Every year in November, Black Friday takes place, an unmissable sales day for all bargain enthusiasts, but what exactly is it?
Some people look forward to it, while others, on the contrary, dread this day, which they consider too commercial… In any case, one thing is certain: Black Friday (which will take place on November 26th this year) is making headlines.
A day of American origin
Black Friday is celebrated the day after Thanksgiving, which is the day after the fourth Thursday of November. This sales day, born in the United States, allows Americans to take a day off to start their Christmas shopping.
Although this day originated in the 1950s, it truly became popular in the United States in the 1970s. It wasn’t until the 2010s that this day was established in France, and even 2014 for it to become an important, even essential event for retailers.
Black Friday today
While Black Friday represents a real advantage for merchants who can clear out their stocks that they haven’t managed to sell during the year, it is above all a major event for any consumer.
This fourth Friday of November creates an event, with some consumers even spending the night in front of store entrances to be the first ones in at opening. Sometimes, this leads to a genuine frenzy where consumers fight among themselves to obtain a particular item.
The crowd during a Black Friday. © Maxppp – Sebastião Moreira
Fortunately, Black Friday is not just about this and is primarily a day with huge discounts on all kinds of items – textiles, appliances, consoles, shoes…
Cyber Monday
Now that Black Friday has become a key day for merchants, like the summer or winter sales, this day generally continues the weekend following this Friday.
Some merchants who sell online participate in Cyber Monday, a new event that takes place on a single day, the Monday following Black Friday. Cyber Monday is a sales day but exclusively for online sales.
