Rather than Black Friday, should it be called Black November?

The Black Friday discount period has significantly expanded in recent years: stores, both online and physical, now launch promotions even before the official event date (which falls on the fourth Thursday of November) with initiatives like Black Week or Pre-Black Friday. These offers often continue beyond Friday, sometimes culminating in the days following Cyber Monday (which corresponds to the Monday after Black Friday). The phenomenon began in the early 2000s when, for Black Friday, many U.S. retailers persistently requested permission from authorities to open their stores a few hours earlier than usual to have more time for sales. Meanwhile, it became increasingly common for consumers to camp outside stores the night before Black Friday to secure the best discounted products. Driven by growing demand, stores eventually started the discounts so early that some began offering them days in advance. This trend has never stopped, expanding to the point where, for several years and even in Europe, people now talk about Black November. Additionally, due to the disruptions caused by lockdowns that boosted online shopping during the pandemic, major e-commerce platforms for electronics in Europe and the U.S. began launching promotions as early as the beginning of November, turning the month into a period almost exclusively dedicated to sales, with Black Friday being the peak of these promotions.

Black Friday has been considered a controversial phenomenon for years. One of the most common criticisms is that it represents the quintessence of consumerism: driven by discounts, many consumers end up purchasing products they don't always truly need, at a time when – for environmental reasons – promoting waste reduction and more responsible consumption would be more appropriate. Furthermore, in several countries, Black Friday is accompanied by debates over the working conditions of employees in warehouses and e-commerce sites, whose workloads intensify throughout November. Although it’s increasingly difficult for companies to ignore Black Friday, given that the number of consumers participating in this "commercial holiday" grows year by year, some brands have created protest initiatives. For example, Freitag launched a swap party in its stores in favor of sustainability, while in Paris, footwear brand Veja organized "Repair Friday." Unlike companies that prioritize ethical business practices, those reaping the most profits from the discount period are large shopping platforms like Amazon, which played a crucial role in introducing this tradition to Europe, where it was virtually unknown a few years ago. Today, Black Friday is awaited and participated in as much as, if not more than, traditional seasonal sales.

Where does Black Friday come from?

Black Friday falls on the Friday immediately following the fourth Thursday of November. While the formula might seem unusual, it has a historical explanation: in the United States, where Black Friday originated and developed, the fourth Thursday of November coincides with Thanksgiving Day. As a result, many schools and workplaces remain closed on the following Friday, creating a long holiday weekend. This day off was often used for shopping, especially for Christmas gifts. The tradition became established when merchants decided to offer discounts specifically on this date. While the evolution of Black Friday is well-documented, the origin of the term is still debated. According to the most popular theory, it was coined by Philadelphia police in the 1960s to describe the traffic chaos caused by crowds flooding the city to shop. Another explanation suggests that the name refers to merchants' accounting ledgers, which shifted from "red" (losses) to "black" (profits) on this day.

To formally conclude the November sales period, Cyber Monday was recently introduced, occurring on the Monday after Black Friday. Initially dedicated to electronic products, it now includes items of all kinds. Another increasingly popular November shopping event is Singles’ Day. Born in the 1990s as a celebration for single people in contrast to Valentine’s Day, it later turned into a shopping occasion. The most widespread and credible version of Singles’ Day's origin suggests it was created in China in the early 1990s by four single university students who chose the symbolic date November 11. What started as a lighthearted celebration among students became a national phenomenon in 2009 when Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant, turned the day into a promotional event offering massive discounts on its platforms. Since then, Singles’ Day has grown exponentially, and in recent years, several Western stores have also begun integrating it into their promotional calendars, making it part of the extensive array of Black November offers.