And Black Friday came

Russia has started holding Black Friday - a day of grandiose sales, which is traditionally held after Thanksgiving. Thousands of stores around the world take part in the promotion.

10 questions

1. What to do on Black Friday? 2. How did Black Friday appear? 3. Why is the beginning of the sales season called Black Friday? 4. Is it really profitable to buy on Black Friday? 5. How do Black Friday discounts work? 6. How not to go crazy on Black Friday? 7. Which countries should you go to for Black Friday sales? 8. When living in Russia, how can it be profitable to buy goods in American online stores? 9. Why do people like Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg wear the same clothes all the time? 10. Why is Black Friday evil?

To buy or not to buy – that is the question and the answer.

Today you celebrate Black Friday- you enthusiastically dive into the abyss of profitable offers, discounts, “buy three for the price of two”, “red price”, sale, DISCOUNT, “today only”, “limited offer”, “but let’s give mom some New Year let’s take it,” DISCOUNTSDISCOUNTS – and then the purchasing fever ends, and all the strength goes away with it, because from the flickering in your eyes you no longer want anything from life. (You can read more about Black Friday discounts).

Or you can pointedly ignore this consumer madness and celebrate, together with the progressive part of society, the international Day without shopping(Buy Nothing Day), which in the USA and Canada is held instead of Black Friday, and in Europe - the next day, that is, Saturday. How to celebrate No Buy Day? It’s very easy – just don’t do anything, don’t make any purchases. Trips on the subway do not count, but for the sake of the purity of the experiment, try to hitchhike or walk. More advanced young people can take part in protests. You can read about the evil of Black Friday.

What else can you do on this day? Devote time to family and friends, play board games, go for a walk, discuss the centenary of the October Revolution. Or for yourself, do a meditation focusing on the destruction of capitalism. Watch sobering documentaries about modern world: Koyaanisqatsi (1982), Baraka (1992), Surplus: Terrorized Into Being Consumers (2003). Think a lot, cry, rejoice, just don’t buy anything!

2/10 How did Black Friday appear?

The concept of “Black Friday”, associated with Christmas discounts, came from the United States, where it is traditionally called the day after Thanksgiving (celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November). Black Friday thus falls at the end of November and is not an official holiday, but marks the beginning of Christmas discounts and crazy sales in stores. On this day, many stores open their doors to customers at midnight and offer discounts on goods up to 90%. While Christmas sales themselves appeared en masse in the United States in the 19th century, the term “Black Friday” has been used since about the 60s. XX century.

There are several versions of the origin of this term, the most famous of which are two:

1. Popular version: the term “black” appeared due to the method of reporting. In the accounting books, losses were recorded in red ink, and profits in black. On sales days, the profits of stores and banks increased significantly, and black ink predominated in reporting.

2. Plausible version: the name of this day was given by the Philadelphia police. The first 24 hours after Thanksgiving, there were huge traffic jams due to massive sales and visits to relatives. The usual number of police officers simply could not cope with the flow of cars, and additional forces had to be brought in to maintain order on the roads. Nobody likes hard work after a holiday, which is why Friday is “black”. This version, as the most plausible, is adhered to, for example, by American linguist and journalist of The Wall Street Journal Ben Zimmer. He also notes that due to the negative connotation, merchants have repeatedly made attempts to rename “Black Friday” into a more positive version of “Big Friday”, but these attempts were not successful and the term “Black Friday” eventually took root.

3/10 Why is the beginning of the sales season called Black Friday?

There are several versions.

The most common story is this: Retailers used to record losses in red ink and profits in black ink on their books. During the sales days after the hearty Thanksgiving Day, people spent so much money that sellers finally went into the black.

There is another myth: some say that in the 19th century, plantation owners could buy black slaves at a discount. But according to the data, there is no real basis for this version.

The truth is this:

In the 1950s, the city of Philadelphia played a football game between the Army and Navy teams every Saturday after Thanksgiving (the last Thursday in November). On the eve of the match - that is, on Friday - the city was flooded with hordes of shoppers, fans and tourists, which created a huge problem for the local police: not only were they unable to take the day off, but they were also working overtime trying to cope with the crowds and traffic. In addition, taking advantage of the chaos, thieves became more active and robbed stores. In general, a rainy day.

