While Black Friday was completely unknown in Germany around 10 years ago, the popularity of the big shopping event has increased at an above-average rate over the past few years. Despite all the joy about the numerous top deals, an interesting question still arises: Where does the popular bargain day actually come from?
What does Black Friday mean?
Black Friday is English and means “black Friday”. It is an unofficial sales day that originated in the USA. Traditionally, Black Friday is the first Friday after the American Thanksgiving holiday.
Since Thanksgiving always falls on the fourth Thursday in November, the following Friday is a bridge day. Therefore, the Friday after Thanksgiving is traditionally used as a shopping day to get all the Christmas shopping done in time.
Where does the name “Black Friday” come from?
There are various theories about the origin of the term “Black Friday”. None of the following theories is proven to be the origin of Black Friday, but each of them sounds plausible.
What is certain, however, is that Black Friday originated in the USA and has since become indispensable in more and more countries around the world. Starting in the USA, the name “Black Friday” has become a household word around the world.
Crowds
One theory is that the word “Black” refers to the crowds of people who used to move from shop to shop on this day. The many people are said to blur into a single black mass.
There may also be a reference to the so-called “Black Thursday”, the day of the stock market crash on 24 October 1929. On this or the following day, countless people tried to withdraw their money from the bank and bring it to safety.
Writing black figures
According to another theory, traders turn a profit on this day. On Black Friday, retailers make enough sales for the whole year. They come out of their previous negative balance and get into the “black” only with the sales from Black Friday.
Black hands
A similar theory ties in with this idea: Sellers take in so much money on Black Friday that by the end of the day their hands are already stained black (“black”) from counting the money.
Provenance
The first time Black Friday was actually mentioned in writing in the USA was probably in 1966 in Philadelphia. According to this, in January 1966, the Philadelphia police gave the Friday after Thanksgiving the name “Black Friday”. The term was an allusion to the traffic jams and crowded pavements caused by the rush of shoppers.
Black Friday in the USA
Black Friday has existed in the USA for over 60 years. The intensity and the enthusiasm of the people have been increasing rather than decreasing in the USA ever since. Every American tries to take advantage of the high discounts and make a real bargain. In the process, the hunt for bargains sometimes takes on proportions that are difficult for outsiders to comprehend.
Customers waiting outside the shops hours before entry and tumultuous scenes are not uncommon on Black Friday. In some shopping centres, police may even be called in.
Of course, retailers try to take advantage of the rush. In some cities, the big shops open as early as midnight and try to lure bargain hunters into their shops.
Black Friday in Germany
In Germany, the history of Black Friday is relatively short. Here in Germany, Black Friday was first advertised in 2006. In that year, the Apple company advertised discounts on its products for the first time on the Friday after Thanksgiving. However, the term “Black Friday” was not really used at that time. Only in the following years did “Black Friday” become more popular and used as a term.
In 2013, over 500 retailers advertised various Black Friday offers. Since the discount campaigns were almost all very attractive, word of Black Friday spread quickly in Germany. Awareness increased and, according to the latest surveys, 95 percent of Germans know Black Friday and its significance.
On which day does Black Friday fall this year?
This year, Black Friday falls on 26 November 2021. This day is a Friday and therefore it can be assumed that not only online retailers will be prepared for this day. Local retailers will also be advertising numerous discounts and lowered prices on 26 November 2021.
Extension of Black Friday
In recent years, the period of Black Friday offers has been extended more and more. Online retailers in particular increasingly speak not only of the classic Black Friday, but also of the Black Weekend, Black Friday Deal, Black Week or Black Friday Deals. Both consumers and retailers benefit from this type of extended Black Friday.
Retailers can promote more products over several days and increase their sales, while consumers benefit from even more discounts and bargains. The customers’ chance of finding an interesting deal increases.
Cyber Monday
In addition to Black Weekend and many other “Black” promotions, Cyber Monday should not go unmentioned in this context. Cyber Monday is a kind of supplement to Black Friday.
It is another shopping day from the USA that always falls on the Monday after the American Thanksgiving and at the same time represents the start of Christmas sales in the USA. This day is also becoming increasingly popular in Germany.
Which products are sold?
On Black Friday and all other promotion days around this period, products of all kinds are sold. Of course, products from electronics retailers or generally articles from the consumer electronics category are very popular with customers. Game consoles, laptops, televisions and toys are at the top of the shopping list.
But beauty articles such as perfumes, make-up, cosmetics and drugstore articles or fashion and accessories also find a ready market among some bargain hunters. We at Horando also offer many luxury watches at lower prices. Here you can find the Horando Black Friday Deals. As you can see, every deal hunter should find what they are looking for on this day.
The future of Black Friday
It will be interesting to see how Black Friday develops in Germany and how retailers promote this day in the future. After all, Black Friday with its numerous special offers has now reached a level of recognition that would have been unthinkable a few years ago.
We can look forward to 26 November 2021 and, of course, to the Black Weekend following 26 November.