Black Friday 2020

Products and News

Why is it Friday 27 November this year?

This unusual year’s Black Friday has finally arrived.

For several days, many brands have been running advertising marathons built around striking discounts and coupons, all with one aim: increasing sales.

For some it lasts only one day; for others, given the lower number of visitors to shops in this particular year, it becomes a weekend or even a week of extraordinary sales.

Whether it lasts a day, a weekend or a week, it is interesting to know why a particular Friday is chosen and where this event comes from.

ITS ORIGINS

Black Friday is an American celebration held on the Friday after Thanksgiving, which is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.

The term has old origins: in 1924 Macy’s department stores used it to officially begin Christmas shopping.

The aim was to attract as many people as possible through exceptional discounts. The idea was so successful that other stores soon followed it.

However, it took many years for the phenomenon to become what it is today. It began to gain significant success in the 1960s and became firmly established in the 1980s, when it officially became Black Friday.

THE MEANING OF BLACK FRIDAY

There are several theories about its meaning. The most credible says that, from that day, shop tills and account books could finally be marked in black for profits rather than red for losses.

Others associate it with a “black Friday” for businesses whose employees took time off to take advantage of discounts, or with the traffic, queues and crowds outside stores.

BLACK FRIDAY AROUND THE WORLD

Although it has spread around the world, the event remains distinctly American. Many companies even give employees a day off so they can take advantage of exclusive offers.

The day can also have negative effects, sometimes leading to arguments over heavily discounted items. It has nevertheless become well established in Italy too.

To meet customer expectations, we also offered special discounts: in 2020, 15% off the whole augmented-reality Book and Card catalogue with code BW2020, valid throughout the weekend.

Happy Black Weekend!