No votes yet.
Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving and marks the start of the holiday shopping season. It is one of the year’s biggest days, offering great discounts and deals on various products. A frenzy of sales, savings, and buying extravaganzas describes the event best.
The day after Thanksgiving has been the beginning of the United States’ Christmas shopping season since 1952. However, it wasn’t until the early 2000s that the term “Black Friday” became widely recognized and used by retailers and consumers alike.
Attention: These examples are based on past promotions run by the retailers. Check each retailer’s website or promotional materials for the most accurate and up-to-date deal information.
Retailer Name | Best Black Friday Sale Details |
---|---|
Amazon | Discounts on electronics, books, and clothing. |
Best Buy | Discounts on electronics, appliances, and more. |
Home Depot | Special deals on home improvement items. |
Hulu | Reduced subscription prices for streaming services. |
Kohl’s | Discounts across all categories, including clothing, home goods, and electronics. |
Lowe’s | Discounted home improvement supplies and equipment. |
Lululemon | Savings on high-quality activewear and fitness accessories. |
Nintendo | Deals on games, consoles, and gaming accessories. |
Target | Special deals on electronics, home goods, toys, and more. |
Walmart | Savings across all departments, including electronics, toys, and household items. |
Macy’s | Doorbuster deals on fashion items, beauty products, and home goods. They often offer free items after mail-in rebates too. |
Apple | Price drops on select items and Apple gift cards with certain purchases. |
GameStop | Deals on consoles, video games, accessories, and pop culture collectibles. |
Costco | Deals and significant discounts on electronics, appliances, jewelry, and more. |
Sephora | Deals on makeup, skincare, haircare, and fragrances from popular brands. |
Nordstrom | Discounts on high-quality fashion items, designer clothing, luxury handbags, shoes, and beauty products. |
Black Friday is characterized by various discounts and deals retailers offer to draw in customers to kick-start holiday spending. Established as a shopping tradition in the late 20th century, it has expanded beyond physical stores to include online retailers, with many extending their sales throughout the weekend and into Cyber Monday.
Tip: The schedule is a much-anticipated highlight of the November retail calendar. It features significant deals and sales across various stores and platforms.
Strategic shopping on Black Friday can transform chaotic bargain hunting into a cost-effective and efficient experience. Customers enjoy significant savings, such as “buy one, get one free,” and similar offers.
It is traditionally observed on the Friday following Thanksgiving in the United States. This places it on November 29 in the year 2024. Generally, it falls between the 23rd and 29th of November. Retailers tend to offer promotional sales throughout the entire month leading up to Black Friday.
The specific timing for sales begins in early November and can extend into the following week. Notable retailers like Kohl’s, Walmart, and Best Buy have been known to have certain schedules. For example:
Tip: Many retailers often extend their sales to the following Saturday and Sunday. Some even start their deals as early as Thanksgiving Day itself.
The term was initially associated with a financial crisis – the crash of the U.S. gold market on September 24, 1869. Two notoriously ruthless Wall Street financiers, Jay Gould and Jim Fisk, worked together to buy up as much as they could of the nation’s gold. They hoped to drive the price sky-high and sell it for astonishing profits.
However, on that Friday in September, the conspiracy unraveled. It sent the stock market into free fall and bankrupted everyone from Wall Street barons to farmers.
The term’s more contemporary, shopping-related definition reportedly stems from Philadelphia in the second half of the 20th century. At the time, police used it to describe the heavy pedestrian and vehicular traffic the day after Thanksgiving. Hordes of suburban shoppers and tourists would flood the city for the big Army-Navy football game held on that Saturday every year.
Police had to deal with the additional crowds, traffic, and rampant shoplifting. Retailers tried to change the name to “Big Friday,” but it didn’t stick.
Black Friday has since lost its negative connotations and has been redefined by retailers. Traditionally, ledgers were kept in black ink when revenues were positive and in red ink to indicate losses.
Note: The event signifies the point in the year when retailers begin to turn a profit, going from being “in the red” to being “in the black” – a reference to the colors of ink used by businesses to record losses and gains.
Black Friday is a time when shoppers can snag deals on everything, from clothing to electronics, appliances, toys, and more. The occasion is crucial for brick-and-mortar stores and e-commerce for reasons such as:
Black Friday can be an overwhelming experience for both seasoned shoppers and novices alike. Here’s some advice for a stress-free, productive shopping experience:
Tip: Shoppers should be ready to make quick decisions, as items can sell out rapidly. Prioritize popular items and visit/browse those sections first. Have your account set up beforehand to expedite the checkout process.
