In 2024, Black Friday will be officially observed in 129 out of the 195 recognized countries globally.
Only Christmas, celebrated in over 160 countries, and Ramadan, observed in more than 120 countries, have similar levels of international participation.
Holiday sales in the US alone are expected to reach a record $1.35 trillion in 2024. E-commerce sales are expected to grow ~8% to ~$290 billion this season.
How did a small post-Thanksgiving gathering in Philadelphia become a multi-billion dollar consumer festival?
How it all started
Back in the early 1950s, Philadelphia found itself swamped with post-Thanksgiving crowds, thanks in part to the annual Army-Navy football game, which was as much a tradition as leftover turkey sandwiches.
This turned the city into a bumper-to-bumper, sidewalk-squishing spectacle and if you asked any officer in Philly in the ‘50s, they will tell you that the Friday after every Thanksgiving was a ‘Black Friday’—a day they all dreaded.
From a rough start to a polished gem
By the 1970s-80s, retailers noticed sales spikes and seized the opportunity.
Initially, 'Black Friday' had negative connotations. Retailers tried rebranding it as 'Big Friday,' but it didn't stick.
However, the term 'Black' gained a positive spin from bookkeeping, where profits were recorded in black. This new narrative made 'Black Friday' appealing, drawing crowds eager for holiday deals, even attracting police officers to shop.
Achieving worldwide recognition
The 1990s
Major retailers such as Walmart, Macy’s, and Target began to notice the trend emerging in Philadelphia and aimed to replicate it. They started promoting significant discounts and the lowest prices of the year as part of their 'Black Friday Sale' across all their stores. This shopping frenzy began to spread to other regions of the United States.
In 1993, Black Friday officially became the busiest shopping day of the year in the U.S., surpassing Christmas Day. This achievement cemented Black Friday as a crucial date in the retail calendar.
The 2000s
In the early 2000s, e-commerce was still in its early stages. The internet was just starting to gain traction, with broadband mostly available in office environments, and retailers were beginning to establish their online presence.
However, an intriguing trend emerged: on the Monday following the Thanksgiving weekend, as people returned to work, they continued their holiday shopping online, taking advantage of the faster internet connections available at their workplaces.
2010’s
By this decade, e-commerce had become the favored method for holiday shopping. Just as Walmart had expanded Black Friday in physical stores, Amazon did the same for Cyber Monday online, on a global scale.
Between 2010 and 2020, we observed significant international markets adopting the Black Friday marketing concept.
Notable moments
- 2010 - Brazil officially adopted Black Friday in 2010. It quickly became a major shopping event in the country, with 60% of Brazilians now participating in Black Friday.
- 2013 - Black Friday started to gain widespread popularity in the U.K. in 2013, largely due to Amazon UK and Asda (Walmart-owned) offering substantial discounts.
- 2014 - Germany embraced Black Friday in 2014 and it has grown steadily since, with 45% of Germans now participating in the shopping event.
- 2015 - South Africa adopts Black Friday. It is now one of the largest shopping days in the country.
- 2016 - Amazon India and Flipkart began offering Black Friday deals in India.
Learn more about discounts for our Online Group Classes during our Black Friday event.