Later, they tried to remake the term “Black Friday” into “Big Friday,” but it didn’t catch on. By some miracle, by the mid-80s, they managed to get rid of the negative flair of the Philadelphia events (the black ink version was just introduced) and Black Friday became what it is now - a day of total sales. Or rather, not even a day, but four days, the last of which – Cyber ​​Monday – is famous for special discounts on equipment.

4/10 Is it really a good idea to buy on Black Friday?

Yes, during big sales, including Black Friday, you can purchase goods or services at a profit. For stores, participation in such promotions is one of the ways to promote their goods and services. On the one hand, the promotion helps to increase sales, on the other hand, to attract the attention of new customers and increase the level of loyalty of current customers. In this case, one part of the costs goes to promoting the promotion, and the second is considered as lost profit due to a deeper discount on the product or service. Sometimes goods in such promotions are sold at “zero” or even negative.”

5/10 How do Black Friday discounts work?

Black Friday is not actually one Friday, but three days of sales that start at midnight on November 24th. Several domains are registered in Russia, and AKIT (Association of Internet Trade Companies) supports realblackfriday.ru. The point is this: the largest retailers (M.Video, Svyaznoy, Eldorado, Media Markt and others) are registered on the sales website, so you can quickly buy equipment at a discount in one place. The same sales are also available on the retailers' dedicated websites.

Emergency organizers traditionally promise “discounts of up to 90%,” but you need to understand that in reality there are practically no such discounts. There are two options: a 90% discount on outdated illiquid goods, such as a case for a two-year-old smartphone, or on an extremely limited number of products.

That is, formally, 10 people will be able to buy something current at a big discount. The rest, who were in the mood for a purchase, are more likely to purchase this product with the usual discounts, for example, 15-20%, which is what retailers are counting on, declaring 90%. You need to understand that no one plans to trade at a loss.

Also, participation in a large-scale event provides an opportunity to attract additional customer attention to the retailer’s assortment. If you come for a discount on, say, a smartphone, then it’s likely that you’ll pay attention to accessories, or even household appliances.

I would advise you to pay attention to the original price of goods before the start of sales, since a frequent trick is to cross out an inflated price and supposedly have a discount of more than 50%, although before the sale the product was noticeably cheaper.

However, even taking into account not the most honest methods and the promised 90% discounts, emergency sales are quite profitable and, on average, equipment costs noticeably less than on ordinary days. So if you were planning purchases, then you can easily follow the offers on aggregator sites like realblackfriday. Only the range of truly popular goods with noticeable discounts is small, so the speed of selection also plays a big role.

6/10 How not to go crazy on Black Friday?

You need to think in advance what exactly you need, and put everything in the cart, and then during the promotion, go to the cart and make purchases. If deferred goods are not eligible for discounts, then you need to look at analogues.

When shopping offline, it’s the same; I usually always make a list of what I need on my phone and buy from it, having previously figured out what and in which store I can buy.

But if you like the thing, and like it very much, you need to buy it. Because later you may not find it, here you need to focus on the call of the soul.

7/10 Which countries should you go to for Black Friday sales?

The name of this day, of course, is gloomy, but for a large number of people, Black Friday is a real holiday! Every year from November 23 to 29, stores announce discounts on their range of up to 60%, and on Black Friday they reach 90%.

The Black Friday phenomenon itself originated in the USA, and it is this country that traditionally hosts the best sales in the world. Large-scale promotions are held in all major US cities, but I recommend choosing New York - it is a shopping paradise. Now you can buy air tickets at a favorable price - for a flight from Moscow and back.

The most interesting and popular stores are located in Manhattan: Tiffany, Saks, Macy`s, Bloomingdale`s. Here, on the famous 5th Avenue, there are Prada, Fendi, and Gucci boutiques. I highly recommend that you visit Rockefeller Center, where there is a huge number of stores of different brands and classes. To avoid walking far, you can stay. Moreover, by staying near large department stores, you can get in line in advance and avoid crowds.

I also recommend that before visiting a store, familiarize yourself with its assortment and find out where everything is located. Otherwise, on Black Friday there is a chance that you simply won’t find the product you like.

Cool shopping also awaits you in Germany. Moreover, a trip to Europe is cheaper than to America. Accordingly, you can spend more on purchases! Flight Moscow - Berlin - Moscow will cost you

The largest shopping center in Berlin, Neuköllner Arcaden, is located in the Neukölln district. On an area of ​​27 thousand square meters you will find more than 60 clothing and shoe stores. But there is an even larger place - the Spandau Arcaden department store, which houses 125 stores, including appliances, books and brand boutiques.

