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What Is Black Friday? Definition, History and How to Judge Deals

Black Friday is one day in a longer holiday shopping period. Its name’s origin is uncertain, and the sale label alone cannot prove an offer is the lowest price.
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Black Friday is the Friday after U.S. Thanksgiving and a prominent day in the holiday shopping season. It is now part of a longer promotion period spanning online and in-store sales, so the name alone does not mean a deal is available only that day—or that it is the lowest price.

When is Black Friday?

In the United States, Black Friday falls on the day after Thanksgiving. Because Thanksgiving is observed on the fourth Thursday of November, Black Friday follows it each year. Retailers often extend promotions before and after the Friday.

The National Retail Federation (NRF) describes the holiday shopping period as five days, from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday. Black Friday is one day within that period, not the whole event. Retailers may run promotions across both online and in-store channels and throughout the wider holiday season: NRF holiday data and trends.

Why is it called Black Friday?

The name’s origin is uncertain. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says it likely reflected the day’s role as the start of a busy holiday shopping season; the familiar claim that retailers used the day to move from “the red” into “the black” is not established as the name’s origin. BLS’s account of the term describes a likely explanation, not a proven etymology.

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Some earlier events help explain the shopping season’s development, but they do not establish an exact date when the Black Friday name began. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, first held in 1924, traditionally marked the start of holiday shopping. In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving from the last Thursday of November to the fourth Thursday, extending the shopping season. BLS

How Black Friday shopping has changed

Black Friday is no longer limited to one day of in-store shopping. Promotions can start early, continue after Friday, and appear online as well as in physical stores. The timing also varies by product category: BLS analysis of 2009–2022 discount patterns found that some categories’ promotions shifted earlier, while discount timing differed across televisions, apparel, and computers. BLS analysis of Black Friday and consumer prices

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Recent shopper figures show the scale of the broader event, not the quality of any particular offer:

  • 202.9 million consumers shopped during the five-day Thanksgiving-through-Cyber-Monday period in 2025, according to the NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics.
  • For Black Friday 2025, the organizations reported 80.3 million in-store shoppers and 85.7 million online shoppers. These are survey estimates for 2025, not figures for 2026.
  • The 2025 survey was conducted October 31–November 6 among 8,000 adults, with a margin of error of plus or minus 1.1 percentage points. NRF’s 2025 survey release

Are Black Friday deals actually good?

Some offers may be worthwhile, but “Black Friday” is not proof that a price is unusually low. Promotions differ by retailer, product, channel, and date; historical category trends cannot tell you whether a particular item is a good buy now. For example, BLS found that average November television consumer prices declined 2.3% over 2009–2022. That is a category-level historical average, not a forecast or a discount guarantee for a particular television. BLS analysis

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The NRF’s 2025 results identified clothing and accessories, toys, books and other media, and gift cards among popular planned or purchased gift categories. Popularity does not establish which category—or which item—has the best discount. NRF’s 2025 survey release

How to compare a Black Friday offer

Evaluate the specific offer rather than relying on the sale label. When comparing alternatives, check:

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  • Exact product: Match the model number and specifications; similar-looking products can differ.
  • Price over time: Compare the offer with the same item’s credible price history, not only a displayed reference price.
  • What is included: Check accessories, services, warranties, or other components that affect the value.
  • Total cost: Include shipping and any other charges.
  • Return terms: Read the retailer’s return conditions before buying.

A claim that an offer is the “best deal” needs current, comparable evidence for that product. Broad shopping statistics and category-level price trends cannot establish the best offer for an individual shopper.

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What the 2025 spending figure means

NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics reported average holiday-related spending of $337.86 among shoppers during the five-day period in 2025. This covers seasonal purchases across the period, not Black Friday purchases alone. NRF’s 2025 survey release

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