Professior’s Name
Introduction
The black Friday is generally defined as the Friday following Thanksgiving Day in the United States. It is also regarded as the commencement of the Christmas shopping period. Although it is pointed out that Black Friday is not a federal holiday, a number of states in America including California observe it as a holiday for state government workers. Black Friday is generally composed of people of all races, gender and class in some of the states in America. This day is commonly used by shoppers to buy a range of items and commodities in preparation for Christmas (Reppen, 2012). The population sample is the americans in the stated states where Black Friday is considered a public holiday. What makes the Black Friday to be a holiday in the countries and states where it is practiced?
It is indicated that Black Friday is a name that originated in Philadelphia slightly before 1961 whose use was to describe the hefty and disruptive vehicle and pedestrian traffic which would befall on the day after Thanksgiving. However, an alternative explanation was given for the Black Friday due to the discovery that retailers generally operated under loss from January through November but made a comeback on the Black Friday. On this day, retailers started turning on profits. This was due to large number of people of all kinds who scramble to purchase items and commodities at the best prices before the stock runs out. Large stalls like Wal-Mart experience large retail chains hence they open at midnight which is unlike the other normal days. The large retails that Black Friday shopping is done in the United States include: Target, Best Buy, Bealls, Macy’s and Kohl’s (Hasen, 2012). The variables are states and countries that uphold Black Friday as a holiday and the expected results is their contribution to the day becoming a holiday and its value to the people involved.
Countries and States Where Black Friday Is a Holiday
Black Friday holiday is mostly celebrated in the United States in several states namely: California, Nevada, Illinois, Florida, Indiana, Delaware, Oklahoma, South Carolina, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Texas, West Virginia, Iowa, Maryland, Kentucky, Minnesota, Maine, Nebraska, Michigan, and Washington. However, Black Friday has extended to other countries such as Canada. It is indicated that the large population centers on Lake Ontario have always acted as attracting point for cross-border shopping in the United States. Therefore, the cheaper prices of commodities and items in the United States on Black Friday have often attracted shoppers from Canada. Consequently, Canadians have also adapted Black Friday in an attempt to avoid losing their customers who travel to the United States for shopping purposes. It is also noted that Black Friday has been exported to other countries outside North America such as the United Kingdom. This has been effected by major online retailers such Apple and Amazon (Krafft & Mantrala, 2010).
Items Bought On Black Friday
There are a range of products that shoppers buy on the Black Friday due to their subsidized prices. Nonetheless, the most bought items are electronics; from household appliances to office appliances. Clothing of all kinds is also bought in large quantities during this period. Often, food stuffs such as beverages are also bought by many shoppers in large quantities in preparation for Christmas celebrations. It is actually this period that most government officials find time to do their shopping because they are given days off following the thanksgiving holiday (Krafft & Mantrala, 2010).
Conclusion
In summary, Black Friday is associated with much shopping and retailers have resorted to extension of shopping time in their malls in order to make profits. People of all classes and ages engage actively in shopping during this period due to cheaper prices of commodities offered at this period.
References:
Hasen, J. (2012). Mobilized Marketing: Driving Sales, Engagement, And Loyalty Through Mobile Marketing. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Krafft, M. & Mantrala M. K. (2010). Retailing in the 21st Century: Current and Future Trends. New York, NY: Springer.
Reppen, R. (2012). Grammar and Beyond. Level 2B, 2(2): 385-387.
