Black Friday, is a day that is quite familiar to most if not all Americans. Set amicably on the fourth Friday of every November, it represents the beginning of Christmas festivities. This means shopping sprees are kick-started with people (consumers) visiting the numerous retail stores spread across the country. A considerable number of retailers open very early in the morning, closing late into the night to tap into this big opportunity. Black Friday is one of the most profitable shopping days for consumers in the United States.
Black Friday comes after Thanksgiving and sits a day before an even bigger shopping day, Cyber Monday. It is estimated that during this time, retail purchases account for over 25 percent of the total annual retail sales U.S (Swilley & Goldsmith, 2012). For instance, as of 2009, Black Friday sales generated over $590 million with Cyber Monday surpassing the sales by over $880 million during the same year. Even though a high spending power can be accountable for a surge in sales; a period such as Black Friday requires the application of various marketing elements in order to attract the high volume of sales among customers. On the other hand, it is period that pushes the producers and retailers to the limit in order to meet the sudden upsurge of products in the market. Accordingly, a day such as Black Friday presents a perfect opportunity for consumers to leverage on the favorable pricing of products, while on the other hand, producers and retailers
Black Friday is the following Thanksgiving Day in the United States, traditionally the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Black Friday is not an official holiday, but many workers have the day off as part of the Thanksgiving holiday, this increases the number of potential shoppers. Retailers often decorate for the Christmas and holiday season weeks beforehand. Many retailers open extremely early, with most of the retailers typically opening at 5 A.M. or even earlier. Retailers use Black Friday to kick off the holiday season to use much of their products to go from the red to the black.
Black Friday has multiple reasons for it being named “Black Friday”. It traces back to the 1950’s when it was called “Black Friday” because of the surplus amounts of call-ins for employees trying to score a four-day weekend after Thanksgiving. In Philadelphia during 1961, the Friday after Thanksgiving was called Black Friday because it was the day when stores were coming out of the “red”, which was the downward shopping period between July and August. This was the biggest time retailors saw the numbers, “in the red”. The Friday after Thanksgiving marked when retailors saw the profit go up, “in the black”; therefore, the term Black Friday arose.
Thanksgiving traditions don't end on Thanksgiving Day. In the 1950s, the day after Thanksgiving was called Black Friday by factory managers because so many workers called in sick and the Philadelphia Police Department took to calling the day Black Friday to describe the traffic jams, crowds and shoplifters during the start of the holiday shopping season. Black Friday signals the start of the holiday shopping season, but it may be a tradition that's continuing to evolve as stores vie to be the earliest to open Thanksgiving Day.
As a shopper, having sales on Thanksgiving would give shoppers more chance to get a good deal. Having sales on Thanksgiving would give the shopper an extra day to get what they want for a price they like. Some people say that thanksgiving sales would rob people of their holiday, but I remind you that the decision to shop is optional. Having sales an extra day would only give the shoppers a advantage, not the people
Around the holidays, the department stores steps up is discount game even more. The Kohl’s Black Friday sale is actually a shopping extravaganza that begins before Thanksgiving and lasts after the Biggest Shopping Day of the Year.
The Neiman Marcus Christmas Book is 196 pages of the best luxury products that Neiman Marcus has to offer. The book also includes “Fantasy Gifts” that range in price from $5000 to $150,000. If you’re considering visiting Neiman Marcus for Black Friday 2015, keep in mind that they usually aren’t open on Thanksgiving Day. The stores traditionally open at 8am on Black Friday.
