Hold up, today might just be the day that you learn something new with TOWER! And no, this has very little to do with footwear; we’re actually taking a deep dive into the history of a post-Thanksgiving shoppers haven… Black Friday.
We’ll start from the top; you may consider Black Friday to be the shopping holiday of all shopping holidays, a predecessor to Cyber Monday and an opportunity to secure Festive deals before anyone else - and, to a degree you’d be right! At the ‘80s’ peak, we used ‘in the black’ and ‘in the red’ to describe financial positions, red being negative and black notably hightailed on the way up before hitting Cyber Monday with full force.
However, long before the unofficial holiday was introduced it had a very different meaning - the first (yep, first one ever!) Black Friday came as a result of financier Jay Gould and railways businessperson, James Fisk, attempting to corner the gold market a causing an impromptu collapse. Financial panic is no laughing matter, especially in 1869!
Yet, Black Friday bestows another meaning; this one not so sinister and perhaps more relatable. Answer truthfully, when did you last call in sick for no reason? Disaster comes with a low staffing count and even more misfortune thereafter - for the first time after Thanksgiving, factory managers would regularly see a spike in staff calling sick, hoping to secure an additional day-off.
So, that’s Black Friday! Whether it’s a day of dabbled illness or financial success, there’s a take away for everyone’s pocket - use it if you will.
To get early access and a further 10% on Black Friday savings, join the TOWER loyalty scheme! Don't say we didn't warn you...