Black Friday

Black Friday marks the official beginning of the Christmas shopping season and falls on the day following American Thanksgiving. The tradition started in the United States and has been recognized since 1952. It has since been adopted by many other countries around the world. Black Friday has become known as the biggest retail day of the year, with many businesses reporting their highest daily turnover on Black Friday. It was originally used by retailers to clear out their annual stock to make space for their Christmas stock, however, Black Friday has since become known as an event of its own and many retailers will hold stock specifically for this day.

How Ecommerce Stores Prepare for Black Friday

Competition is high among stores wanting to attract customers for this one-day event. Traditionally, retail stores open earlier on Black Friday and offer large discounts to their customers. The popularity of this event has seen customers waiting in front of stores for many hours before opening in the hope of taking the best advantage of discounted prices. This has led to many stores opening their doors the public much earlier, with some opening at midnight, directly following Thanksgiving.

Black Friday is marked by heavy congestion and sometimes even violence as shoppers—desperate for savings—flood city streets. In an effort to persuade shoppers to take advantage of online shopping, marketers have come up with Cyber Monday, which is the Monday following Thanksgiving weekend. This is the ecommerce alternative to Black Friday and online stores have been encouraged to offer discounts similar to those offered by regular retailers on Black Friday.