Every year, United States citizens are reminded of our dependence on material goods just over the duration of a single day: Black Friday. Black Friday is an annual shopping extravaganza in which customers craze over slashed prices and the release of the newest technology. Not only are people able to get a large chunk of their holiday shopping done, their purchases also help to boost our nation 's economy. People may wonder why the United States even has this day and the most simple and logical way to put it would be for revenue. The companies are fully aware of our innate greed over materialistic goods so they use it to their advantage to create products that will serve us for years to come, or more
In the essay “Black Friday: Consumerism Minus Civilization,” the author, Andrew Leonard, makes the argument that, “The out-of-control marketing and consumer insanity” (135) has taken over Thanksgiving and the days following it. Sadly, as consumers, we have forgotten what Thanksgiving is really all about. Marketing businesses have gone overboard brainwashing consumers with advertisements pumping them up to shop on Black Friday and the days that follow. Moreover, marketing businesses have caused the actions we see and hear about on Black Friday such as people being trampled, as consumers rush into stores to shop the sales, and are proof of this insanity. I strongly agree with Leonard’s arguments from “Black Friday:
Even though you can get with your family and be thankful and then go shopping until your legs hurt it can go either way. We should not have Black Friday on thanksgiving because Thanksgiving is for sharing and being thankful and if everybody goes shopping what's the point of even having Thanksgiving then and you should be with your family during all of Thanksgiving not only half of it.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are one of the best days for consumers in America, because everything is on sale with an unbelievable low price. According to CNN Money, business made over 50 billion dollars in the year of 2013 after these special sales event in America. In these special occasions, people purchase product base on the recommendation of the media. When consumers realized that they have no use of the product or an improved new product releases, the old product will end up in a dumpster. Americans will create environmental problem and outbreak of resource war if they continue wasting Earth’s source base on their lavish lifestyle, in which it is supported by their culture and the lack of appreciation.
Christmas time. Christmas time brings wonder and hope to children. The main component to this wonder and hope is for a mythical being called Santa Claus. This Santa Claus comes in the night and brings “good little children” toys. In reality the parents do. With this combination and the thought we have to give this, this, and this person something different, sentimental, and special gifts the sales were definitely a game changer to people. We could get gifts way cheaper and early. Once stores relied “hey we can take advantage of this movement” the sales have taken over our lives made the even inhuman. In the article “Black Friday: Consumerism minus Civilization he mentions this exact theory. The holiday has become a lot earlier, the shopping
James tells us this happens first and foremost because we are sinners and our desires entice us which then leads to sin (James 1:15). This explains why people act ridiculously. I doubt anyone reading this ever acts crazy like those on Black Friday, right (Kidding!)? Remember, Jesus died for your sins. You are forgiven. Because of the work of Jesus, you are not condemned (Romans 8:1)! Even if you do not rise up early on Black Friday, please pray for those who participated in Black Friday and for those whose desires got the best of them during this time.
Around the holidays the opportunities for attacks from terrorist is prominent because of the amount of people in stores and malls. The holiday season usually begins before the week of Thanksgiving. Therefore, everybody should be alert and vigilant to all suspicious activities during this time frame and afterward. However, officially, the holiday season for shoppers start the evening of Thanksgiving and thereafter. During the holiday season both men and women, boys and girls love
The biggest shopping day of the year is known as “Black Friday”. This is when loads of people all around the country gather around to shop store sales everywhere before Christmas time settles in. “Stores began to use the term in the 1970s because the day after Thanksgiving marked the start of the profitable holiday shopping season…” (Zillman). According to Amanda Nicholson this term may go back even earlier into the 1960s. Black Friday was how police officers described the day after Thanksgiving because residents from the city and near suburbs marched the stores of Philadelphia in search of gifts for the holidays (Zillman). The sale has since then tragically morphed from the early first development, changing ever-so drastically. Every year stores open earlier practically flipping the bird to Thanksgiving in a way that is detrimental to history. Black Friday should be held only on its original specified date of the Friday after Thanksgiving so that it does not interfere in any way with the holiday gatherings because it takes employees away from their families and friends diminishing the value of Thanksgiving as a whole.
People may get caught up in the excitement of the day, and that can help them to spend even more money. While waiting in line, customers at the front of the line seem to be excited and happy. However, at the end of the line, customers appear to be more frustrated and anxious. Some consumers plan their Black Friday shopping trips weeks in advance. There are many websites available for people to view Black Friday advertisements online, before they are supposed to be released to the public. Walmart has tried year after year for the advertisements not to be leaked, but they usually end up on these websites before they are supposed to (4 Years Strong: Walmart Sends Another Cease & Desist, 2011). Stores may not want to have their advertisements released early for a couple of reasons. First, consumers having the ability to research products and having too much time to explore all of their options may mean that consumers will not make as many spontaneous purchases on Black Friday. They also do not want to have their competition see their deals, and then have them beat their prices. Having the advertisements earlier though means consumers are able to plan what stores they want to go to, which may lead to less chaos on the actual day. People are motivated by saving money on Black Friday. Some consumers may even see it as a competition. For some, because there is only a limited selection available for many of the items that are