The biggest few days in the retail calendar are very nearly upon us! Black Friday & Cyber Monday 2014 are to be held on the 28th of November and the 1st of December, framing the weekend that kickstarts the Festive Season’s shopping rush. And this year we’re joining in too – our very own Hi-Fi Black Friday and Hi-Fi Cyber Monday will be held on those days! We have some amazing deals lined up. Great for ticking a few gifts off the Christmas list, or just for treating yourself! Whatever you use it for, it’s a great way to save some cash and still get what you want. Sounds good right?
Just in case you don’t know much about the history of these two days, here’s a breakdown of their histories, and what they mean today.
Black Friday
Unsurprisingly enough, this is a tradition that began in the US. Thanksgiving and the day after are public holidays – and the last ones before the Christmas Holiday. As Thanks giving is the only major holiday (at least, one that’s observed by Americans) before Christmas, Black Friday is seen as the day that officially kicks off the festive season. And as the vast majority of (non-retail) employees have the day off, it was inevitable that this would be the busiest day of the shopping season!
Retailers recognised this and started opening their stores early, all the while offering exclusive one-day-only deals. This proved so effective that soon all major (and many of the minor) retailer across the states began doing the same, and a tradition was born. The day always lands on friday, as Thanksgiving is always celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November – but where did the Black bit come from? Its first use was in Philidelphia around 1961, in reference to the huge amounts of traffic (… and resulting smog) generated. Beyond 1975, the term had achieved widespread use, and was even being used by the retailers to advertise their deals. Soon, it was the official term, and is now used to refer to retailers being ‘in the black’ i.e. turning a profit (for many for the first and only time all year!)
Although it’s been observed in America for decades, it was barely regarded in the UK… until Asda (a UK shopping division owned outright by the American retail giant Walmart as of 1999) began its very own Black Friday campaign as recently as 2013. And it was a roaring success. Several other UK based retailers joined in, and thanks to its huge popularity it’s set to return in 2014. And yes, we’re joining in and offering you the best Black Friday Hi-Fi deals we have.
Hi-fi Black Friday: 28th November 2014. Put it in your diary!
Cyber Monday
A more recent addition to the retail calendar is Cyber Monday, which became a popular term in the US – spreading to several countries across the pond in the years following, including the UK as of 2009 – and was used to describe the Monday following Thanksgiving as retailers noticed a sudden surge in e-commerce. Much like Black Friday, retailers use this as a day to offer amazing deals and freebies, all strictly online. And yes, we’ll be joining in the fun this year, offering some amazing Hi-Fi Cyber Monday deals for all of our customers
Hi-fi Cyber Monday: 1st December 2014. Put it in your diary!
What to Expect from Us in 2014!
We’ll be making our official announcements on the deals we’ll be offering for both Black Friday and Cyber Monday on Monday the 24th of November, giving you plenty of time to decide what you want to get. We can’t reveal much before that day… but here are the pages for Hi-fi Black Friday and Hi-fi Cyber Monday, so make sure you keep an eye on them. You won’t believe the deals we have planned, we’re going to make it a hi-fi weekend to remember! Last year we offered 10% off everything on both days… what will this year bring?
