What Will We Watch On Black Friday This Year?
Black Friday is an old-fashioned phrase for the Friday after Thanksgiving Day in the United States when retailers all over the country remain open until the evening of Thanksgiving Day. The term "Black Friday" has been around since at least 18ouse, but its real meaning is not quite clear. Some people think that it is a synonym for "day after," and this is possible, but that isn't what the phrase means. Many stores open up fairly early on Thanksgiving Day and offer very highly discounted sales on Black Friday.
Black Friday, the traditional day for massive sales, is generally a Saturday, except in Washington D.C., where it is moved to Monday. Other places around the country have their unique version of black Friday. In New York City, the closing time for all businesses is midnight on Thursday, so businesses choose to close their doors on Friday afternoon instead. Seattle's Space Needle, one of the world's most recognizable landmarks, is not open on Thanksgiving Day because it is closed for scheduled maintenance. It does, however, remain open for the rest of the week.
Retailers love black Friday because of all the traffic. No other holiday attracts as much foot traffic as Thanksgiving Day, with stores and malls seeing unprecedented levels of traffic for this one day. In fact, during the day, people are more likely to be out and about than at any other time of the year! That means more shopping for both individuals and businesses, and many stores will even offer same-day delivery on purchases made today.
Of course, it is not just great shopping that draws people to Black Friday. Millions of shoppers are also out and about on Thanksgiving Day, making it the single most crowded day of the year. This means huge sales for consumers, and many local retailers will offer shoppers special deals no matter what day of the week it is. The retailers who offer these specials tend to give consumers special pricing on select items or a first come-first served basis. No other time of year sees such a level of demand coupled with such a large number of unique deals from so many different retailers.
Many traditional retailers have adopted Black Friday as well, with many opening early to accommodate consumers as they try to beat the crowds. Some have also taken it upon themselves to set up their stores to take advantage of the massive shoppers already out and about. Some retailers are even starting early on Thanksgiving Day to meet the demand that may occur, and many are reporting record sales over the day. With the increase in online shopping that has taken place over the last few years, consumers have also taken notice of the incredible discounts that many retailers are offering on everything from food to cosmetics that can make the perfect gift for that special person in your life.
While it's always the busy shopping day on the weekend, this year promises to be much busier than many others. There's also the issue of not knowing exactly where you will get the best deals, so the biggest advantage to shopping online this year is being able to shop at your convenience. You can look through all of the retailers' offerings and find exactly what you need without having to fight the crowds or drive through heavy traffic. Some retailers like Dis-Chem gives users an option to opt-in for their Black Friday mailer and also encourage them to get ready for Black Friday early on. This is done by ensuring their data is correct and their accounts up-to-date before the Black Friday madness starts. They warn that this should be done to avoid any disappointment, as their technical support team will be under a lot of pressure during the Black Friday period (source: 2021 Black Friday Specials at Dis-Chem - Get Ready!).