Black Friday Is Not What It Used to Be

Black Friday is back. But then it’s been here for weeks and weeks.

It used to be that big day when sometimes hundreds of shoppers would line up outside stores before dawn so they can get the best Black Friday deals.

As the founder of a retail consultancy business told the New York Times, “It’s still a cultural event, but it’s not what it was some years ago.”

We all remember what it used to be.  Anxious shoppers, having camped out, and when the doors opened, they streamed inside, pushing and shoving and sometimes fighting as they clamored to get the best of the slashed prices.

You may not know this. But according to a report by the NY Times, the original term “Black Friday” was coined in the 1960s by police officers in the city of Philadelphia when on the day after Thanksgiving and before the annual Army-Navy football game on Saturday, crowds would storm retailers in the city and would overwhelm law enforcement.

But then over the years, Black Friday became tied to the idea that it was the day that helped retailers get into the black for the year when it came to the bottom line.

Now of course, with online shopping, and much earlier Black Friday deals, those mad crazy rushes on Black Friday are a thing of the past.

And now how the day after Thanksgiving has changed is probably something to be thankful for.

(Photo Gertty Images)