8/10 How can it be profitable to buy goods from American online stores while living in Russia?

The best thing, of course, is to find a store with free international shipping. These still exist, but they are an endangered species, and most likely you will not find the product you need there. Moreover, the vast majority of stores do not deliver outside the United States at all - they are satisfied with the American market, which is the first in the world in terms of sales volume by a wide margin. Meanwhile, prices there for many goods are much cheaper than here. And with discounts it’s even more profitable - unlike domestic retail, in the USA it’s not customary to catch sales.

So, you have found a store where the product you need is sold much cheaper than here. First of all, go to the Shipping section of the website and look for rates for International Shipping (international delivery). If it is, look for Russia in the list of available countries, and carefully review the list of available postal services. The cheapest way is usually to send by regular American mail - USPS. Courier services like DHL and FedEX charge a lot more, and the heavier the package, the higher the markup.

If there is no shipping abroad, or sending only by an expensive courier service, it makes sense to turn to an intermediary, the so-called mail forwarder. There are many of them (shipito, shopfans, shopogol, etc.).

They work on this principle: you register, you are given a postal address in the USA, which you indicate in the online store when purchasing. The store delivers the goods to the specified address, mail forwarder company employees open the package (they can photograph its contents for you, upon request), and assemble large shipments from different parcels of different people, but so as not to exceed the duty-free import limit. Some mail forwarders use regular postal services, others deliver themselves. In the latter case, shipping is much cheaper, but most likely there will be no insurance or tracking of the parcel route.

Keep in mind that it most likely won’t work out cheaper than USPS - mail forwarders formally keep shipping prices lower, but they add a fee for processing incoming parcels from the store and repackaging. But they periodically hold promotions when you can ship your order very cheaply.

Local communities in many places were destroyed, and mass society became their grave, as one of the Indian elders put it. They have been replaced by a consumer society, a counterfeit realm of freedom that offers an illusory choice between brands A, B and C. Community and freedom have disappeared, and shopping tries in vain to fill the void.

Black Friday, which comes after Thanksgiving in the United States, has become the holiest shopping day of the year. The explosion of consumer interest in Black Friday dates back to the early 60s. Since 2011, large stores have decided to operate at night, opening their doors at midnight. Since 2007, seven people have been killed and 98 injured in clashes over lucrative goods in the United States.

On this day, prices for many goods are significantly reduced. Consumers want to make up for their declining purchasing power at a time when income inequality between those at the top of the pyramid and the bottom is rapidly growing. The strong protest vote for Trump among the poor reminds us of this once again.

Even China has its own Black Friday, which is called Singles' Day, a modern Anti-Valentine's Day. Mass consumption, mass production, mass culture, mass society - these phenomena replaced local communities, differences and traditions, and became part of our homogenized world, like a global environmental disaster.

But there are still those who resist this process and even protest against Black Friday. For example, I have a small bike shop owner in Eugene, Oregon who has a sign in his window that says, “For the third year in a row, we will be closed on Bike Friday.”

Black Friday is a monument to the wrong direction our society is heading in. But this is only part of the sad reality. In the absence of true unity of people, we see how the era of mass shootings has begun in the United States, committed by isolated individuals, glued to screens, forced to buy the latest devices. The loss of trust in public institutions is compensated by making purchases. This is an unhealthy cycle that needs to be broken.

In the US, Black Friday is the shopping day immediately after Thanksgiving. The day originally got its name because so many people went shopping that it caused accidents on the roads and sometimes even outbreaks of violence.

The name "Black Friday" was first uttered on behalf of Earl Apfelbaum, a dealer of rare stamps. In his announcement, he wrote that "The Philadelphia Police Department has named Black Friday the Friday following Thanksgiving. And it's not an affectionate name. Black Friday officially kicks off the Christmas shopping season in the city's downtown area, which usually results in serious traffic jams." on the roads, crowds of people on the streets who besiege shopping centers from morning to evening."

The police department coined the phrase to describe the mayhem and mayhem caused by the congestion of pedestrians and vehicular traffic in the central area of ​​the city.

When did Black Friday take on a positive meaning?

Retailers didn't like the negative association with a black day of the week. And for good reason. For example, Black Monday was October 19, 1987, when the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 22%. This was the highest fall in its entire history.

