This year Black Friday happens to fall on the 29th of November, 2019. We all know this shopping day right after Thanksgiving but have you known when most of the havoc wreaks our land?
The name Black Friday was coined by the Philadelphia Police Department in order to express the pandemonium surrounding the overcrowding of pedestrians and auto traffic in the downtown area. The reason behind this whole chaos was because so many people just went out to shop that it caused serious traffic mishaps. Even when it wasn’t about the traffic – there were calls to the department about violence in shops. People just used to go full Tarzan on each other to get what they wanted.
In 1966 Earl Apfelbaum explained it in his ad that;
“Black Friday is the name that the Philadelphia Police Department gave to the Friday following Thanksgiving Day. It is not a term of endearment for them. ‘Black Friday’ officially opens the Christmas shopping season in the center city. It usually brings massive traffic jams and over-crowded sidewalks as the downtown stores are mobbed from opening to closing.”
The name, Black Friday, was not however liked by people. The term black was mostly associated with something bad in the olden days. Like when they called it a Black Monday the day Dow Jones Industrial Average almost crashed back in 1987. It was a shaking news for the stake markets and thus the day was not just a plain old Monday but something black. Thus, retailers spun the whole idea of black Friday to their own usage and advantage. They wanted to present it as something positive since the day after Thanksgiving was when they had the most sales. They started using the name and put up a lot of sales. They gave people a reason to wait for black Fridays.
Black Friday Violence
Coming to recent scenarios, Black Friday masses hunting deals still give the police a hard time. Some might even argue to change the name to a Black-eye Friday since it’s more apt for the day. Just so many fights and bruises and for what? Shopping.
| Sr# | Year | Deaths | Injured |
| 1. | 2008 | A 6’5 man who was 270 pounds approx. was stampeded to death by 2000 people, in Long Island. 2 fell prey to shooting in the Southern California Toys R Us shop. | 11 shoppers were injured. One of whom was a pregnant woman. |
| 2. | 2009 | A woman was stampeded to death in Clarksville | NA |
| 3. | 2010 | NA | A man was stabbed in Best Buy. A transwoman was assaulted Jackson, TN. |
| 4. | 2011 | Target Shoppers stampeded over a man. | Almost 46 were injured throughout in the US due to; Pepper-spray attacksShootingsRobberyRandom Brawls |
| 5. | 2012 | 2 girls lost their lives after their father lost control in due to traffic. | 11 injured due to traffic incidents and shootings. |
| 6. | 2013 | The teen died because he fell asleep while driving due to exhaustion from shopping. | 15 injured due to road accidents, shooting, stabbing, and arguments. |
| 7. | 2014 | NA | 5 injured due to shopping brawls, and road accidents. |
| 8. | 2015 | NA | NA |
| 9. | 2016 | 2 people died due to open fires in the New Jersey Mall and a Walmart Parking spot in Reno, NV. 1 man tries saving a woman who was being beaten in Walmart Parking lot, San Antonio – ends up getting shot at. | 7 injured due to open fires, interference to stopping crime and shopping brawls. |
| 10. | 2017 | NA | 5 injured due to similar reasons as mentioned above K |
So far approximately 10 people have died and around 111 have been injured on Black Friday because of one reason or the other. So where exactly is it safe to go and shop?
Who knows which pair of sock you might end up being shot at? In 2016, a policeman was stabbed in the neck when he tried to confront an HMV shoplifter. If the men in uniform aren’t safe how can you be sure of your safety? There’s no reason for the police to not call the day what they do.
With all this said, the question arises that where exactly should you shop at for Black Friday then? The deals are to die for, after all (pun intended).
Black Friday Shopping 2018
The easiest and safest way to shop on this Black Friday is to shop from within the boundaries of your own home. Where else could it be safer?
Due to the advent of the internet, our lives became easier long time ago. Many shops put forth amazing online deals for those who are unable to go to the malls. Here is a list of a few best online shops for you this Black Friday.
Amazon
Amazon.com, Inc delivers whatever you wish to buy internationally so even if you aren’t in the country this website has got you covered. This black Friday they have deals in almost everything; furniture, electronics, books, clothes, shoes, accessories and even its own devices.
Apple
If you want to buy an Apple iPhone or accessory then why not visit the store itself and that too online so that if you are unable to buy it you won’t feel bad about it. Why? Because no one knows you went there!
Best Buy
Best buy delivers in three major countries – Canada, USA and Mexico, in short the countries which share borders. The website even offers pre-black Friday deals, if you are interested and mostly deals in electronics. The discount is enough for one to go crazy shopping online and if your internet stops you, call cox customer service directly.
Dell Home
Just like apple store you can visit the Dell store directly to get any deals they have up for this black Friday. Surprise, surprise – they do! If you want a laptop or tablet – be sure to check this one out as well. Similarly, you can also visit Google Store to check if they have anything up for the sale that you might like getting your hands on.
If the said websites aren’t enough then you can also visit; QVC, Walmart and Target online to check out their deals and just buy whatever you want. It isn’t quite necessary to put yourself in danger when you can shop your heart out with the help of internet as well.
