Situation
The closer we get to November, the more stores remind customers that Black Friday awaits. What is it and can you really save money on it?
What is the meaning of Black Friday and when did it appear?
“Black Friday” is a day of huge sales, when discounts can reach 80-90%, and they apply to literally all categories of goods, including appliances, furniture, and electronics. No one can determine the exact year when stores first began organizing grand sales, or exactly how the definition of Black Friday was born. But what is certain is that this happened in the USA. According to one of the most common versions, employers called this day of the calendar “black”: after Thanksgiving, many took time off, work stood still, and profits fell. In the 80s of the twentieth century, store owners took advantage of an unscheduled day off - seeing that customers on this day often wandered between the shelves aimlessly, they began to be attracted by temporary discounts. In addition, the idea of having a sale and making room for new products for Christmas turned out to be very correct. In the 90s, marketers seized on the idea - and soon the action became widespread.
When does Black Friday start?
According to tradition, it starts immediately after the American Thanksgiving Day, which is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. Initially, the biggest sale of the year was held on Friday, but in the last few years many stores (especially online ones) start it on Thursday evening. And increasingly, Black Friday lasts not one day, but two or even three. Another thing is that all the best is usually swept away in the first hours, and sometimes even in the first minutes.
How is Black Friday celebrated in Russia?
In Russia, “Black Friday” began to be celebrated on a relatively large scale since 2013. Before this, individual stores tried to organize similar promotions, announcing scattered (and rarely large discounts). In recent years, many large chain retailers have been participating in it, but Russian buyers most often only have to dream of discounts like in America. With rare exceptions, prices are reduced by no more than 20-30%, on average - by 10-15%. If something is on sale at a deep discount, it is most likely something that has not been in demand for a long time.
Another option is that retailers deliberately create a stir by displaying super-low (sometimes lower than purchase) prices on their websites. But on “Day X” it turns out that such huge discounts are only for a few buyers, for example, for every hundredth or thousandth. In the USA, huge sales are organized both online and offline, where people simply storm stores (fights and stampedes are a common occurrence on this day), while in Russia the maximum discounts are usually given by online stores. In offline ones, the markdown can be purely symbolic.
How to save money and not be deceived?
First of all, you shouldn’t lose your head: as practice shows, in response to the magic words “grand discount” and super sale, many people buy things they absolutely don’t need. In the United States, after Black Friday, people sell out their purchases en masse in an unhealthy rush or spend weeks trying to get rid of them by posting advertisements for sale on the Internet.
Since most stores announce sales in advance, it is useful to familiarize yourself with the assortment on the Internet and note those products that may really be needed. Are there any discounts on any? You should think carefully before buying something to replace it: is it necessary?
Online shopping aces always form “waiting lists” and already in the first minutes of “Friday” they check how much the price has changed. If anything happens, they buy it quickly. This approach to shopping in foreign online stores is especially effective (many of them have delivery to Russia, often free, you can also use the services of intermediaries who offer shipping for a very reasonable price). However, in this case, you must remember that returning goods sent from abroad may be difficult or this procedure will be too expensive. Also, don’t forget that marketers love Black Friday. After the collapse of the ruble exchange rate in 2014, Black Friday discounts began to be actively offered on cars and even apartments. It’s not difficult to guess that this is a regular marketing ploy and regular discounts already included in the price - just with a beautiful name.
November is just around the corner, which means Black Friday, the largest sale in the world, will soon begin. Hundreds of thousands of online stores, millions of necessary and useful products with discounts of up to 90%.
In 2016, Black Friday starts on the evening of November 24 and will last a whole month, that is, until the New Year!
This time Lifehacker will tell you about Black Friday in Europe, and in Germany in particular, because German goods have always been the standard of quality and reliability and you can’t miss the opportunity to buy them at bargain prices.
Does Europe also have Black Friday?
Of course, it’s not only Americans who like to buy good things at low prices. Businessmen of the Old World learn from their overseas colleagues and adopt the best. In addition, some large European stores and retail chains are branches or partially owned by immigrants from the United States. It was these companies that first began to hold sales in the American style, introducing European residents to this good tradition.
The first truly massive European Black Friday took place in 2013, and just a couple of years later the total cost of all goods purchased during the sale exceeded a billion euros!