This was followed by Black Tuesday the following week, when the stock market lost 11% despite attempts by mainstream investors to prop up share prices. This event destroyed all investor confidence in the stock market, which was considered the backbone of the economy at that time. Many invested all their savings and remained poor.

It's no surprise that retailers wanted to put a more positive spin on the term "Black Friday." And for them, the Friday after Thanksgiving is a very profitable day. So they used the name to reflect their success. Accountants use black to express profit in the day's entries. Red means losses. Therefore, Black Friday has since meant a profitable Friday for retailers and the country's economy as a whole.

The most brutal Black Friday

However, crowds of Black Friday bargain hunters are still making life difficult for police. In 2013, police shot and killed a Chicago Kohl's employee as he ran to his car. He was dragging the officer, who was halfway to his car.

The most violent events occurred at Wal-Mart in 2012, when two people were shot and killed in Tallahassee, Florida, while fighting over a free parking space.

And the electronics department at Wal-Mart seems to be the most dangerous place in general.

In 2011, a woman pepper-sprayed people at a Wal-Mart in Los Angeles. She was trying to get a Wii at 60% off. The year before, at Wal-Mart in Sacramento, crowds began beating against closed doors to get discount electronics at 5:30 a.m.

On Black Friday 2009, another California Wal-Mart, this time in Rancho Cucamonga, requested police assistance in dealing with an unruly crowd—again, the event occurred in the early morning hours outside the electronics department. The store quickly closed shortly after nearby Upland also closed.

In 2008, a man was trampled to death, despite his tall height and heavy weight (195.5 cm and 122.5 kg). He died of asphyxia when crowds broke into another Wal-Mart (this time in New York). At least 2,000 people broke down the doors, and the man was forced into the lobby, where he suffocated. Eleven other shoppers were injured, including a pregnant woman.

So, the police have every right to call such a day “Black Friday”.

https://www.site/2018-11-21/belye_pyatna_chernoy_pyatnicy_chto_vazhno_znat_na_starte_bolshih_rasprodazh

Hoping for a discount...

White spots of Black Friday: what is important to know at the start of big sales

Robin Nelson / ZUMAPRESS.com / Global Look Press

Russia, like the whole world, is on the threshold of Black Friday - a time of huge sales. Can you believe crazy discounts? What dangers can await a buyer blinded by an attractive price? What else is important to know and remember so that the shopping holiday is not overshadowed by disappointments and losses? And what should you do if buying a promotion brings you a headache instead of joy? We have collected recommendations from those who know more about this than the average buyer.

Who invented Black Friday?

Americans, of course. They called “black” the Friday following Thanksgiving Day, which is traditionally celebrated in the States on the fourth Thursday of November. Black Friday, therefore, usually falls on the calendar period from November 23 to 29 and opens the same traditional pre-Christmas sales season. The day of big discounts could also get its somewhat frightening, at first glance, name, apparently, only in America. The term appeared in the mid-60s on the East Coast and meant the same enormous traffic jams that cities got into when thousands and tens of thousands of residents flocked to malls and outlets.

Later, the name was associated with the common business idiom “in the black,” which means a positive balance, as opposed to “in the red,” when the balance is negative. Obviously, this implies a great benefit that accrues to both the organizers and participants of large sales. Actually, statistics speak in favor of this: approximately a fifth of the total retail trade turnover in the United States falls precisely on the pre-Christmas period, opened by Black Friday. Moreover, on this day, the total number of buyers in recent years exceeds 200 million people, each of whom spends on average about $400.

Bob Owen / ZUMAPRESS.com / Global Look Press

What about in Russia?

Russia, whether anyone likes it or not, is becoming part of the global world and, together with all of old Europe, is adopting the best practices emerging overseas, especially when it comes to making money. Thanksgiving Day is not celebrated in our country, but we also have a New Year's shopping season. And if so, why not give it a spectacular start? Moreover, there is no need to invent anything new.

Against the background of rising prices for goods, Russians are more often using services with coupons and promotions

Our scale of the day of big discounts, of course, is still far from American and even European. But with the naked eye one can see how this tradition is gradually taking root in Russia. This is confirmed by statistics from companies that organize discount marathons. For example, the Svyaznoy-Euroset company, which calls itself the world's largest chain of stores in the high-tech segment, is holding a Black Friday promotion this year from November 13 to 25. And she predicts an increase in the number of orders in her online stores at least twice as much as last year, Yulia Zaripova, the company’s marketing director, told the site.

