What does Black Friday mean?

Answer 1

"The term "Black Friday" used in relation to the Friday of the Thanksgiving holiday period, originated in Philadelphia in reference to the heavy traffic on that day. More recently, merchants and the media have used it instead to refer to the beginning of the period in which retailers go from being in the red (i.e., posting a loss on the books) to being in the black (i.e., turning a profit)."

According to Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, Black Friday in England was so called from December 6, 1745, when London was advised the Pretender had reached Derby. Brewer's is available at libraries and can also be searched at bartelby.com

Another view

Black Friday in the US usually refers to the day after Thanksgiving, the official start of the holiday shopping season. Stores offer deep discounts and sell a few products at a loss in order to entice shoppers to spend.

"Black" derives from old accounting slang, "in the black," first used in 1926 (the term was first applied to holiday shopping in the late 60s or early 70s). When a business is operating at a loss, it is said to be "in the red," referring to the way negative numbers were recorded in accounting ledgers; when a business is making a profit, it is said to be "in the black," and the ledger shows positive numbers recorded in black ink. Black Friday is often the day retailers finally begin making a profit for the year, shifting their status from being "in the red" to being "in the black." In the retail industry, most of the profit is made during the five-week period between Black Friday and the end of the year.

The sales figures from Black Friday are compared to previous years and used as a barometer to predict how much shoppers will spend during the holiday season.

Answer 2

"The term "Black Friday" used in relation to the Friday of the Thanksgiving holiday period, originated in Philadelphia in reference to the heavy traffic on that day. More recently, merchants and the media have used it instead to refer to the beginning of the period in which retailers go from being in the red (i.e., posting a loss on the books) to being in the black (i.e., turning a profit)."

According to Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, Black Friday in England was so called from December 6, 1745, when London was advised the Pretender had reached Derby. Brewer's is available at libraries and can also be searched at bartelby.com

Another view

Black Friday in the US usually refers to the day after Thanksgiving, the official start of the holiday shopping season. Stores offer deep discounts and sell a few products at a loss in order to entice shoppers to spend.

"Black" derives from old accounting slang, "in the black," first used in 1926 (the term was first applied to holiday shopping in the late 60s or early 70s). When a business is operating at a loss, it is said to be "in the red," referring to the way negative numbers were recorded in accounting ledgers; when a business is making a profit, it is said to be "in the black," and the ledger shows positive numbers recorded in black ink. Black Friday is often the day retailers finally begin making a profit for the year, shifting their status from being "in the red" to being "in the black." In the retail industry, most of the profit is made during the five-week period between Black Friday and the end of the year.

The sales figures from Black Friday are compared to previous years and used as a barometer to predict how much shoppers will spend during the holiday season.