There was a time when the winter holidays were separate, when families were able to enjoy one before being thrust into the next. That time has passed. Retailers have slowly transformed the winter holiday season into one big amalgamation of shopping and advertising. A popular e-card that has been making its way around the internet sums it up very well: “Happy HalloThanksMas.”
In years passed, Thanksgiving was regarded as an untouchable holiday. Stores were closed and retail workers were given the opportunity to spend time with friends and family. Part of the excitement of the day was scouring through store ads in anticipation of the following morning. “Black Friday” was almost a holiday unto itself for many people. Each year, however, Black Friday has managed to sneak a bit further into Thursday. More and more retailers are choosing to open their doors on Thursday night, effectively changing the nature of the Thanksgiving holiday. This year, the most popular stores (Wal-Mart, Target, Sears, etc.) have holiday deals beginning as early as 8:00pm. Before long, retailers are going to have to change the name of their ads to “Black Thanksgiving” in order to represent the situation accurately.
Since the start of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in 1924, the Friday after Thanksgiving has been known as the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season. The term “Black Friday,” however, didn’t begin until the 1960s. At that time, accounting records were kept by hand, with red ink indicating a loss and black ink a profit. Soon, retailers began to referring to the day after Thanksgiving as the day that would move them from the red to the black. After a few years, retailers and shoppers alike were using the phrase “Black Friday.”
According to the National Retail Federation, a record 226 million shoppers visited stores and websites over last Thanksgiving weekend. The average holiday shopper spent $398.62, up from $365.34 in 2010. Overall sales on Black Friday in 2011 reached over 11.4 billion dollars. The holiday shopping season in general can account for 25-40% of annual revenues, so the importance of appealing to and attracting consumers in obvious.
The Internet has become a popular avenue for advertisers to reach out to potential shoppers. The National Retail Federation estimates that 51.8% of consumers in the US will be shopping online in 2012. Many retailers are now offering the same or similar discounts online, as opposed to just a few years ago when sale prices were valid on in-store items only. Online shopping is especially appealing for shoppers who are not interested in the commotion of Black Friday. The emergence of mobile devices that can track these online specials makes it even easier for consumers to shop from home.
During times of recession and economic uncertainty, more and more people are looking for ways to stretch their budgets, especially around the holidays. Black Friday is a time when consumers can take advantage of store bargains to complete their shopping lists at a much lower price. Retailers often offer up to 50% off on items such as electronics and popular toys. Some consumers wait in line for hours for such sales, believing they will not see similar prices until the following year.
Many shoppers save all year for the sales offered on Black Friday. Others, however, are finding themselves more and more turned off by the way consumerism has taken over the Thanksgiving holiday. Thursday used to be sacred and off-limits, but those sentiments have disappeared as retailers strive to offer the best (and earliest) discounts. When one retailer breaks the Thanksgiving seal, others feel compelled to do the same. That doesn’t mean, however, that their decisions are not without controversy.
Change.org currently features over forty petitions that have been filed in response to the Black Friday creep into Thursday. Workers at the biggest retails chains are upset at being mandated to work on Thursday and are fighting to “give Thanksgiving back to families.” What is the retailer’s response to the petitions? “We are changing our policies in response to consumer demands.” Regardless of which side of the issue one is on, it appears that Black Friday practices are not going to change any time soon.
Thanksgiving has historically been a time for celebration with family and friends. It appears that definition may be changing as the retail sector alters its attitude toward the holiday. For retailers, maximizing profits is always the bottom line, but at what cost? Is infringing on the sanctity of the Thanksgiving holiday justified by increased profit margins? As long as consumers participate in the earlier sales, the answer will continue to be yes.