Monday, 21 January 2013

The History of Black Friday

By Nea Brown


What is Black Friday exactly? It is the day after Thanksgiving in the United States. On this day shops traditionally hold sales in order to welcome the Christmas shopping season, or Golden Quarter as retailers often call it. A recent trend is for retailers to open their doors early in the morning to maximize footfall. This also creates an event atmosphere among shoppers.

A number of explanations exist as to the meaning of the name Black Friday. There is a common belief that it represents the day when stores make the most money. Yet, academics have discovered that the phrase was first coined by the police force in Philadelphia. For them it means a challenging day with dense traffic, frustrated people and thus several accidents involving vehicles and pedestrians. At first this was not just because of shoppers. The day coincides with the annual Army verses Navy college football game hosted by the city.

Over the last decade, it has become the busiest day of the year. Crowds of people descend on stores in a quest to find a bargain. Employers often allow staff to leave work early, or even give them the day off entirely. Over the last few years, retailers' definition of early opening has gone further and further. Many shops now open at 4 a. M. And some have started trading at midnight.

Shoppers' reaction to early opening has been very positive. Many people form a line outside the store before it opens. As this becomes more common, people arrive even earlier. Some spend hours waiting to ensure they get a place at the front of the line.

So many people clamouring to get into a store raises several safety issues. It is important to ensure there is no crush when the doors are swung back. With people waiting for hours, it is essential that security guards or the police are present to maintain order. First aiders should be on hand as people staying overnight in November may fall ill.

The day after Thanksgiving can be a rewarding experience for both shoppers and stores. It is now marked down on the American calendar and it is clearly popular. Today, stores make the highest number of sales on this day. Nonetheless, it is vital that the day is well-organized. Any timing issues, machine failures or insufficient stock can frustrate and thus make for an ugly scene among shoppers.

Sales are put on by most stores on this day. It is therefore crucial to have strong advertising. Commercials should be shown on local TV stations, as well as on the internet. Prices should be lowered heavily on a small number of items, along with slightly lower reductions on a large number of goods. Promotions could also be created in response to the local weather. For instance, if a store in a cold city opens at midnight, it could offer free soup to those in line.

Ads could highlight the efficiency of the store on the day. The headline could be What Is Black Friday To You?, and show a chaotic local nameless store. Then it could show the calmness of the advertised store. It could be aired on TV and viral version online.




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