Interestingly, the promotion called “Black Friday” is announced these days not only by well-known chains and shopping centers. Travel companies and hotel booking services, medical centers, commercial and residential real estate sales agencies, and even architectural and landscape bureaus, which now, with the onset of winter, are taking advantage of the good opportunity to form a package of orders for the next season, are trying not to miss the chance to attract additional buyers with significant discounts. .

Can you trust discounts?

A good question, to which you are unlikely to be given a definite answer even in the homeland of Black Friday, although in half a century they could figure it out there. Alexey Batylin, CEO of BTL and trade marketing agency Activity Group, which specializes in non-traditional sales promotion, is approaching Black Friday with an obvious degree of skepticism. In his opinion, the whole point of Black Friday was originally an artificially created surge in shopping activity, attracting crowds of buyers to chain stores and shopping centers. And this meaning has not gone away.

“They are happy to open their doors at extra hours, luring us with “unreal” discounts. Supported general condition the hype sends people into a shopping frenzy. Don't delude yourself. The pragmatism of trade organizers will not allow them to incur losses.

According to him, in preparation for a sale, the chain may first raise prices by 40% and then lower them by 60%. “Of course, on the days of seasonal sales, chains, in order to lure buyers, “merge” certain items at a bargain price. But this does not apply to most of the assortment with declared discounts,” Alexey Batylin is convinced.

Wiginton, Keri / ZUMAPRESS.com / Global Look Press

Yuri Mosha, head of the Second Passport and Russian America companies, which provide consulting services to potential emigrants, believes that not everything is so simple. In the USA, Black Friday is truly a day of unprecedented discounts. Many stores offer items on sale with discounts of up to 90%, and some even offer free shipping or gifts when you buy multiple items. But in Russia, according to Moshi, sellers have not yet reached this level of generosity: some stores actually inflate prices in advance in order to offer a so-called discount on the cherished day. As a result, people purchase goods at their real cost. “In America, such an unscrupulous attitude can only be committed by some online platforms where everyone and anyone is willing to trade,” notes the site’s interlocutor.

Dmitry Ermyshev, advertising director of the Sozvezdie development company (St. Petersburg), is also skeptical about discount promotions, and reminds that development companies also take advantage of customer expectations associated with Black Friday and promise huge price reductions. But, according to him, the economics of the projects will not allow developers to offer a radical reduction.

“They are already sold at a discount, so Black Friday is a tool that helps draw attention to such objects and sell illiquid assets in the wake of the expectation of maximum discounts,” the expert shares his secrets. Moreover, he is convinced that for successful market players, participation in discount promotions like Black Friday can result in reputational losses. In Russia, such moves can still be perceived as a signal of the financial insolvency of a company that is forced to resort to reducing the price of its product in order to save its position, or even intends to leave the market altogether. At the same time, Dmitry Ermyshev believes, there is still a reason to pay attention to such special offers, for example, if you are renting housing only for temporary residence or for rent.

How to get the maximum benefit on Black Friday?

As you know, profitable shopping is akin to art, for which you must have talent. Nevertheless, there are some general rules, the first of which is that you should prepare for Black Friday in advance. The main problem with all sales is making impulse purchases, as a result of which things that are not quite necessary or not at all necessary appear in the house, which you will then have to give to someone or try to sell them online. To purchase what you really need, you should carefully make a list, ideally accompanied by price monitoring, advises Maxim Sundalov, director of the online school in English"EnglishDom", well acquainted with the secrets of pre-Christmas sales in the homeland of Black Friday.

So, firstly, you have a better chance of catching a really good discount. And secondly, you can plan your Black Friday budget. It’s just important not to do it “too hard”: in addition to what you planned to spend, provide some amount for random purchases, recommends Maxim Sundalov.

If you prefer to make purchases in the stores themselves, plan your route in advance: which retail outlets you make your main bet on, and which ones you can keep in mind as a backup option. Experienced sales participants advise thinking through the logistics of Black Friday down to the level of specific departments, recommending making the shopping trip a family affair. This way you can send one family member, for example, to the household appliances department, and another, say, to the electronics department. This will allow you to save time and not miss the desired product.

