“Black Friday” is merely a day we look forward to hearing because of the many sales it brings along and that means early Christmas shopping at a bargain in South Africa. Black Friday is an American tradition that takes place the first Friday after Thanksgiving (25 November 2016) and is a day of big deals and promotions for American shoppers. To me black Friday means the same get to the mall early and get all my items that I’ve had my eye on and leave, but where did black Friday come from?. Personally, I don’t remember it as a kid or maybe I never really paid attention and now I’m all grown up.I love shopping, who doesn’t love a sale or getting something you had your eye on for a while at a bargain. But is it really worth spending all that money?. Let’s break this black Friday down.
The true origin of black friday :
The true story behind Black Friday, however, is not as sunny as retailers might have you believe. Back in the 1950s, police in the city of Philadelphia used the term to describe the chaos that ensued on the day after Thanksgiving, when hordes of suburban shoppers and tourists flooded into the city in advance of the big Army-Navy football game held on that Saturday every year. Not only would Philly cops not be able to take the day off, but they would have to work extra-long shifts dealing with the additional crowds and traffic. Shoplifters would also take advantage of the bedlam in stores to make off with merchandise, adding to the law enforcement headache.
By 1961, “Black Friday” had caught on in Philadelphia, to the extent that the city’s merchants and boosters tried unsuccessfully to change it to “Big Friday” in order to remove the negative connotations. The term didn’t spread to the rest of the country until much later, however, and as recently as 1985 it wasn’t in common use nationwide. Sometime in the late 1980s, however, retailers found a way to reinvent Black Friday and turn it into something that reflected positively, rather than negatively, on them and their customers. The result was the “red to black” concept of the holiday mentioned earlier, and the notion that the day after Thanksgiving marked the occasion when America’s stores finally turned a profit.
Information was obtained from:http://www.history.com/news/whats-the-real-history-of-black-friday
Not to be a party-pooper but remember to also keep money aside for necessities and for any emergencies that may arise. It all good and well to spend all your money on black Friday but don’t forget your responsibilities that you may have.
Here’s a list of stores which you can pop into to get your favourite items (in SA):
Edgars, Checkers, Makro, Victoria’s Secret, Clicks, Mr Price… You name it!
- Makro is leading the sale madness with a whole weekend of savings on selected products, with discounts of up to 45% over 25, 26, and 27 November.
- Clicks: Also having a weekend of savings where you can save up to 50% on a range of products.
- Travelstart: Black Friday weekend (http://www.travelstart.co.za/lp/promotions/black-friday)
- Checkers: Up to 50% off
- Dion Wired: Up to 50% off tech products
- Game: Big savings on Black Friday
- HiFi Corp: Up to 80% off tech products
- Boardmans: Up to 50% off household appliances
- Sunglass Hut: Up to 60% off
- Spree: Up to 30 % off
- Dischem
- Takealot.com
- Dermalogica
- Hub
How to survive the shopping madness:
Wait! Before you head out to take on the Black Friday masses, check out our tips on how you can deal with the craziness.
- Take along a bottle of water.
- Drinking all of that water will make you go to the toilet, so bring a friend or family member, just bring someone along to help with the queuing.
- Take food along like a sandwich or a snack.
- Take a hat for the sun and an umbrella for possible rain just in case those lines snake out the mall.
- You will need a book or four.
- Is your data enough for the long queues? Top up on data.
Infromation from: http://ewn.co.za/2016/11/23/your-black-friday-madness-guide
So shoppers are you prepared for Friday 25 November? Ready, run and shop!
Marhasstylesa 