Is It Really Black Friday? Uncovering the Myths of the Mega Sale

1. The Surprising Origin Story

The first documented “Black Friday” sale happened in 1869- and it was a stock-market crash. Gold speculators Jay Gould and Jim Fisk tried to corner the gold market. It collapsed on September 24, 1869, ruining thousands. Totally unrelated to shopping, but the name stuck in the lexicon.

Fast forward to the 1950s in Philadelphia. Police officers started calling the day after Thanksgiving “Black Friday” because of the traffic jams and unruly crowds flooding the city for holiday shopping and the Army-Navy football game. Retailers hated the negative vibe and tried to rebrand it as “Big Friday.” Spoiler: that didn’t stick.

The “in the black” story was a brilliant 1980s PR spin. Once stores realized they couldn’t kill the name, they flipped the script: “Black is beautiful—because it means profit!” Marketing genius.

2. Mind-Boggling Stats & Consumer Behavior

Black Friday today is a numbers game - and the numbers are wild.

In 2024, total US Black Friday spending (online + in-store) hit ~$9.8 billion in 24 hours. Iceland’s GDP? $9.5 billion… for the whole year.

At 12:01 a.m. on Black Friday 2021- Amazon alone processed 4,100 orders per second. Your slow Wi-Fi has no chance. The busiest shopping minute ever recorded.

“Grey Thursday” is now a thing. Many stores open on Thanksgiving evening, blurring the lines between holidays and shopping marathons.

3. Turkey coma is real- and retailers love it.

Tryptophan + family arguments = people desperate to escape the house. Stores have known this forever. One regional chain in the Midwest literally advertised “Escape Your In-Laws- Doors Open at 5 a.m.”

4. Black Friday Isn’t the Biggest Shopping Day in the World

Black Friday may dominate the US, but globally? It’s not even close.

China’s Singles’ Day (Nov 11) dwarfs Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined. In 2024, it raked in over $84 billion. Black Friday looks like a warm-up in comparison.

America started the hype. Asia perfected it!

5. Cyber Monday was invented by a marketing team… on a Sunday night.

In 2005, a tiny team at Shop.org noticed a huge online spike the Monday after Thanksgiving and literally made up the name “Cyber Monday” in a press release the night before.

By noon Monday it was trending. Greatest marketing flex of the 21st century.

6. The Most Returned Item Every Single Year?

Clothing, specifically size “Medium” men’s sweaters. Turns out every aunt on the planet thinks you wear Medium.

7. The “Best Deals” Aren’t Always on Black Friday

Here’s a plot twist: some categories—like electronics, appliances, and winter clothing—often see bigger price drops in December than on Black Friday.

A consumer study found that 42% of Black Friday deals are the same price (or even higher!) than in the weeks that follow. Yep, you’re not hallucinating. That “doorbuster” might just be a regular Tuesday price dressed in a flashy banner.

8. The Most Unexpected Black Friday Best-Sellers?

While TVs and gadgets dominate headlines, some bizarre items trend every year. In the last three years:

Electric toothbrushes saw a 120% sales spike

Weighted blankets jumped 85%

And oddly… air fryers have sold out more times than gaming consoles

Black Friday isn’t just about the big stuff—it’s a treasure hunt for things you didn’t know you needed (but apparently everyone else did).

Final Thought

Black Friday has transformed from a chaotic street phenomenon into a cultural and commercial powerhouse filled with myths, madness, and marketing magic. Whether you shop for real deals or just for fun, the day tells us more about human behavior than retail strategy.

So… is it really “Black” Friday? Or is it just brilliantly branded chaos?

What do you think?