By Nea Brown
In the United States of America, the day after the Thanksgiving holiday is commonly called Black Friday. So what is Black Friday? It is the day when retailers traditionally lower prices on goods to kick-start the Christmas shopping season. Recently stores have opened early to maximize the number of shoppers in the day and create further publicity.
The origin of the name Black Friday has several explanations. Commentators have suggested that it is the day when retailers make most profit, so are "in the black". Academics report that the name derives from the Philadelphia Police. In that city, the first Christmas shopping day coincides with the annual Army vs Navy college football game. Traffic is therefore terrible and people flood the streets. The result is several accidents and a difficult day for the police force.
The origin of the name Black Friday has several explanations. Commentators have suggested that it is the day when retailers make most profit, so are "in the black". Academics report that the name derives from the Philadelphia Police. In that city, the first Christmas shopping day coincides with the annual Army vs Navy college football game. Traffic is therefore terrible and people flood the streets. The result is several accidents and a difficult day for the police force.
Over the last decade, it has become the busiest day of the year. Crowds of people descend on stores in a quest to find a bargain. Employers often allow staff to leave work early, or even give them the day off entirely. Over the last few years, retailers' definition of early opening has gone further and further. Many shops now open at 4 a. M. And some have started trading at midnight.
The early opening times have captured the public's imagination and many people line up outside the entrance to be one of the first. As this has become increasingly popular, people arrive ever earlier to get a good spot. Today, people often spend hours waiting for the store to open its doors.
A large volume of people trying to enter the store creates safety concerns. Ensuring there is no crush once the doors are opened is extremely important. As people are waiting so long, security guards or even the police should be in attendance to keep everyone calm. Trained first aid people should be easily obtainable as people spending hours overnight in November could become ill.
The day after Thanksgiving can be a rewarding experience for both shoppers and stores. It is now marked down on the American calendar and it is clearly popular. Today, stores make the highest number of sales on this day. Nonetheless, it is vital that the day is well-organized. Any timing issues, machine failures or insufficient stock can frustrate and thus make for an ugly scene among shoppers.
It is important to advertise the event well, as most of the competition will be doing something similar. Advertising should be done on local TV and on the internet. P
The early opening times have captured the public's imagination and many people line up outside the entrance to be one of the first. As this has become increasingly popular, people arrive ever earlier to get a good spot. Today, people often spend hours waiting for the store to open its doors.
A large volume of people trying to enter the store creates safety concerns. Ensuring there is no crush once the doors are opened is extremely important. As people are waiting so long, security guards or even the police should be in attendance to keep everyone calm. Trained first aid people should be easily obtainable as people spending hours overnight in November could become ill.
The day after Thanksgiving can be a rewarding experience for both shoppers and stores. It is now marked down on the American calendar and it is clearly popular. Today, stores make the highest number of sales on this day. Nonetheless, it is vital that the day is well-organized. Any timing issues, machine failures or insufficient stock can frustrate and thus make for an ugly scene among shoppers.
It is important to advertise the event well, as most of the competition will be doing something similar. Advertising should be done on local TV and on the internet. P
A large volume of people trying to enter the store creates safety concerns. Ensuring there is no crush once the doors are opened is extremely important. As people are waiting so long, security guards or even the police should be in attendance to keep everyone calm. Trained first aid people should be easily obtainable as people spending hours overnight in November could become ill.
The day after Thanksgiving can be a rewarding experience for both shoppers and stores. It is now marked down on the American calendar and it is clearly popular. Today, stores make the highest number of sales on this day. Nonetheless, it is vital that the day is well-organized. Any timing issues, machine failures or insufficient stock can frustrate and thus make for an ugly scene among shoppers.
It is important to advertise the event well, as most of the competition will be doing something similar. Advertising should be done on local TV and on the internet. Promotions should target a few main products, along with smaller discounts on many other items. Publicity could also be made in coherence with the local weather. For example, if a shop is in a cold-climate city, the retailer could offer free soup to those waiting outside.
Promotion could concentrate on the stores preparedness. With the heading What Is Black Friday To You?, it could show an ill-prepared nameless shop. Then it would show the named store with things running smoothly. The ad could run on local TV and a different version could go viral online.
About the Author:
The day after Thanksgiving can be a rewarding experience for both shoppers and stores. It is now marked down on the American calendar and it is clearly popular. Today, stores make the highest number of sales on this day. Nonetheless, it is vital that the day is well-organized. Any timing issues, machine failures or insufficient stock can frustrate and thus make for an ugly scene among shoppers.
It is important to advertise the event well, as most of the competition will be doing something similar. Advertising should be done on local TV and on the internet. Promotions should target a few main products, along with smaller discounts on many other items. Publicity could also be made in coherence with the local weather. For example, if a shop is in a cold-climate city, the retailer could offer free soup to those waiting outside.
Promotion could concentrate on the stores preparedness. With the heading What Is Black Friday To You?, it could show an ill-prepared nameless shop. Then it would show the named store with things running smoothly. The ad could run on local TV and a different version could go viral online.
About the Author:
Black Friday 2013 is right around the corner. Learn all you need to know about Black Friday and Cyber Monday.