Black Friday, the day after U.S. Thanksgiving, got its name from 1950s-60s Philadelphia police describing post-Thanksgiving traffic chaos, not from stores turn…
Philadelphia police used "Black Friday" to describe the traffic jams, packed sidewalks and shoplifting that hit the city every year on the Friday after Thanksgiving, wor…
Uncomfortable with a name tied to police chaos, Philadelphia merchants tried to promote a friendlier alternative: "Big Friday." Consumer and local usage stuck with the o…
As the phrase spread nationally, retailers reframed it: stores supposedly moved from accounting losses "in the red" to profit "in the black" on this one day. It's a bett…
Retailers noticed online sales spiking on the Monday after Thanksgiving weekend, since many shoppers had faster internet at work than at home. Shop.org named the phenome…
As smartphones spread, shoppers standing inside a physical store could scan a product, check a competitor's price and order elsewhere on the spot — a behavior retailers…
A temporary Walmart worker was killed when shoppers surged through the entrance at store opening. It was one of several Black Friday incidents involving fights, injuries…
Black Friday became the most popular single day for online shopping by shopper count in NRF's Thanksgiving-weekend tracking — not just for in-store shopping, ending the…
Crowding became a genuine health risk. Retailers reduced Thanksgiving-evening openings and spread deals across weeks, while consumers rapidly adopted online ordering, co…
U.S. Black Friday online spending reached $11.8 billion (+9.1% YoY); Cyber Monday hit $14.25 billion and Cyber Week $44.2 billion, pushing the full online holiday season…
Read the complete story, FAQs and key facts.