Tuesday 22 January 2013

The Story Behind Black Friday

By Nea Brown


In the United States of America, the day after the Thanksgiving holiday is commonly called Black Friday. So what is Black Friday? It is the day when retailers traditionally lower prices on goods to kick-start the Christmas shopping season. Recently stores have opened early to maximize the number of shoppers in the day and create further publicity.

The origin of the name Black Friday has several explanations. Commentators have suggested that it is the day when retailers make most profit, so are "in the black". Academics report that the name derives from the Philadelphia Police. In that city, the first Christmas shopping day coincides with the annual Army vs Navy college football game. Traffic is therefore terrible and people flood the streets. The result is several accidents and a difficult day for the police force.

In the last few years, it has become the most popular shopping day of the year. Swathes of people go to stores to find the perfect discount. Many employers give staff time off work to shop. Some even give them the entire day off. Over the last ten years, early opening has taken on a new meaning. Many stores open at four in the morning. Some even open at midnight.

The public reaction to early opening has been to form lines outside the store entrance in anticipation of the opening. As more and more people stated to do this, the earlier people came to the stores. Nowadays, people commonly spend hours outside the store to get a good place in the line.

A large volume of people trying to enter the store creates safety concerns. Ensuring there is no crush once the doors are opened is extremely important. As people are waiting so long, security guards or even the police should be in attendance to keep everyone calm. Trained first aid people should be easily obtainable as people spending hours overnight in November could become ill.

The day after Thanksgiving can be a rewarding experience for both shoppers and stores. It is now marked down on the American calendar and it is clearly popular. Today, stores make the highest number of sales on this day. Nonetheless, it is vital that the day is well-organized. Any timing issues, machine failures or insufficient stock can frustrate and thus make for an ugly scene among shoppers.

As most stores take part in the event, it is essential to have a well-targeted ad campaign. The campaign should be on local television as well as online. Sales should be concentrated on a few core products as well as lower reductions on others across the store. Promotions could also fall in line with the local weather. If a store in a city with a cold climate is to open at midnight, free soup could be offered to those waiting.

Ads could highlight the efficiency of the store on the day. The headline could be What Is Black Friday To You?, and show a chaotic local nameless store. Then it could show the calmness of the advertised store. It could be aired on TV and viral version online.




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