Explained: Everything you need to know about Black Friday Black Friday. Its the day after U.S. Thanksgiving, and its their biggest shopping day of the year. But be warned: While many stores offer deep discounts on merchandise, including big ticket electronics, the shopping scene can get quite volatile.The beginning of Black Friday The name originated in Philadelphia around 1966, where it originally described the heavy and disruptive traffic that occurred on the day after Thanksgiving. Eventually the term began to see broader use outside Philadelphia around 1975. Later, an alternative explanation claimed that “Black Friday” indicates the point at which retailers begin to turn a profit, or are “in the black.” Competitive shoppers For years, retailers opened their doors at 6 a.m. In the late 2000s, they began opening at 4 or 5 a.m. to increase shopping hours and, therefore, profits. (Cyber Monday was introduced in 2005, for those who wanted to avoid the crowds on Black Friday and shop online the following Monday.)2008 A 34-year-old Walmart employee was trampled to death in Valley Stream, N.Y., when the doors opened at 5 a.m. 2011 Twenty people were injured after a woman pepper-sprayed fellow shoppers in an attempt to beat them to the deals at a Los Angeles-area Walmart. A shopper who collapsed at a Target in West Virginia was ignored by other bargain-hungry shoppers. He later died at the hospital. 2012 Walmart and other retailers announced they would open at 8 p.m. Thanksgiving Day. Two people were shot while arguing over a parking space at a Walmart in Tallahassee, Fla. 2013 KMart opened at 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day and stayed open for 41 hours straight. A man in West Virginia was stabbed in a Walmart parking space dispute.Shop til you drop Black Friday total spending in the U.S. 2011: $52.4 billion 2012: $59.1 billion 2013: $57.4 billion Average spent per person on Black Friday 2011: $398 2012: $423 2013: $407 Black Friday online shopping 2011: $816 million 2012: $1.1 billion 2013: $1.4 billion wow read this one drivers everybody else here 10-4
Posted on: Fri, 28 Nov 2014 02:40:29 +0000
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