How to buy in Europe?
It can be difficult to purchase goods in another country on your own. Does the store accept Russian cards? Yes, but you also need to bring your purchases to Russia. Problems arise here too. Many stores do not deliver to the CIS, and if they do, it is very expensive to send each parcel separately. And there is also a risk of running into unscrupulous delivery services that will either not deliver your purchases or deliver them in poor condition.
What to do? Contact a special service, of course. There are intermediary companies created to relieve buyers from all the difficulties of online shopping abroad.
For Lifehacker, such an intermediary was “,” whose services we have been using for more than three years.
Not long ago, Banderolka opened a European warehouse in Berlin. This means that now, in addition to super profitable shopping in the USA, no less profitable European shopping has been added with its own unique goods that cannot be obtained in the USA, and even more so in Russia and the CIS.
How does it work and what exactly does “Banderolka” do?
Everything is quite simple here:
- “Banderolka” provides the user with a postal address in Europe or the USA. This address is indicated when placing an order in foreign online stores and eliminates problems with lack of delivery to other countries. If the store does not accept Russian cards, then Banderolka can redeem the goods using its American or European card.
- Purchased goods arrive at the “Banderolka” address, where the company’s automated warehouse comes into play. Specially trained people, at the user’s request, will repackage purchases free of charge and combine them into one parcel to reduce the cost of transportation as much as possible (the process is called consolidation, be sure to use it). The packaging will be reinforced with special high-strength tapes so that the goods are guaranteed not to be damaged in transit, after which they will be quickly delivered to the user in Russia or the CIS.
All gadgets from the USA, reviews of which you will find on the pages of our blog, are brought by “Banderolka”. We could look for another intermediary just out of curiosity, but why? These guys never messed up, and guaranteed quality and stability of work in such a matter are above all.
Registration on the Banderolka website takes less than a minute, and if you already have an account for this service, you won’t have to create another account: just switch from the American to the European warehouse in your profile.
Already have your eye on something in European stores and don’t want to wait for Black Friday? Now is a great time to buy because we have a special link, by registering through which you will receive a 7% discount on your first delivery from Europe.
What products is Germany famous for?
Everyone! What do you associate with German products? Quality, reliability? This is true. From clothing and electronics to car parts, Germany is ahead of the rest in quality and reliability.
Surprisingly, despite the seeming high cost, online shopping in Europe is actually profitable. Even delivery from Germany of a large original part for your BMW or Volkswagen will cost less than buying it in Russia (if you even find original spare parts here).
Ich spreche kein Deutsch?
Don't you understand anything in German? It's OK! The vast majority of online stores in Germany allow you to switch to English, and in other cases Google Translator will help. Here are a few reference words that you are sure to memorize:
- Ausverkauf - sale. Ausverkäufe - sales. Sale is also used.
- Aktion - action. Aktionen - shares.
- Rabatt - discount. Rabatte - discounts.
How long does Black Friday last?
It all depends on the specific store. Some start the sale even a little earlier, but mostly this is the official date, that is, November 25th. Previously, “Black Friday” lasted three full days, and it was replaced by “Cyber Monday” - this is the same “Black Friday”, but exclusively in online stores. Now stores are making even greater concessions, extending the promotion until the end of December, but you still shouldn’t delay, because the sweetest discounts come in the first days of the sale.
Who really benefits from Black Friday?
It may sound funny, but the most active stores that once promoted Black Friday to the masses soon began to complain about the economic impracticality of such sales. The profit is too low, sometimes going to zero with poor planning.
Some stores even tried to refuse to participate in Black Friday. And guess what? They had their worst financial quarter of the entire year. Without discounts, people don't want to buy anything at all. It turns out that the stores have become hostages to a genie that they themselves let out of the bottle. Yes, Black Friday is primarily beneficial to us, the customers.
The sad experience prompted retail chains to find a way out of the situation. Stores began to prepare more carefully for sales and purchase especially large quantities of goods from suppliers at lower prices. This way you can make incredible discounts and make reasonable profits. In the end, everyone is happy, everyone is fine.
What to do before Black Friday?
