InformativeHow Black Friday Got Its Name: The History Of Black Friday

Black Friday, one of the year’s busiest shopping days, is the perfect time for shoppers to get amazing deals on just about anything. Formerly known as an American event, Black Friday has grown to be a global holiday that lasts almost an entire month! But have you ever wondered how Black Friday got its name? In this blog, Love Discount Vouchers delves into the history of Black Friday and some interesting facts about it.

In this guide, we will tell you:

• The history behind Black Friday
• How Black Friday got its name
• Three fun facts about Black Friday

The History Of Black Friday

Believe it or not, Black Friday wasn’t always known as a global shopping event. On September 14th 1869, it was known as the day the American gold market crashed. According to The Street, “two speculators named Jay Gould and James Fisk attempted to corner the gold market by buying large amounts of bullion to drive up its price” and limit its availability with the help of the president’s brother-in-law. Their plan was however thwarted when the president himself learnt of it and ordered the US Treasury to sell more of the mineral. This led to the gold market crashing and a dramatic drop in the stock market. Many investors saw huge losses on their investments that day, leading it to become known as Black Friday.

In the 1950s, Black Friday was the day between Thanksgiving and the Army-Navy football game. This particular Friday would see massive crowds of rowdy spectators swarming to Philadelphia in preparation for the big game, putting strain on the local police department.

Black Friday did eventually evolve into the shopping event it is now known to be. The first time Black Friday was referred to in a shopping context was in the eighties. In the 1980s, retailers began referring to the Friday after Thanksgiving as Black Friday as it was the day stores began making a profit again. However the shopping event only really began to take shape during the toy crazes in the 1990s and 2000s. During this time, there was a shortage of some of the most popular toys of the time. This prompted shoppers to begin queuing outside stores in an effort to get the Christmas gifts for their little ones on time.

All-in-all we couldn’t agree more that the history behind the holiday is fascinating (describing it as interesting would be an understatement!) and definitely something we here at LDV will be thinking about while shopping online this holiday season.

How Black Friday Got Its Name

Have you ever wondered how Black Friday got its name? According to Business Insider, the name is apparently derived from the colour ink accountants use when describing a business’ profitability. Accountants use black ink to reflect when a business is earning a profit and red ink when it’s at a loss. This ties in quite well with the history of the holiday as retailers began to make profits once again in the days following Thanksgiving, working in their favour to end the year off in the black.

3 Fun Facts About Black Friday

Here at Love Discount Vouchers, we understand that not everyone is a big history buff like us and doesn’t quite enjoy reading long drawn-out pages on how Black Friday started out as a market crash. So to make things a bit more interesting, we’ve taken the liberty of listing down the three strangest fun facts about the popular holiday that are guaranteed to make your jaw drop!

1. Black Friday attracts more visitors than Disneyland - Reportedly, as far as America is concerned, retailers receive more visitors in a single day than Disneyland does annually. Shoppers are also said to spend less time at Disneyland parks and more time shopping on Black Friday.
2. It is the busiest day of the year for plumbers - Black Friday sales go much further than just TVs and kitchen appliances. Many retailers offer big deals on groceries too and this has a tendency to cause some blockages in the plumbing with the amount of food that gets consumed over the course of the day. No wonder plumbers all over the UK receive more calls on Black Friday than any other day!
3. Pyjamas are a bestseller - Black Friday may be known for its huge deals on technology but household basics are the items that sell out first. Matter of fact retailers anticipate the demand for sleepwear and stock up well ahead of the shopping events.

Discover More About Your Favourite Holidays With LDV

Thanks to our guide on the history of Black Friday, you’ll never wonder how Black Friday got its name again! Discover the various ways you can pay for your great bargains from our Multiple ways to pay for your Black Friday shopping blog. Eager to know what great deals to expect this Black Friday? Check out our Best Black Friday Deals In The UK blog for a comprehensive list of the top retailers offering the best deals this Black Friday. Alternatively, you can visit our Black Friday page for our full list of brands offering Black Friday deals. Happy shopping!