The Best Day To Shop

The Pros of Black Friday

Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash

Many people know the feeling of waking up on Friday after Thanksgiving, getting out of bed at an early hour, racing to all their favorite stores and trying to get their hands on the best sales they can find. This post-Thanksgiving event is known as Black Friday.

Black Friday is a day of shopping that occurs the day after Thanksgiving. The name “Black Friday,” which technically has no connection to shopping, in its origins meaning a financial panic. However, the term “Black Friday” became widely known as the name for the shopping event during the 1950s, when police in Philadelphia complained about the crowds of shoppers, calling it Black Friday due to their lack of control over the chaos.

While this event has had its ups and downs over the years, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic, going Black Friday shopping can be a great way to save money and bond with friends and family during the fall season.

Of course, one of the most popular and appreciated aspects of Black Friday is the sales on items that would otherwise break the bank. The most common Black Friday discount is about 25% but can be even more than that, going as high as 80% off. Since Black Friday falls the day after Thanksgiving, it is the perfect time to shop for Christmas with cheaper prices and less stress over money. Black Friday also can be helpful to people who need to stock up on other necessities, like groceries, as they are able to take advantage of the lowered prices and save money.

While the most popular shopping event occurs on Friday, the whole weekend following Thanksgiving is full of sales. For example, Black Friday has inspired the rise of Small Business Saturday, which is of course the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It is a great opportunity for small businesses to gain a lot of sales and support they would not usually have. The lowered prices help them grow immensely. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, Small Business Saturday reached an estimated 17.9 billion dollars according to the 2022 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey conducted by American Express. Though they are on different days, Black Friday ties in with Small Business Saturday and overall helps support independent businesses.

While Black Friday seems like it is just a day of shopping and sales, it can actually become a bonding event to bring family and friends together. Shopping tends to be more fun when you are surrounded by people you love, which makes Black Friday an opportunity to spend time with loved ones during the holidays. It is also much safer to bring along people you know because you won't get lost or caught up in crowds alone.

One downside some would argue, is that Black Friday has been known to become overwhelming and chaotic, as the crowds can be dangerous. This is true, however, there are ways to avoid large crowds and dangerous situations. Cyber Monday, online sales, is one way. Avoiding large crowds and staying close to family and friends you are shopping with also helps when staying safe during Black Friday shopping.

People should always take advantage of Black Friday. Not only is it an opportunity to save money, but also a great way to spend time with friends and family over the Thanksgiving holidays.