Black Friday is the biggest shopping event of the year.  Black Friday occurs on the day after thanksgiving and traditionally marks the start of holiday shopping throughout the United States. This event is so important that it has its very own marked date on the calendar. Senior at Gulf Breeze High School, Kent Carruth states, “My favorite time of the year is Black Friday. I got a toaster for half off!” Black Friday will occur this year on November 25, with many amazing deals.  

Some version of Black Friday has existed since the 1800’s. Senior at Gulf Breeze High School, Minhdy Tran states, “I have always wondered why Black Friday was called Black Friday. According to Brittanica, Black Friday, the retail event, began in the 1940’s. Black Friday received its name from police officers in the 1950’s in reference to the crowd of customers. ” Later, the name “Black Friday” was explained to reference retailers’ accounts going from “In the red” to “in the black.”   

Although we may know Black Friday for its amazing deals, many horrific events have ensued due to its popularity. Between stampedes and violent fights, there has been a fair share of crime committed in order to “experience” these deals. According to Ranker, an elderly woman in Florida was ran over by a stampede of people and killed during Black Friday. The Hustle states that between the years 2006 and 2018, over 10 people have died and over 100 were injured during the event of Black Friday. Unfortunately, the count for both injuries and fatalities continues to climb yearly. The crimes committed on Black Friday are not limited to violence, however, with cases of theft, fraud, and other non-violent offenses. According to https://www.kare11.com, a group of 14 raided a Best Buy tech store and took $5600 in merchandise on Black Friday. “Smash and grab” robberies seem to become increasingly popular over the holiday season.  

It is almost impossible to find a retail chain in the United States of America that does not participate in Black Friday sales events. According to an article by Investopedia, Macy’s, which happens to be an American favorite due to the Thanksgiving Day and Christmas parades, sells the most on Black Friday than any other retail chain. The high sales are due to the fact that the average Black Friday discount at Macy’s is over half-off the original price! An article by Insider mentions that Patagonia, a very popular brand here at Gulf Breeze High School, does not happen to participate in Black Friday deals. Another brand that does not participate in Black Friday’s consumerism is the Swedish furniture brand, Ikea. Interestingly enough, although these brands do not participate in deals, they have other systems in place, with some companies increasing prices on Black Friday, or others encouraging the utilization of recycling.