The Globalization of Black Friday

It’s the last week of November, which for Americans means that Thanksgiving is just around the corner. While for some this means getting away and going home for the short holiday break, Thanksgiving has also increasingly become the holiday that marks the start of a near endless rollout of sales, deals, and insane holiday gift shopping. The irony of giving thanks for the things which we already have on Thursday and then hitting the shopping malls to acquire all which we do not yet own on Friday does not seem to be a deterrent for the consumer culture created by Black Friday. For most companies, it is such a profitable time that they extend their typical sale period into the following week, now known as Cyber Monday. 

“Almost Black Friday Sale” by Urban Outfitters. Via: www.urbanoutfitters.com

“Almost Black Friday Sale” by Urban Outfitters. Via: www.urbanoutfitters.com

But the shopping holiday has expanded, with companies offering sales the week leading up to Black Friday and the week following it as well, so as to encourage more spending. In the U.S., shoppers collectively spend an estimated $14.5 billion during this period every year.

Interestingly enough, the all-American shopping holiday is now also beginning to spread around the world. From France to Argentina to Japan, people and companies all around the world are beginning to quite literally buy into the phenomenon of Black Friday. 

The globalization of Black Friday started around 2010, when companies like Amazon realized the potential to seriously profit from this holiday and expanded their sales to the U.K. From there, it began to spread through other international sales giants and garnered market competition. The more attractive the online sales were for U.S.-based companies, the more local retailers had to compete with the prices and discounts offered by companies abroad. Now, Black Friday is as much a global phenomenon as it is a uniquely American holiday. 

However much it spreads around the world, it is a curious fact that wherever Black Friday occurs, the advertisements for it are always in English, regardless of which countries the sales are occuring in. It is not unusual to see a Black Friday sale sign written entirely in a foreign language except for the bolded, stand-out phrase “Black Friday” on it. In a way, the holiday has begun to globally export not only sale prices, but also American shopping culture.

For more insane numbers on Black Friday, read this World Economics Forum summary: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/11/black-friday-in-numbers/

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Dos and Don'ts of Black Friday 2019

Ok, I have a confession. I’ve never actually been Black Friday shopping. As in, I’ve never left my house on the day after Thanksgiving and gone into crowded stores searching for good deals on things I probably don’t need. But I have done a lot of online shopping on Black Friday (because let’s face it, I still want to buy stuff, I just don’t want to go outside) and I’ve seen people in movies do it. So yeah, maybe I have no right to be writing about this, but upon careful observation of the most common destructive Black Friday behaviors (including my own), I’ve compiled a list of Dos and Don’ts for this year’s biggest day of shopping.

1. Don’t go in blindly.

Make a list of the specific items you’re looking for and stick to that list. Walking into a store or even going online and seeing discounted merchandise everywhere can make you think you just HAVE to have things you’ve never even thought about. That’s how you end up with those random, highly impractical pieces in your closet that don’t match anything you own. Blame it on your shopping alter-ego, because it totally exists.

2. Do set a fixed budget for the day.

This is just a sensible thing to do. I mean I’ve never done it before, but now that I am thinking about these things, it definitely makes sense. I would also add an allowed margin of error in case one item puts you *slightly* over budget. 

3. Don’t buy anything without checking multiple sites/stores for better deals first.


Honestly, the worst feeling is buying something and then seeing it later at another store for a lower price. Not to be dramatic, but guilt, regret, and shame are some of the emotions that come to mind.

4. Do be realistic about the sales.

The prices you see on Black Friday can be deceiving. Stores have been known to jack up the price of items right before Black Friday so it seems like a bigger discount when they lower the price on the day of. And in other cases, even the initial retail prices of items are slightly higher in anticipation of future discounts.  

5. Do think of others!

It’s the season of giving, and Black Friday is a great opportunity to shop for the people you love. Or even for people you don’t like, but for one reason or another you feel obligated to give them a gift and kind of resent having to spend money on them. This way, at least you know that whatever you got them was on sale.

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A Reflection on Black Friday

There’s an insanely satisfying feeling that comes with snagging a good sale. I feel like I’m pulling one over on the big bad companies and their pricey products (never mind that I’m still giving them my money by purchasing the product…). Black Friday is perfectly tailored to fulfill that feeling, as retailers flash big signs displaying all their “deep discounts” that are too often faker than Kardashian family beefs. Stores are notorious for hiking up prices before the consumer holiday in order to deeply discount the inflated prices, bringing them back down to their normal value and labeling that a steal.

Chaos in Sao Paulo, Brazil over Black Friday sales. Image via

Chaos in Sao Paulo, Brazil over Black Friday sales. Image via

The Bargain Betties pack into department stores worldwide to grab those ‘special, one time only, can’t miss’ deals after every Thanksgiving. They’re often walking straight into an apocalyptic jungle, where survival of the fittest and most forceful rules. Under-stocking, overcrowding, and blocked aisles are all tricks of the Black Friday retail trade to increase consumer tension and drive up discount desperation. It can often get dangerous, as riots and shootings over products are common, and “consumers behaving badly” graces headlines every year. Yet every year people still wake up with the sun to get their place in line outside big ticket item stores and feel the accomplishment of scoring a deal.

“Black Friday creates a herd mentality that encourages people to buy things that they don’t want or don’t even love that much because of the perceived scarcity of the deals.” - via Phuong Vuong of Empower Finance

There are undoubtedly some amazing sales at select stores on Black Friday and the physically safer Cyber Monday–but are they worth the hype? Consumer group Which? found that 87% of Black Friday deals were the same or cheaper during other sales during the year! Our collective love for feeling like corporate #scammers clouds this reality, so retailers experience a whopping majority of traffic during holiday sales in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

This all amounts to the only advice I can give: shop smart! When making big purchases track and compare prices (using tools like Pricerunner) and if you’re looking for a real deal, look for and consider purchasing during more offbeat sale times. Don’t buy the sale, buy the item you want.

And while you’re out there, try treating the stressed, overworked, and often underpaid retail workers with respect and kindness!

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