Black Friday (retail) Origins

The term "Black Friday" originated in Philadelphia in the 1960s. Police officers used the term to describe the large crowds of people who would descend on the city on the day after Thanksgiving, looking for deals at local stores. The term quickly caught on and spread to other parts of the country.

In the 1980s, retailers began to use the term "Black Friday" to promote their own sales events. This helped to make the day even more popular with shoppers, and it soon became one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

Today, Black Friday is a major shopping holiday in the United States. Retailers offer deep discounts on a wide variety of merchandise, and shoppers often camp out in front of stores overnight in order to be the first ones inside. Black Friday can be a chaotic and stressful experience, but it can also be a great way to save money on holiday gifts.

In recent years, Black Friday has expanded beyond the United States. Retailers in other countries, such as Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, now offer their own Black Friday sales events. And as online shopping continues to grow in popularity, Black Friday is becoming a global shopping holiday.

Black Friday 2022 eCommerce Stats

Black Friday 2022 was a record-breaking year for e-commerce. According to Adobe Analytics, online sales reached $9.12 billion, an increase of 2.3% over 2021. This was driven by a number of factors, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which led more consumers to shop online, and the increasing popularity of online marketplaces, such as Amazon and eBay.

The most popular categories for Black Friday 2022 were electronics, toys, and home goods. Electronics sales reached $2.5 billion, up 10% from 2021. Toys sales reached $1.2 billion, up 15% from 2021. And home goods sales reached $1 billion, up 12% from 2021.

Mobile devices were the most popular way to shop for Black Friday 2022. A record 48% of all e-commerce sales were made on smartphones (versus 44% in 2021). This was likely due to the fact that more people were shopping from home and on the go.

Overall, Black Friday 2022 was a successful year for e-commerce. Online sales reached a record high, and consumers were more likely to shop on mobile devices. This trend is likely to continue in the years to come.