Although online shopping is incredibly easy, it's best to prepare for Black Friday in advance. There are a few unobvious things you don't want to be distracted by during the biggest sale of the year. Careful planning will allow you to make the most of this wonderful event, get everything you need and protect yourself from unnecessary impulse purchases.
- Mark the evening of November 24th on your calendar with a corresponding note. In the bustle of everyday life, it’s easy to forget even important things; it’s better to insure your memory. Attach a link to this article to your reminder.
- Register in advance with Banderolka, study the tariffs and conditions. In general, they have good articles on their website from which you can learn a lot of useful information about shopping abroad.
- Add your favorite foreign stores to your browser bookmarks.
- Register in stores in advance, indicate the delivery address received from Banderolka, study the catalog structure and assortment.
- Determine how much you can spend on Black Friday.
- Make a shopping list. Without a list, you may succumb to the discount frenzy and buy a bunch of unnecessary items, forgetting about the most necessary items. Sort the list items by importance.
- Invite your friends, family and acquaintances to participate in the upcoming sale, and if necessary, introduce them to online shopping. Joint purchases are another way to save money, because the cost of delivery will be divided equally between all participants.
We hope that our guide to online shopping in Europe will help you get the most out of Black Friday, and for those who like to shop overseas, we recommend instructions on profitable online shopping in the USA.
The Black Friday sale, or Black Friday, is held annually. In 2019 in Russia the date of the promotion falls on November 29. However, in some stores it may start a little earlier than the specified date.
What is Black Friday? For many Russians, this name is associated with the economic crisis of 1998, when on one Friday millions of our fellow citizens, and indeed people around the world, lost their savings. However, this name also has another meaning.
In the USA and Europe, Black Friday is a period of sales and big discounts in stores for Christmas. Typically, Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on Thursday, and then, on Friday, the Christmas sales marathon starts. On its first day, stores have the biggest discounts on all goods, and everyone tries to purchase during this period, since it is the most profitable.
Black Friday 2019 is a big holiday for all people. On this day, many try to take a day off. Except for retail workers, of course. For them, this day is the period of the most intense and hot work. Many people work throughout the year to purchase the expensive item they dreamed of on this very day. Most manufacturers of electrical equipment and household goods are timing the release of a new product line for Black Friday. This way they not only stimulate demand, but also advertise a new product.
Why is it called that? The name “Black Friday” was coined by reporters due to the fact that discounts on this day create not only a large flow of buyers, but also traffic jams on all roads. There were cases when on this day traffic in all major US cities was completely paralyzed. The police, ambulance and firefighters could not reach the place of the call. As a result, there is a large increase in injuries and accidents on this day.
Most of the television reports from Western sales that we are shown on TV show Black Friday. This Friday the shops open very early - at five o'clock in the morning. And the biggest discounts are in the first hours. Since it is quite difficult to get into the shops on this day, despite the early hours, a queue forms at the entrance. The most persistent ones even spend the night near the shop window.
At the end of the first day, it is not uncommon for stores to have empty shelves. An unprecedented case! Although the buyers behave quite politely - there are no fights over the goods, people calmly stand in line at the checkout, and do not jostle at the entrance. After all, it’s Christmas Eve, and quarreling with your neighbor before this holiday is a bad omen.
However, there is no hope for this in the CIS countries. The Eldorado retail chain is notorious, which became famous for organizing sales at incredibly low prices. In stores during these discounts, there have been cases of people fighting each other over a laptop or microwave, getting injured in a crush, clothes getting damaged, etc. We can only hope that over time the culture will change, and relationships even with a random passer-by will be valued higher than the momentary pleasure of a purchase.
However, Black Friday is not so widely known in Russia, but its popularity is increasing every year. Primarily due to the fact that in terms of discounts we are still inferior to our western neighbors. On this day, goods in the store can be purchased 2-3 times cheaper than the rest of the time. In Russia, the maximum amount of discounts on sales before the New Year is 30-40%.
Of course, you can see advertisements with much higher numbers, but this price reduction is not associated with seasonal sales, but with other phenomena - it is necessary to free up space in the warehouse, the product is obsolete, or competitors have imported a similar product that is superior in terms of price-quality ratio. Therefore, the influx of buyers is not so significant.
