Black Friday — What It Was And What It Is

The day immediately following Thanksgiving is called Black Friday, and carries that name because of the huge spike in sales which traditionally marks the day when retailers see their bookkeeping records change from red (losses) to black (profit). Although the day no longer carries that meaning (as sales are now spread throughout the year), it remains one of the biggest shopping days of the year.

Black Friday actually encompasses three days including the weekend which follows. The best deals offered by brick ‘n mortar retailers are in the wee hours of the morning, as department stores open up early to pull in shoppers. Kohls Department Stores, for example, will come to life at 4 a.m. on Friday although I cannot imagine shopping at that time of day (never mind being a retail associate who has to put on his smiley face at that hour!)

Cyber Monday Trumps Black Friday For Some

A phenomenon of the digital age is Cyber Monday, which is the Monday following the Thanksgiving weekend. On that day a spike in internet sales takes place as consumers log on and place their orders. Yes, after a long weekend of mall shopping consumers return to work and spend part of their day searching for deals and making purchases. As you may well imagine, worker productivity plunges as thoughts of snagging a holiday deal dances in their heads.

A Sideline Observer

I observe all of the holiday busyness from the sidelines as I save my store shopping for the times when crowds are reduced and I do my online shopping when I can. Online retailers want my business because, like so many shoppers who are looking for a good price, I really do not want to get mauled at the mall.

And even though there are some who are truly disgusted with all of the consumerism and are boycotting Black Friday, the impact that these activists have on sales will hardly register. Webmasters in Malaysia, India, the European Union and elsewhere are ready to share in the spoils as online shopping picks up and with reports that internet sales will increase by 21% over the same period in 2006, it looks like the bounty will be a good one.