I've wondered where both these entities originated and was surprised that historically, they are unrelated and that one has an origin almost 150 years ago!!

The origins of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, two of the biggest shopping events of the year, trace back to different times and reasons but ultimately share a common purpose - and that is driving retail sales.

Black Friday: Origins and Evolution

1. Early Beginnings: The term “Black Friday” was originally used in the 1860s, referring to financial crises, specifically a major stock market crash in 1869. However, the connection to retail began in Philadelphia in the 1950s. Police there used the term to describe the chaotic day after Thanksgiving when shoppers and tourists flooded the city for holiday shopping and the annual Army-Navy football game, creating traffic jams and increased demand for law enforcement.

2. Retail Adoption: By the 1980s, retailers across the U.S. started to embrace the term "Black Friday" and repurposed it with a new, more positive meaning. The idea became that the day after Thanksgiving marked the point when stores went from being "in the red" (operating at a loss) to "in the black" (turning a profit). Retailers began to offer major discounts on this day to encourage holiday shopping, solidifying Black Friday as the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season.

3. Growth and Expansion: Black Friday evolved into a major shopping day across the country, with stores opening earlier each year and some even beginning sales on Thanksgiving night. Over time, Black Friday became a cultural phenomenon, often marked by extreme shopping deals, long lines, and occasionally chaotic crowds.

Cyber Monday: Origins and Growth

1. Birth of Cyber Monday: Cyber Monday is a much more recent concept, emerging with the rise of online shopping in the early 2000s. In 2005, the term was coined by Ellen Davis, a marketing executive with the National Retail Federation (NRF), and Scott Silverman, an NRF representative. They noticed that online shopping spiked on the Monday after Thanksgiving, likely because people returned to work with high-speed internet access (still not as common at home) and were eager to continue shopping after the weekend sales.

2. Retailers’ Response: Recognizing the trend, retailers quickly began offering online-only deals to encourage consumers to shop from their work computers on the Monday following Black Friday. The concept of Cyber Monday caught on quickly, and sales grew dramatically each year, becoming one of the biggest online shopping days of the year.

3. Impact and Expansion: Over time, Cyber Monday has become a global event, with online retailers in other countries adopting similar practices. The increased popularity of online shopping and mobile technology has made Cyber Monday one of the most significant e-commerce events globally, often extending beyond just Monday and even blending into Black Friday as the holiday shopping season continues to grow.

Today, the lines between Black Friday and Cyber Monday have blurred, with many retailers starting deals well before Thanksgiving and extending them through the week. The rise of e-commerce, online deals, and mobile shopping apps have further expanded both events, leading to a nearly month-long "Cyber Week" of deals. This shift has turned November into a crucial sales month for retailers and an eagerly awaited time for consumers.

Have you bought anything substantial during these sales?