Retailers take several steps to ensure a successful and profitable sales event:
Ellen Davis and Scott Silverman of the National Retail Federation and Shop.org coined Cyber Monday. It debuted on November 28, 2005. It was a day set to encourage online shopping when e-commerce was still in its early stages. This event takes place on the Monday following Thanksgiving and caters exclusively to online shoppers.
While both Black Friday and Cyber Monday have both in-store and online offers, their origins dictate their primary focus. Black Friday traditionally targets brick-and-mortar retail, with bustling crowds and early morning doorbuster deals. Conversely, Cyber Monday was created with online shopping in mind, leading to many online-only exclusive promotions.
Tip: Your choice between the two might come down to personal preferences: what items you aim to purchase and whether you enjoy the in-store experience or prefer online shopping.
Black Friday is known for jaw-dropping discounts, and over the years, shoppers in the U.S. have witnessed some of the most incredible deals across a wide range of products. Here’s a look at some of the largest Black Friday discounts that have made history.
Televisions have always been a Black Friday favorite. In 2011, Best Buy offered a Sharp 42″ HDTV for $199.99, a 50% discount, creating a massive rush. Walmart followed in 2014 with a 50-inch Hisense Smart TV for just $218, marking one of the lowest prices for that size at the time. Gaming consoles also saw huge discounts, with Microsoft’s Xbox 360 bundle with Kinect selling for $199 in 2010, saving buyers over $150.
In 2016, Target and Best Buy offered iPhone 7 deals bundled with $250 gift cards, providing significant savings on already premium-priced devices. This became a landmark deal in smartphone history, as Black Friday has often featured enticing bundles and carrier offers.
Tech giants like Dell and HP have slashed laptop prices during Black Friday events, with the HP Pavilion 15.6″ dropping to $349.99 in 2019, nearly $300 off its regular price. In 2018, Lenovo’s Chromebooks were discounted to under $100, giving shoppers up to 50% off on portable computing.
Clothing stores have consistently offered some of the deepest discounts, with Old Navy, Gap, and Macy’s offering up to 70% off during Black Friday. In 2015, Walmart and Target featured popular toys like LEGO sets and Barbie Dreamhouses at 50% off, driving heavy foot traffic to their stores.
Major appliances are another category where shoppers can score big. In 2021, retailers like Lowe’s and Home Depot offered up to 50% off on washers, dryers, and refrigerators, making it the perfect time for home upgrades.
It’s an annual event that traditionally happens on the day after Thanksgiving. It unofficially marks the start of the holiday shopping season. The day is characterized by significant sales and discounts from various retailers, both in physical stores and online.
It initially referred to the United States gold market crash of 1869. It then received its second connotation from Philadelphia in the 1960s. Police used the term to describe the heavy traffic, chaotic shopping after Thanksgiving, and the influx of people going to see the Army-Navy football game held after Thanksgiving.
In modern times, the term refers to how businesses would use red ink in their ledgers to note losses, while blank ink was used to note profits. As such, it has a positive meaning now, alluding to a day of profits.
The holiday falls on a varying date between November 23 and November 29. However, the exact date changes every year. In 2024, the date will be November 29.
Retailers offer significant discounts on various products to attract customers, who often see this as the best time to shop for the holidays due to the potential savings offered.
Originally a single-day event, it has grown to include the weekend following Thanksgiving, with some deals extending into Cyber Monday and beyond.
The sales often begin in the early morning hours, with some stores opening their doors as early as midnight. Some businesses even start their sales on Thanksgiving Day itself.
Some offers have substantial savings, but they can vary by retailer and product. Watch out for inflated “original prices,” and don’t buy items you don’t need just because they’re on sale. Shoppers should research prices beforehand to determine if they are getting a good deal.
Start by planning ahead. Identify what you want to buy and compare prices to know a good deal when you see one. Keep an eye on ads and online deal sites, and consider signing up for newsletters from your favorite retailers to get insider information about their sales.
This largely depends on your personal preference. Shopping in-store can be fun and exciting but also chaotic due to the large crowds. Choosing the online route provides comfort and convenience. Many retailers offer the same things in-store and online, and some even have online-exclusive deals, especially on Cyber Monday.
We're always looking for ways to enrich our content on DontPayFull.com. If you have a valuable resource or other suggestion that could enhance our existing content, we would love to hear from you.
Was this content helpful to you?