This event is good for consumers and good for businesses, and we wonder… where did Black Friday begin? Who thought it up? Interestingly, looking at the story of Black Friday we see that it has evolved quite a lot over time. We’ll begin with Google’s outline of the story:
The Origin and Outcome
“Black Friday started with Philadelphia police in the 1950s and 60s who used the term to describe the chaotic and overwhelming traffic and crowds the day after Thanksgiving, which was often a day off for them. Retailers initially disliked the negative connotation, but by the 1980s, they began to promote a new, positive meaning: the day when their businesses’ books went from “in the red” to “in the black” (profitable) due to holiday sales.”
OK, that’s a very good origin story. We can see how it happened. Apparently, the Friday after Thanksgiving was the Army-Navy football game in Philadelphia and the city was full to overflowing with tourists and shoppers. It was law enforcement that came up with the term “Black Friday” because of the strain on them. Here is more of what Google tells us:
“Retailers initially tried to rebrand the day as “Big Friday,” but the name didn’t stick. By the 1980s, a new, more positive interpretation emerged, with retailers linking the name to the idea of their businesses finally becoming profitable for the year. This new meaning, derived from the business term “in the black” to describe a profit, became the dominant narrative and is the reason the term is associated with a day of high consumer spending today.”
There we have it! How to turn a challenge into a positive outcome! The increase in commerce led to companies being able to get ‘in the black’ and remain in business. And of course, the low prices were very much welcomed by consumers.
The Story Evolves
Now that we know how “Black Friday” got its beginning, let’s look at what the shopping event has evolved into. As consumers we know that Black Friday deals are already available and it’s definitely not yet Friday, November 28th. These deals help us to prepare for some nice gift-giving during the upcoming holidays. It also means lots of activity across the supply chain. A mid-sized full-service fulfillment service like AMS Fulfillment plays a big role in the degree of customer satisfaction and business success. Let’s see what Google says about the evolution of this shopping event:
“Black Friday has evolved from a specific in-store sales day in the US to a multi-day, global, and predominantly online shopping event driven by e-commerce. It began in the mid-20th century but became a major retail term in the 1990s, leading to earlier store hours and aggressive in-person deals. The rise of the internet gave birth to “Cyber Monday,” which has since blurred with Black Friday into extended “Black Friday Weeks” or even month-long sales, with a greater shift to online shopping and a decline in the chaos of traditional in-store events.”
Peak Season is Here
Peak season has begun for the 2025 holidays. Our highly valued AMS clients are running their “Cyber Monday” and “Black Friday” deals and we are giving their customers the excellent service they have come to expect. Let’s conclude with a quote from Jeff Bruce, AMS’ VP of Human Resources.
“AMS is ready no matter what day it is to deliver for our customers thanks to our amazing associates who will work what seems ‘around the clock’ to bring our top notch results no matter the challenges faced. We can’t thank our teams enough for their efforts during this peak season.”
Yes, indeed. Thank You to our Teams for the beginning of a very exciting and successful Peak Season for AMS and our valued clients!! And one more note for our readers… have fun shopping!!!
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Please feel free to visit amsfulfillment.com and learn more about us. We’ve been doing eCommerce fulfillment for more than twenty years and we are a highly respected third-party fulfillment service (3PL) with many satisfied and successful clients.
