This year Black Friday falls on 26th November. But what exactly is it and how do you find the best deals?
What is Black Friday and when did it start?
Black Friday is a nickname given to the Friday after Thanksgiving in the USA (celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November) which traditionally marked the beginning of the Christmas shopping period in the USA. Nowadays it is celebrated all over the world in countries including the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Germany and Sweden.
In the UK the term did not become popular until 2014 when British retailers began to introduce Black Friday offers. Various US-owned stores such as ASDA and Amazon first introduced the concept to the UK with other major retailers soon following. Until then Boxing Day was considered to be the biggest shopping day of the year in the UK.
Black Friday is notorious for large queues, crowd control problems and sadly abuse and assaults directed towards retail staff (which is certainly not acceptable). We’ve all seen footage in the media of three people fighting over a half-price Plasma TV. Please remember to be polite and courteous to your fellow shoppers and retail staff.
What sort of deals are usually offered?
Almost all stores offer some form of Black Friday sales or promotions. And these days the deals do not last for just one day. Many stores begin their promotions a few days before the date and some last for a few days after.
Some of the promotions offered by retailers include:
- Discounts such as 25% off
- Buy one get one free
- Reduced prices
- Free delivery
- Free gifts when you buy a particular product
- Double points on loyalty cards
How to find the best deals
Understandably, the majority of retailers will not disclose their Black Friday deals until they are launched. Keep an eye on their websites and social media pages to stay up to date with any offers. You could also sign up for marketing emails so that information about any promotions will be sent straight to your phone. Some retailers even send extra discount codes to those on their email list.
Black Friday Shopping Tips
- Only purchase what you can afford. Try to avoid buying things you don’t need.
- Compare prices before buying. There could be a better deal elsewhere.
- Please be respectful to your fellow shoppers and to retail staff.
- Try to make a list of things you would like to buy so you know what you are searching for.
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