Fans of online shopping will have to be even quicker - online transactions are concluded instantly, so preliminary work becomes much more important. Your goal at this stage is to find out which online stores have the goods you are interested in and which ones offer the biggest discounts and under what conditions, recommends Yuri Mosha. Spend the rest of the evening on this and identify sites with the best offers. Many online stores themselves announce expected discounts on the eve of Black Friday, making sure that you select items in advance and do not miss the start of the sale. If necessary, take the time to stop by the store itself or use the feedback service to clarify the details that interest you. Finally, consult with friends who have experienced at least one Black Friday.

Felix Adamo / ZUMAPRESS.com / Global Look Press

Is there a risk of becoming victims of deception and what else should you be wary of?

There is a risk, even if you don’t share the popular opinion that this whole “Black Friday” is one continuous manipulation to encourage us to make new serious expenses. Alexey Gribovsky, general manager of the federal chain of electronics stores "Positronika", called the site the main rule of all sales - approach them with cool head. “Chasing a low price, you can run into low-quality goods or outright fraud, so carefully check the information about the company where you plan to make a purchase,” says Gribovsky.

It is important to pay attention to the company's reputation and its behavior during similar events in the past. The Internet remembers everything, including the attempts of a particular company to deceive customers by raising prices before Black Friday, and then returning them to their previous level. Don’t forget to trust banners with minus and double-digit percentages.

A separate story concerns payment for ordered goods via the Internet. Never transfer money to a private person's card. Serious stores either have online payment or use reliable payment systems like Yandex. Cash desk”, or even send couriers with goods and a cashless payment terminal. Use online aggregators, where stores participating in Black Friday are verified by this platform itself. But keep in mind that online scammers do not stop improving their skills and are preparing for the next Black Friday no less than you. So the domains of well-known retail chains can be used to deceive you. Be sure to pay attention to the position of the letters in the URL line and the date of creation of the site: a serious network that you have known for 10, or even 20 years, cannot have a site just a couple of weeks before the big sales season.

Ural tour operators spoke about the unique situation with last-minute tours this year

“Real” stores have their own safety rules, and the first rule is the same - don’t lose your head and be on your guard. In sales places, as in any crowded places, there are many pickpockets, for whom such events are also seasonal, notes Alexey Batylin from Activity Group. Another piquant topic is that during sales, theft of components from boxes flourishes, as a rule, senseless and merciless. Pay attention to this, at least when making payments at the checkout, because after purchasing the product it will be almost impossible to prove that you did not purchase it as a set.

Another reason to be on guard is the offer on Black Friday of not only discounts, but also installment payments for goods. “If you see somewhere an advertisement “Installment plan - XX days without %,” I recommend that you carefully study all the details: what awaits you during and after these days. Against the backdrop of the growing popularity of interest-free installment cards, there are cases of disguised regular credit offers,” notes Inessa Zaichko, affiliate marketing manager for the Sovest installment card.

In general, according to Zaichko, interest-free installment cards can be of good help to customers on sales days. The business model of this banking instrument is based on receiving commission income from each transaction in partner stores. Therefore, the price for the buyer remains the same as if he paid by credit card or cash. In this case, all discounts declared by the store are preserved.

Jörg Carstensen / dpa / Global Look Press

And if there is something wrong with the product, can I exchange it or get my money back?

Yes, you can. For the Russian law on the protection of consumer rights, there is no “Black Friday” or similar events, says human rights activist, civil expert at the Interregional Center for Human Rights Nikita Tomilov, who already has sufficient experience in proceedings in the interests of defrauded buyers. According to him, the law clearly states that the product being sold must meet all the declared consumer characteristics, and even if it is sold to you at a discount, you must still receive a purchase of proper quality.

If something does go wrong, then the first thing you need to do is send a written complaint to the seller, describing what exactly you were not satisfied with as a consumer. And demand a replacement or refund. You can also attach a claim to compensation for moral damages to your complaint.

Within 10 calendar days, the opposing party must give an answer that will either satisfy your demands or deny you. If you refuse, you can safely go to court. Moreover, in court you can not only force the defendant to return your money for a low-quality product, but also fine him 50% of the purchase price for refusing to settle the dispute out of court.

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It is on this day, the fourth Friday of November, that many stores start amazing sales and offer the most incredible discounts, sometimes reaching up to 90%. Black Friday 2018 falls on November 23rd.

Why is Black Friday? Where did such a gloomy name and the idea of ​​such sales come from? It is not known for certain. There are several plausible versions. But all traces lead to the USA, to the distant 19th century.