However, Black Friday in Russia has become a traditional event in many retail chains and shopping centers. Every year, sales lower prices more and more and become no less popular than in the West.
Benefits for sellers
There is a lot of sales on Black Friday. It cannot be said that trade is at a loss - the product will certainly never be sold below the price that was paid when purchasing it in bulk. In addition, the discounted price fully justifies both transportation costs and the costs of the sale itself - salaries to sellers, rent of premises, payment of taxes.
However, it is worth pointing out several reasons why sellers refuse large profits associated with trade margins:
- Advertising. A Christmas purchase will be remembered for a long time, and in the future it is possible that the buyer will come again.
- A large influx of buyers creates the opportunity to sell more units of goods, and even with a lower markup, profits do not suffer much.
- Sales stimulate other industries besides retail. For example, lending and transport. Unlike retail, the Black Friday tradition does not apply to banks, and they issue loans during this period at the same, if not higher, rates.
- The opportunity for store employees to rest for Christmas - the product is out of stock, which means there is no need to worry about selling it quickly. Therefore, you can safely celebrate the holidays. Actually, it was this reason that became the main reason for such sales. Many managers organize competitions to see who can sell the most that day. The loser and his entire department stay to work on Christmas Day.
- Sometimes the owners of large retail chains in the West adhere to strict Christian traditions and believe that at Christmas they should give gifts to their customers, especially the poorest of them. This is not fantasy. In particular, Rockefeller firmly believed that a tenth of his income should be donated to the church and charity.
- It is considered bad manners to return what was purchased on this day due to a defect. After all, it is considered a kind of gift. Therefore, many stores sell goods that do not meet the standards, and the return rate is low.
What buyers in Russia need to know
First of all, don’t try to buy everything that catches your eye. Unfortunately, we have not yet matured to the level of carefully planning our purchases. Most - for sure. And, as sociological surveys show, many buyers regret that they bought something on sale. It turned out they didn’t need the thing; they simply followed their emotions.
Secondly, try not to take part in crushes or fights over goods. Just avoid them. No purchase is worth spoiling the mood before the holidays, for yourself or another person. And even more so a dislocated arm or a torn dress. Moreover, you will still have to pay money for the purchase, albeit a smaller amount.
Third, for complex products, check the warranty card and registration certificate. Save your receipts. As a rule, most of the goods on sale in Russia are of lower quality than when sold at a regular price. They may have hidden defects, increasing the risk of warranty repairs. If quality is more important to you than price, try to buy the item on other days.
More about Black Friday 2019 in stores and on their official websites:
Black Friday is the best day of the year, which absolutely everyone looks forward to, not just shopaholics, since there are no such big sales in all stores at once on any other day.
Traditionally, Black Friday marks the beginning of the Christmas season and the discounts associated with it - for some, the opportunity to buy gifts for family and friends for Christmas and New Year, for others, to finally purchase an expensive and long-desired item.
In general, Black Friday is a good opportunity to save money, since discounts at this time can reach 80-90% on the most popular and in-demand products. Accordingly, it’s impossible to miss such an opportunity.
Black Friday
This unofficial holiday originated in the United States - sales on this day began in the 19th century, and the term “Black Friday” itself appeared in Philadelphia in 1966.
There are different versions of why this favorite day of the year was called “Black Friday”. According to one of them, people were waiting for sales from the night, when everyone around them was lining up in stores in black and black.
According to another, due to heavy traffic jams on the Friday after Thanksgiving, as Americans went Christmas shopping together.
Another version says that on this day sellers kept records of expenses in red ink and income in black. And on the day of sales, the purpose of which was to make a profit, the holiday itself was called Black Friday.
But, despite the gloomy and negative association with the name, this day is associated with pleasant associations, especially for shopping lovers.
In large stores, huge queues can form before opening - up to 15 thousand people. Americans, having tasted turkey on Thanksgiving Day, go to wait in line late at night.
The situation seems chaotic only at first glance - on the eve of massive sales, Americans carefully think through their list of future purchases. They try to buy only the necessary things and at the best prices, although there is no time to look and think. And this day cannot be done without injuries.
The holiday for shopping lovers in general brings real satisfaction, since the discounts are really real - on average, a family can save from several hundred to thousands of dollars.
