How Did Black Friday Come to Be?

Thanksgiving is a time to eat and drink with family or friends. It's a time to appreciate all we have and help others who don't. Thanksgiving represents a vast coming-together throughout America when everyone can depend on and love one another. The next day, all bets are off. Black Friday or 'Blitz day' is considered to be the busiest time of year for both consumers and businesses. The whole country hurries to prepare for the holidays and hopefully avoid the Christmas rush, but with the whole country shopping on the day after Thanksgiving to avoid the rush, people aren't surprised to find themselves in the dead center of the holiday shopping bonanza known as Black Friday. At the same time, many may be surprised to know the real Black Friday doesn't come until weeks later.

The word Black is usually held as a negative term and can be remembered from stock market disasters such as Black Monday and Black Tuesday. But Black Friday originated from the way profits or losses were recorded. If you are in the red, for instance, you are losing money- but Black Friday always gives a spike in sales to virtually any business, putting them in the 'Black' or profit region.

Although Black Friday may be one of the busiest and most stressful days of whole year for shoppers and business owners, the crowds do not translate directly to profit. Instead, many people are simply browsing for the best deals before the major peak days for sales in mid - late December. Actually, according to Purdue University, Black Friday is only ranked 5th through 10th on traffic and purchasing. December 22nd and December 23rd are the real Black days to watch out for. On these dates, businesses tend to prepare themselves the most with staff and good deals. At the same time, shoppers should expect these two days to be the most thrifty but crowded days to find holiday gifts.

Richard A. Feinburg from Purdue University also found that: "Nine of the top 10 busiest shopping days of the year are in December." Black Friday in late November is important because it represents the advertising and promotion of what shoppers can expect to get during their holiday rush. Most people put off the real buying until the last minute but often browse on Black Friday to make a list and check it twice through different retailers.

Black Friday may rank number 1 in shopper traffic, but the name may hold more importance to the business than the consumer. For any store, Black Friday marks the beginning of a rise in profit trends which spells out better deals for everyone. But waiting until the last minute may still be the best idea since mark downs get better and better as Christmas approaches. Whether or not you decide you shop on Black Friday or just browse, chances are you will find yourself checking out the holiday sales at a local business near you. But the real Black Friday will still fall on the last weekend before Christmas when millions swarm to malls across the country and find those last minute gifts for friends or loved ones.