Black Friday (25/11)

Every year, on the first Friday after American Thanksgiving (usually – is the last week of November), the famous Black Friday – day starts, which does not at all correspond to its gloomy name. After all, Black Friday – is one of the brightest and most unforgettable Fridays of the year, it is a day of huge discounts and sales, it is the main holiday for all shopaholics and an excellent solution for those who want to save money.

It is on Black Friday that the traditional Christmas sales season begins in Western countries, when you can purchase a wide variety of goods at very competitive prices, because the size of discounts ranges from 30 to 90% depending on the groups of goods.

The tradition of this unbridled shopping arose in America back in the 19th century, when the largest retail chains began to organize grandiose pre-Christmas sales, stimulating customers to buy incredible amounts of discounts, bonuses, special gifts, etc. And the term «Black Friday» itself appeared in 1966 in Philadelphia.

There are two generally accepted versions about the origin of the name. One at a time, the day was called that because of the huge traffic jams that formed the day after Thanksgiving. According to another, the name Black Friday came about due to the way accounting was kept on that day. Losses were recorded in red ink, and profits – in black, and since revenue that day was huge, black predominated in the reporting.

One way or another, this tradition of grandiose sales has become such a success that it quickly spread to other countries. It is on this day that hundreds of millions of people around the world sweep even the most stale goods off the shelves, bringing monthly profits to sellers. Today is Black Friday – a popular international trend. But it is in America that this day is awaited with particular impatience. The day before, before midnight, in shopping centers and stores in American cities there is nowhere for an apple to fall – prudent customers line up in advance, and some even spend the night at the entrance to stores. After all, the first buyers will receive serious discounts (from 50 to 80%). In addition, on Black Friday, many stores open very early – around 5 a.m., and some of the largest – retail chains even at midnight.

Today is Black Friday – a popular international trend (Photo: conrado, licensed from Shutterstock.com)

Although this day is not an official holiday, many Americans take time off, of course, with the exception of retail employees. And stores and retail chains are doing everything to attract customers.

It would seem that such a «generous» policy should bring losses to trade representatives. However, a large flow of buyers fully compensates for low prices, and Christmas is ahead, and purchasing goods becomes simply « necessary» from people. Thus, stores kill three birds with one stone in one day: they attract a large flow of customers, ensure the rapid movement of goods and receive good profits. By the way, you shouldn’t think that only discounted or unpopular products are included in the sale. Since the seller, in any case, wins, the discounts also apply to the best products in the assortment. In addition, it is already traditional for manufacturing companies of equipment and household goods to coincide with the release of a new line of products to coincide with this period. This way they not only stimulate demand, but also advertise a new product.

Another important distinctive feature of Black Friday – goods purchased on this day are considered bad form to return to the store (for any reason). Therefore, the percentage of return on purchases is small, which also benefits sellers. But the buyer also wins, because many plan purchases in advance and purchase them on Black Friday with great profit. And on this day, almost all categories of goods, from food to household appliances, are subject to discounts. Electronics, clothing and toys traditionally remain the most popular.

Although on TV every year we see huge crowds of people storming stores in the United States on Black Friday and sweeping off the shelves everything – from socks to huge plasma panels, when there is no time to look and think and sometimes there are injuries, the popularity of this event does not become less. And in general, the «festival of true shopaholics» brings real satisfaction to all its participants. According to statistics, on Black Friday an American family can save on average from several hundred to thousands of dollars. Every year they leave $60 billion in stores, which is comparable to the annual budget of a small country.

It must also be said that in Europe «Black Friday» is different. Yes, the tradition of making discounts on the eve of Christmas remains, but everything happens more decorously and nobly. In many European countries, the honesty of discounts at retail outlets is controlled by the state, and online stores are not far behind their «real» colleagues. Recently, more and more Europeans are shopping these days without leaving their homes.

In Russia, Black Friday has been held since 2013 (Photo: Pressmaster, licensed by Shutterstock.com)

In Russia, Black Friday has been held since 2013. But, unlike a similar event in the United States, discounted goods in Russia are sold mainly via the Internet. But the assortment does not suffer from this; you can buy at a discount: electronics and household appliances, sports equipment and books, clothes and shoes, accessories and goods for children, toys and gifts, interior items and textiles, optics and floristry, jewelry and pet products... Information about discounts in online and physical stores is concentrated, analyzed and provided to customers on several Russian websites. Buyers can only choose, compare and promptly pay for goods. Many popular retail chains and Russian stores are already participating in the promotion. By the way, this action can continue not just one day, but several.

Although Russian stores are still inferior to their Western neighbors in terms of discounts, the promotion itself is still a very new phenomenon for Russia –. By the way, she has her own «code of honor». According to the organizers of Black Friday, all online stores wishing to take part in it are required to follow several rules: prices must be reduced as much as possible; goods must be available in sufficient quantities; Before the start of Black Friday, it is prohibited to increase prices for the assortment.

If you decide to take part in Black Friday, we wish you pleasant shopping and maximum discounts!

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