For the first time, Black Friday marked the beginning of the financial crisis

Two cunning financiers from Wall Street, Jim Fisk (one of the founders of Broadway) and Jay Gould (former owner of Western Union), decided to buy all the gold on the exchanges in order to subsequently make exorbitant profits when selling it. But their plan was discovered, and when the price of gold reached its peak, President Ulysses Grant ordered a significant portion of government gold to be put up for auction. The market collapsed, many stockbrokers went bankrupt, including Fisk. Gould was lucky: he managed to sell his gold.

It happened on September 24, 1869, and this day was called “Black Friday.” The US economy was able to overcome the consequences of this crisis only after several months.

Loser salesman came up with discounts and made millions

Around the same time, the first sellers appeared who began to give big discounts on goods before the Christmas holidays. Americans spent a lot of money on gifts, so trade was always especially profitable before Christmas.

Frank Woolworth is considered the father of Christmas sales. In 1873, he was 21 years old and working as a sales assistant in a store in Pennsylvania. He did not work very successfully, since they had already threatened to expel him several times. Then Woolworth laid out all the stale goods on the counter and placed a sign next to it: “Everything for 5 cents.” The product was instantly sold out, and the store’s revenue that day increased 6 times.

Woolworth understood what needed to be done. He opened his own store, which after 5 years grew into one of the largest retail chains, named after the owner - Woolworth's. All goods in these stores were sold for 5 or 10 cents, and sales were regularly held.

In 1913, Woolworth opened the company's headquarters in New York City, the 57-story Woolworth Building, which cost him $14 million and was the tallest building in the world until the 1930s.

Black Friday is inextricably linked with Thanksgiving

Christmas sales started on the same day, and many Americans, of course, preferred to spend this day shopping.

In 1966, the US police called such a day black because crowds of people and cars fill the streets, and it is necessary to tighten control.

According to another version, the color of this Friday is associated with the accounting tradition of marking profits in black and losses in red.

If it weren't for Roosevelt, Black Friday in 2018 would not have been November 23rd, but November 30th

Since 1864, Thanksgiving Day in the United States has been celebrated on the last Thursday of November - it could be the 4th or 5th. In 1939, Turkey Day fell on the fifth Thursday. The Great Depression continued and the economy had not yet fully recovered. And then the Christmas sales season has shortened (you remember that they started immediately after the holiday).

Then the Retailers Association asked President Franklin Roosevelt to designate the holiday as the fourth Thursday of the month. The President met halfway and issued a corresponding decree. This is how Thanksgiving Day received a second name - Franksgiving Day.

Black Friday has become a national holiday, with more than half of Americans participating.

In the 1980s, retailers decided to give the expression a more positive meaning. This is how Black Friday appeared in the form to which we are all accustomed. Attempts were made to call the day "Big Friday" to remove the negative connotations, but to no avail.

Over time, Black Friday after Thanksgiving turned into a large national holiday that spread throughout the world. Shops open earlier and earlier on this day, some at 4 or 5 in the morning, some at midnight, and some right on Thursday.

Therefore, the most desperate shopaholics rush to the shops either immediately after a festive meal, or instead of it.
Several factors contributed to the success of Black Friday. Firstly, the end of November is the time to think about gifts for Christmas and at the same time there is still time to order something online and get it delivered on time. Secondly, Friday between a holiday and a weekend is the best time to spend it shopping. More than half of Americans are participating in this discount madness.

Black Friday often lives up to its name: Many people have suffered in the war for discounts

Typically, goods are swept off the shelves in a matter of minutes. To stir up interest and create a stir, stores offer a limited edition at an attractive price, so, as they say, the first to eat is the first to eat. There are many funny cases that customers talk about.

One man spent three nights outside a Wal-Mart with a tent, thermos and sandwiches, hoping to buy a plasma TV. When the doors opened, he was one of the first to run into the store. However, by the time he got to the department with televisions, all 15 pieces had already been snapped up by more enterprising rivals: they entered the doors that were located closer to the department and opened 10 seconds earlier.

In pursuit of profit, buyers do not shun anything. Fight over the last item? Easily! Spray pepper spray in your opponents' faces? Please! Snatch the box from the hands of someone who is luckier? With no doubt! They remember the case when two old ladies quarreled over an ordinary 10-dollar calculator that was sold at a 50% discount.

More serious incidents have also occurred, resulting in injury or even death to customers or store employees.

What do we have?

The tradition of Black Friday was picked up all over the world, and in the early 2010s it came to Russia.

