Cliff Notes on the News

Cliff Notes on the News

Veteran San Diego news director and reporter Cliff Albert shares his thoughts on the latest news and stories each weekday at 7:22am. Full Bio

 

The Real Reason There Is a Black Friday

Black Friday has arrived, but then it arrived many, many weeks ago. Black Friday is not what it used to be.

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. A day when all the big stores opened super early. Anxious shoppers camped out in line the night before and when the store doors opened, they streamed inside, pushing and shoving and sometimes fighting as they clamored to get the best of the price-slashed products.

You may not know this. But according to a report today 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, out of town visitors and fans 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 lots of online shopping, and much earlier Black Friday deals, those mad crazy rushes on Black Friday are pretty much a thing of the past.

And on this day after Thanksgiving that’s something actually to be thankful for.

(Photo Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 28: A woman reacts as she carries a shopping cart while customers arrive to the Macy's store on 33th street as Black Friday sales start early on November 28, 2019 in New York, United States. (Photo by Kena Betancur/Getty Images)Photo: Getty Images


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