By: Alex Durante

Do you plan on Black Friday shopping this year? Black Friday sales usually take place on the evening and late afternoon of Thanksgiving, and go into the early morning on the following Friday. Lots of our local stores in Warren, Jamestown, and Erie will be participating in these fantastic bargain sales. So, from the history of the holiday to some stories about sales, The Squire is ready to get you prepared for Black Friday 2K18.

So, why’s it called Black Friday? Well, according to Visualthesaurus.com, the name had been used since the 1950’s, when store workers would call in sick on these days.  However, it didn’t really catch on in a positive way until the ‘80’s. One theory says that retailers would use red ink to represent financial losses and black ink to represent positive amounts. Many retailers operated under a financial loss from January to November, so a good amount of the gains took place during the Christmas and Thanksgiving seasons.

You may have been thinking that the phrase caught on earlier than that, and it seems that a lot of people were under that assumption until 2013, when an internet rumor was started. The rumor said that the term originated down South back in the days of the Civil War. Allegedly, slaves would be sold on the day after Thanksgiving, but Snopes.com later debunked this rumor and found it to be false.

Now you know some historical facts, so now let’s talk about what’s happening in the present. Thanksgiving this year is on Thursday November 22, meaning Black Friday will start on that evening and continue into Friday morning, but the sales just keep on coming. Most retailers have the best sales late on Thursday and early on Friday, and then just some mediocre sales through the following weekend, but a bargain is still a bargain. A penny saved is a penny earned.

When we say shopping, what store comes to your mind first? Probably Walmart, right? Some sweet sales there from last year’s ad included a $123 hover board, $129 iPhone 6, a $298 Sharp flat screen TV, and $29 Google Home Mini. Walmart has not yet released this year’s ad, but keep checking their website, as it is sure to come out soon

Is there a kid in your life? If there is, chances are they are always wanting more and more toys. Black Friday is a pretty good time to get them since they’re cheaper than usual. Walmart released the 2018 top toys list, and, according to Theblackfriday.com, the top five were Little Tikes STEM Junior Wonder Lab, LOL Surprise House, Fingerlings HUGS – Bella, Paw Patrol Ultimate Rescue Fire Truck, and, coming in at number one, a Lego Pirate Rollercoaster.

If you want to get the best Black Friday deals, here are some tips from Thebalance.com. You should check out both the paper ads and the online deals, and you have to make sure you’ve done this ahead of time. Compare prices between different stores, and some have early deals you might want to check out. Remember, the early bird gets the bargain. Some stores also have late night deals, so you want to make sure of what time you’re going to shop and where. When you go shopping, remember to bring the ads with you, know the store policies, and always ask for receipts.

When the turkey’s all eaten, the football game is over, and the dishes are all washed, perhaps you’re going to bust out some Black Friday shopping, and now you can be a wise consumer. The Squire wishes you a happy Thanksgiving and fun Black Friday if you are celebrating this year.

Picture Source: https://www.bradsdeals.com/blog/download-a-copy-of-all-your-favorite-black-friday-ads