Unless you’ve been living under a rock as of recent you’ll know we’re rapidly approaching Black Friday. The one day a year were store prices plummet, you can finally justify spending a hefty sum of money on something you aren’t even sure you really want. Blindly enticed by your £200 saving, you have internally justified the need for your new DJI Phantom 4 Pro+ Quadcopter Drone. Only to get home, watch it float in the air for 10 minutes then sling it in the back of your cupboard where it will stay until it serves purpose as an emergency Christmas present.
While we’re all aware of Black Friday, most of us are unaware of its origins and how it began. There are many myths and speculations of its birth, and we’re here to educate you on the ins and outs of them all. Please remain seated, class is now in session, welcome to the FTA School of history!
The first use of the term “Black Friday” shared no relation to the current shopping holiday that takes place the day after popular American holiday Thanks Giving. Instead it dates all the way back to 1869, where two Wall Street financiers caused finical crisis, in attempt to buy as much of the nation’s gold supply as possible. This in turn would have caused the price of gold to rocket sky high, in which they would then sell on for a massive profit. They failed however, causing the stock market to plummet in a horrific downwards spiral. As Biggie best said it, “Mo money mo problems!”.
Now, the initial and most common thought reasoning behind the traditions name is down to the date being known as when retailers go “into the black”. This comes from the colour codes in there counts of profiting. Losses would be recorded in red, while profits would be recorded in black. Retailers would rely on this seasonable holiday to make them run into the black, allowing their business to survive. It may sound ridiculous that businesses rely so much on one day of the year to gain a profit, but in 2012 the US alone spent an estimated £37.6bn. that’s quite a lot..
Other rumors include, “Black Friday” was the one day a year where huge amounts of employees would ring in stick, head straight into town on an all-day shopping spree, trying to take full advantage of the holiday sales. If this is your plan for Black Friday just be careful not to get spotted by your boss, we have a feeling it wouldn’t go down well! However, FTA can promise a safe refuge for all Black Friday shoppers, plus we won’t grass you up if we see you in store after you’ve pulled a sicky to bunk off work!
The true origins behind the “Black Friday” nickname stemmed from references to the manic, hectic effect it the day after thanks giving brought upon cities. Masses of shoppers flooded and overpopulated areas, causing distressful traffic, and increased crime rates, especially in shoplifting. This caused havoc for the local police force, in which they were quick to nickname this chaotic day “Black Friday”.
After years of the upkept tradition stores managed reinvent the holiday, abandoning the negative vibe surrounding it and instead replacing said bad vibe with positivity. Hopefully this clears up any rumors you may have heard that the holiday is based around the most annoying song of 2011, Rebeca Black – Friday.
From FTA, happy Thanks Giving and we hope you enjoy your Black Friday. We’ve launched our sales early and have a range of discounted products on our store. Don’t be shy, head over now to view daily added/updated bargains!
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