What is Black Friday?

It’s that time of year again.

Autumn is creeping into winter, and Christmas is just around the corner. While that means snow is beginning to fall and big feasts are being planned with your friends, it also means you’re breaking open your piggy bank and spending your hard-earned savings on gifts and treats for loved ones. Yes, it’s the most wonderful time of the year, but it’s also expensive. So, you need to hit up Black Friday and save a few bucks.

The day after Thanksgiving is one of the only days in the US when most major retailers agree to open up very early – often even during overnight hours – to offer sales and steep discounts. This day is for consumers who are looking to get the most amount of goods for the least amount of money. In other words, it’s the one day you should do all your Christmas shopping. Here’s everything you need to know about it.

What is Black Friday?

Black Friday is an unofficial holiday that kicks off the intense Christmas shopping season in the US.

On Black Friday, most retailers open early and offer day-long or weeks-long sales. For years, it was common for retailers to open at 6 am EST, but this has been taken a new extreme in recent years, with several retailers now opening in the evening on Thanksgiving. However, a few states prohibit supermarkets, big box stores, and department stores from opening on Thanksgiving.

Although there’s controversy over some retailers making unreasonable demands on staff, such as requiring them to work long shifts, it all boils down to money. Total spending over the four-day weekend in 2015 reached $50.9 billion, according to the National Retail Foundation, though that was down 11 percent from $57.4 billion in 2013, and it marked the second year of sales declines.

As competition for customer dollars heats up, stores are staying open longer and hyping sales. As a result, more criticism has surfaced, with claims circulating about retailers selling derivative products manufactured with lower specifications just for Black Friday. There’s also been safety concerns regarding crowd management at stores due to violence occurring betweens shoppers.

Since 2006, there have been 7 deaths and 98 injuries reported during Black Friday throughout the US.

When is Black Friday?

Black Friday follows Thanksgiving Day in the US (the fourth Thursday of November). That means, in 2016, Black Friday is 25 November.

Does the UK have Black Friday?

Black Friday historically had a different context and date in the UK. However, in recent years, some retailers such as Amazon have begun introducing retail Black Friday in the UK. It didn’t take long before Asda (a subsidiary of Walmart), very.co.uk, John Lewis, Argos, and other UK stores all decided to partake. In the UK, Black Friday hit the £1 billion sales mark in 2015, and total sales over the weekend surpassed £3 billion.

Keep in mind the UK also has Boxing Day, a holiday celebrated on the day following Christmas. It’s also a famous sales day in the UK.

Where can you find Black Friday deals?

Pocket-lint will soon post a guide to the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, so keep checking back.

What about Cyber Monday?

Cyber Monday is the Monday after Thanksgiving in the US. It originated as a day when online retailers lured online shoppers with sales. However, due to its proximity to Thanksgiving and the growing trend of cyber shopping, the two days have blended into a four-day weekend in which Christmas shoppers can look for deals on goods in both physical shops and online stores.