Gift giving has been around for centuries. Becoming the shopping holiday, that we are familiar with now, has come from a 20th century merchandising idea. The very familiar Macy’s Day Parade is an event that was designed to remind the consumer where to shop. Thanksgiving was first inducted into the holiday schedule by Abraham Lincoln, in 1863. Due to a struggling economy after the depression. President Roosevelt was asked by the merchants to make the fourth Thursday in November Thanksgiving. It was passed by Congress in 1941 and started the idea of the holiday season.
Last year in 2021, there were 155 million people who shopped during Black Friday. The term Black Friday had nothing to do with shopping, but more with a gold scheme that was so far reaching that it included members of Ulysses S. Grant’s family. This was exposed on Friday September, 24, 1869. In the 1950’s in Philadelphia on Thanksgiving Day they hosted the Army?Navy football game, so it was in neutral location. While the football patrons and their families were visiting they would take the opportunity to shop. The streets were clogged ad the essential workers needed to work to keep everything in order. There was even a lot of stealing during this time as well. The workers that had to work considered this Black Friday. In the 1960’s Black Friday became synonymous with merchants that were looking to push their profits to the black.
As people moved from the cities to the suburbs, Black Friday Shopping spread to the mall culture. I will now admit that I have been a Black Friday Shopper for a long time and have seen different trends on BFD (Black Friday Deals) in the last 25 years.
In the late 90’s stores started to open the day after Thanksgiving at 5 am. My niece, daughter mother and myself headed out to the Wiz to get that great buy on television sets. The prices were so good, that I bought a tv every year whether we needed it or not. One year we went to Staples for a great deal on a 42 inch tv. When we got there and standing on a massive line we were told that only the first 25 people that were on the line received a ticket and they could buy the tv. None of the 25 people could either afford it or want it, so I had to argue with the manager to get the tv. We did get it..
What made Black Friday Shopping more competitive was the “Big Box” stores that opened in the 1980’s and 1990’s. This created more choice, sales and competition. Prior to online shopping Black Friday was an event. You would wait outside in the cold and slowly you were allowed into the store. There were fights, but that just made the shopping experience more interesting, When online shopping caught on big, then the bodies in stores became less. The online shopping was easier, I didn’t have to get up early in the morning, I could compare pricing and I didn’t need to schlep my bags.
Then in 2012, stores decided to open on Thanksgiving Day. I actually left my own Thanksgiving and went to Michael’s to get a sale for my students. With all the coupons and markdowns I paid $1.63 each for 32 art sets. My students loved it and even though I left my hostessing to someone else, it was worth it. By 2016, this trend ended, because the businesses realized their employees were not happy with this change.
Remember many of the businesses we have in the U.S. have stores and online businesses that are international. Some countries that participate in Black Friday Shopping are Romania, Canada, the U.K. the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In some countries it is called American Black Friday.
Now that you got the 411 on the history of Black Friday Shopping. My idea is poll the guests at your Thanksgiving table and see what they want. Do a phone search and see who gets the best deal on that item. The winner gets a prize and others get exactly what they wanted.
To all my readers, enjoy the holiday season. No controversial talk at the table. Love your families and remember many of us missed out on the holidays due to the Covid 19 virus.
