The term “Black Friday” was first used back in the late 1800s when two greedy people wanted to make a lot of money. Their scheme was to buy as much of the United States’ gold as possible to increase the stock price and sell it for a large profit. When they sold all of their gold the stock market crashed and everyone went bankrupt. The crisis was called “Black Friday.”
Black Friday was coined as a new term in the late 1950s. It’s new meaning started in Philadelphia. It was used by police officers to describe the enormous crowds of shoppers and tourists who came into the city for the famous Army-Navy football game the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The crowds brought a lot of thefts from stores, foot traffic and vehicular traffic.
In the early 1960s, retailers tried to change the name to “Big Friday” to make it appear to be more positive but that never stuck. Retailers were forced to embrace the name of “Black Friday.” Black Friday is now one of the largest and most competitive days for consumers. With the competitive nature of Black Friday and
the large numbers of people, there is going to be some dangers shopping.
A study done by Deloitte found that about 70 percent of holiday shoppers plan to make a trip to the store at some point during Black Friday weekend. 70 percent of those shoppers plan to physically be in a store on Black Friday. About 72 percent of Black Friday shoppers plan to be at the stores before 9 a.m.
According to Trevor Wheelwright from Reviews.org Pennsylvania is the fourth safest state to go Black Friday shopping in. However, that does not mean that dangers do not exist. The most prevalent incident that happens on Black Friday is people trampling. The highest retailer where incidents occur is Walmart.
With all of the chaos that comes from Black Friday, consumers need to know how to stay safe while shopping. Thankfully organizations like State Farm and AAA have compiled a list to inform shoppers of ways to reduce their risk of encountering dangerous situations.
Safe Shopping
- Do not shop alone.
- Remember where you parked
- Keep purse/wallet close to your body and in front of you.
- Do not fight over an item.
- Keep money hidden until asked for it.
- Only use one credit card.
- Save receipts monitor.
- Ask for help moving/loading large items.
- If with children set up a meeting spot if separated.
- Teach children how to ask for help from security guards and employees
Car Safety
- Be patient looking for a spot.
- Park in well lit areas.
- Look around and under the car before approaching it.
- Store purchased items out of sight.
- Be aware of surroundings when backing out and take it slow.
Self Care
- Get sleep before you go.
- Do pre-shopping research.
- Set a hard budget.
- Do not drive yourself crazy because you did not get everything you came to get.