Fortunately, in our country Black Friday does not have such devastating consequences as in the United States. Russia took only the most pleasant things: only discounts, only sales. And it takes place mainly on the Internet: there is no need to set up camp near the store and fight for the last product. The most pleasant discounts can also be obtained when purchasing online - for example, if you apply Citylink coupon .

According to research from retail chains, the best time to buy electronics and household appliances is on this day. And it will help you save even more Eldorado promo code. No one will stop us from enjoying discounts and pleasant shopping without leaving home.

By the way, Rospotrebnadzor warned that misleading buyers is unacceptable. The seller is obliged to clearly and clearly formulate the conditions for purchasing goods under the promotion.

It often happens that, succumbing to the hype, you buy something, and the next day you realize that you don’t need it at all. In this case, even if you purchased the product at a significant discount, you have the right to return the product you don’t like, don’t fit, or have a faulty product within 14 days, not counting the day of purchase.

« Black Friday 2018"will last for three days, including weekends, and in some stores the whole week. However, it’s still worth hurrying: the most attractive offers end first. No one can guarantee that the product you need will not be stolen from under your nose. More than half of Russians are already counting the hours until the sales start.

During the period of a grandiose sale called Black Friday, the coolest sales are traditionally held. In the United States and other countries, Shopaholics' Day falls on November 23 this year. There are no discounts of this magnitude and at the same time in almost all stores again in the year.

Black Friday has become a popular global event thanks to American marketers who, after Thanksgiving, increased discounts, marking the beginning of the Christmas shopping season, and carried out active marketing work.

At first, the concept of “Black Friday” was associated with the collapse of prices on the gold market in 1869, as well as with crises on the Wall Street stock exchanges. In addition, Friday, which fell on the 13th, was also called “Black”.

This is a well-known phrase that Americans decided to use to describe the hectic day of big discounts after Thanksgiving, which most often fell on a Friday. Christmas sales have started in stores, and shoppers are hunting for maximum benefits.

Founder of the first sales

The founder of the first sales, many years before the advent of Black Friday, is considered to be Frank Woolworth (1852–1919), who first invented sales at the end of the 19th century.

In Lancaster, Pennsylvania, an introverted guy from the outback worked as a sales assistant in a small store, where he experienced constant discomfort due to uncertain prices. Back then, there were no price tags in stores, and sellers had to resort to all sorts of tricks to find out the solvency of customers, after which they set the price of the goods. One day, taking advantage of the absence of the main seller, Woolworth decided to take a risky step. He placed a sign next to seasonal items that said “Everything for 5 cents,” thus organizing the first sale.

The operation was a commercial success, in the wake of which Frank Woolworth organized the largest retail chain of the early twentieth century. Its stores can be considered the ancestors of today's discounters and supermarkets.
Sellers quickly realized that by setting constant prices for goods and “sale” prices, they could make a big profit during the Christmas period, when everyone was buying gifts. This is where the tradition of organizing the biggest sales immediately after Thanksgiving came from.

In 1951, the publication Factory Management and Maintenance noticed an interesting trend: after Thanksgiving, many employees went on sick leave, although in fact they simply arranged a 4-day vacation for themselves, which they spent in stores looking for discounts.
At the same time, the phrase "Black Friday" became common among Philadelphia police officers, who were shocked by the terrible traffic jams that occur annually on the Friday after Thanksgiving.
According to another available version, this day is called Black Friday, since in American accounting losses are displayed in red and profits in black. And the Friday after Thanksgiving is considered the most profitable time of the year for sellers.

Since 1966, the expression “Black Friday” has finally taken hold on the East Coast of the United States among sellers and signifies the period of the largest discounts on goods.

Black Friday Traditions

Perhaps the most interesting tradition of Black Friday is that it is considered bad form to return goods to the seller (for any reason) purchased on this day. Prices must be reduced as much as possible, the goods must be available in sufficient quantities, and before the start of the sale on the eve of Black Friday, it is forbidden to increase prices on the assortment.

According to statistics, the average American family can save anywhere from a couple hundred to several thousand dollars on Black Friday. Every year, shoppers spend about $60 billion during this period. The most popular products include toys, clothing and electronics.

Let us note that in our country Black Friday has been organized since 2013. For example, about 5 million people participated in the domestic Black Friday four years ago, and its bestsellers were electronic equipment, which was preferred by 50% of buyers, and clothing and accessories – 28% of purchases.