What is Black Friday?

What is Black Friday in the UK?

If you are wondering what is Black Friday in the UK, you are in the right place. Black Friday started in America as a shopping day after Thanksgiving, where people would visit stores for their Christmas shopping. Since customers had four days off to do their Christmas shopping, stores had to capitalise on the sale period to maximise revenue. Retailers began reducing prices and offering discounts to lure more buyers to their stores. Some would open earlier and close late in the evening to ensure customers have more time to shop. When Amazon introduced Black Friday to the UK, major retailers like ASDA, Morrisons and Argos joined. Every year the retailers introduce massive price cuts and multi-buy offers just before Christmas.

Why is it called Black Friday?

In America, there are a few explanations for the term Black Friday. The name comes from the reference to the revenue made during the shopping extravaganza that allowed retailers to break even after low sales throughout the year. Due to the huge sales, retailers were ‘in the blacks’ and not ‘in the red’. Black Friday in the UK refers to the Friday before Christmas when festive celebrations begin. The police and NHS emergency personnel anticipated extra work due to the festivities and labelled it ‘Black Friday’. Since 2014, Black Friday comes with massive discounts and a huge sale event across the UK.

What is Black Friday?

Many retailers redefined Black Friday by introducing most of the discounts online. Making the offers available through their website reduced queues in brick and mortar stores and increased sales. Initially, Black Friday was a 24-hour shopping event with incredible savings to entice customers to spend more. Nowadays, Black Friday is a two-week shopping event, with some retailers running discounts throughout November. Early Black Friday deals lure customers before the main shopping bonanza. Some of the offers up for grabs during Black Friday in the UK include electronics, smartphones, homeware, clothes and accessories. Some stores offer a site-wide overhaul, while others offer product-specific discounts or complimentary gifts for purchasing particular items.

When is Black Friday UK?

Black Friday is an important shopping day of the year. However, the actual date of the event changes every year. Besides, many retailers launch their deals early in the run-up to the Black Friday event. Check out our ‘When Is Black Friday’ page for more information and dates.