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What are the Origins of ‘Black Friday’?

19 October 2024

Ever wondered where the term ‘Black Friday’ comes from?

(Spoiler: It’s not because of all the bruises shoppers get in the chaos.)

The word ‘Black’ has a long history of being tied to events you’d rather avoid—like the Black Death, Black Monday’s stock market crash or the Black Sunday Bushfires (definitely not a hot deal). Not exactly the kind of stuff that puts a smile on your face, right? So how did a term used to describe disasters end up attached to an annual shopping event?

Enter 1950s Philadelphia, where the day after Thanksgiving was a shopping frenzy so chaotic, the local police dubbed it Black Friday. Roads were gridlocked, stores were packed and the city looked like it had been hit by a zombie apocalypse (except these zombies wanted bargains, not brains).

By the 1980s, retailers decided to rebrand this mayhem by putting on their rose-tinted glasses and claimed Black Friday wasn’t about chaos but jaw dropping discounts, promoting it as the time shops moved “into the black” (profitable)!

Black Friday 2022

‘Black Friday’ Invades the UK

For years, Brits watched the States’ Black Friday madness from afar, muttering things like, “Absolute nonsense,” while secretly wondering if we could get in on the action. Then, in the 2010s, Amazon and Asda swooped in and said, “Let us introduce you to bargains you didn’t know you needed!” giving our Boxing Day Sales a run for their money!

Suddenly Black Friday went from a curious spectacle to a full-blown shopping marathon that now lasts… oh, just the entire month.

‘Black November’ at TLH Leisure Resort

Forget Black Friday. At TLH Leisure Resort, we’re all about Black November! The best part? You don’t have to worry about fighting off crowds or doing battle with your WiFi to score a deal. This month-long event gives you discounts on stays – check out our website and socials for updates, but hurry—these deals won’t last forever!

Black Friday? At TLH Leisure Resort it’s all about Black November. Book before 5pm on Monday 2nd December and save up to 50% on a 2 night break! FIND OUT MORE

 


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