Over time, this tradition fell in love with residents of other countries, including Russia and Georgia, who happily adopted it, and with the development of online commerce, everyone can join the holiday of fabulous discounts.
Basic Rules
Sputnik Georgia will tell you how to live through Black Friday and make the most of this event.
The first thing you need to do is check the discounts. When you see a discount on a product you are interested in, you should check how much it costs in other stores and how much it cost before the sale. Remember, some stores sell items on sale at a higher price than they normally would.
Make a shopping list in advance so you can look for discounts on the items you need. Just in case, you can select one acceptable replacement for each item.
Buy only the products you really need without losing your mind. Otherwise, you can buy a bunch of unnecessary things, which will then gather dust in the closet.
During sales, you need to act extremely quickly, without wasting time - if you take too long to choose, the best thing will be taken away from under your nose.
When shopping, don't forget about other promotions that are still coming this year, including Cyber Monday, which is gaining more and more popularity.
© photo: Sputnik / Vladimir Astapkovich
This is the first Monday following Black Friday - in 2017 it falls on November 27th. Unlike Black Friday, which Americans associate with shopping in brick-and-mortar stores, Cyber Monday initially meant active shopping online. The term was first used during holiday sales in 2005.
What to buy
The absolute best sellers on Black Friday and Cyber Monday are electronics, household appliances and gadgets, which are on average 60% cheaper, so it will be profitable to buy equipment on sale.
In the US, Black Friday is the shopping day immediately after Thanksgiving. The day originally got its name because so many people went shopping that it caused accidents on the roads and sometimes even outbreaks of violence.
The name "Black Friday" was first uttered on behalf of Earl Apfelbaum, a dealer of rare stamps. In his announcement, he wrote that "The Philadelphia Police Department has named Black Friday the Friday following Thanksgiving. And it's not an affectionate name. Black Friday officially kicks off the Christmas shopping season in the city's downtown area, which usually results in serious traffic jams." on the roads, crowds of people on the streets who besiege shopping centers from morning to evening."
The police department coined the phrase to describe the mayhem and mayhem caused by the congestion of pedestrians and vehicular traffic in the central area of the city.
When did Black Friday take on a positive meaning?
Retailers did not like the negative association with a black day of the week. And for good reason. For example, Black Monday is October 19, 1987, when the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 22%. This was the highest fall in its history.
This was followed by Black Tuesday the following week, when the stock market lost 11% despite attempts by mainstream investors to prop up share prices. This event destroyed all investor confidence in the stock market, which was considered the backbone of the economy at that time. Many invested all their savings and remained poor.
It's no surprise that retailers wanted to put a more positive spin on the term "Black Friday." And for them, the Friday after Thanksgiving is a very profitable day. So they used the name to reflect their success. Accountants use black to express profit in the day's entries. Red means losses. Therefore, Black Friday has since meant a profitable Friday for retailers and the country's economy as a whole.
The most brutal Black Friday
However, crowds of Black Friday bargain hunters are still making life difficult for police. In 2013, police shot and killed a Chicago Kohl's employee as he ran to his car. He was dragging the officer, who was halfway to his car.
The most violent events occurred at Wal-Mart in 2012, when two people were shot and killed in Tallahassee, Florida, while fighting over a free parking space.
And the electronics department at Wal-Mart seems to be the most dangerous place in general.
In 2011, a woman pepper-sprayed people at a Wal-Mart in Los Angeles. She was trying to get a Wii at 60% off. The year before, at Wal-Mart in Sacramento, crowds began beating against closed doors to get discount electronics at 5:30 a.m.
On Black Friday 2009, another California Wal-Mart, this time in Rancho Cucamonga, requested police assistance in dealing with an unruly crowd—again, the event occurred in the early morning hours outside the electronics department. The store quickly closed shortly after nearby Upland also closed.
In 2008, a man was trampled to death, despite his tall height and heavy weight (195.5 cm and 122.5 kg). He died of asphyxia when crowds broke into another Wal-Mart (this time in New York). At least 2,000 people broke down the doors, and the man was forced into the lobby, where he suffocated. Eleven other shoppers were injured, including a pregnant woman.
So, the police have every right to call such a day “Black Friday”.
