s holiday traffic prediction of the top ten busiest holiday shopping days are:
Friday, November 23 – Black Friday
Saturday, December 22 – Super Saturday
Saturday, December 15
Sunday, December 23
Saturday, November 24
Saturday, December 8
Friday, December 21
Wednesday, December 26
Saturday, December 1
Saturday, December 29
So, in the typical crafty American capitalistic tradition and of everything American, Happy Thanksgiving. Here are some fantastic sales from BEC Integrated Solutions to go along with your delicious treats and all your other purchases.