Black Friday is a Corporate Strategy to Contribute to Modern Consumerism

Commercial holidays like Black Friday and Cyber Monday target consumers’ inherent materialistic desire

“Black Friday” originated in 1869 in the United States, as a term associated with the financial crisis after the gold market crash. Now, “Black Friday” is a commercial holiday marking the start of holiday shopping, which occurs the Friday after US Thanksgiving. In the 1980s, Black Friday became what it is known today, a day where stores are able to sell substantial amounts of products to make their annual revenue “in the black” (profitable). In the 1990s shoppers were so engrossed in the concept of cheaper merchandise that individuals and families would be seen camping out of stores at midnight. Many more countries started to adopt Black Friday, including Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. 

With the development of higher-speed internet and mobile devices, retailers saw the opportunity to market “Cyber Monday” sales on the Monday after Black Friday. They would be able to make a greater profit, as they noticed a pattern: shoppers would extend their Black Friday shopping into the weekends. The implementation of Cyber Monday has also become successful, with billions of dollars being spent each year during these two commercial holidays. By targeting consumers’ materialistic desires, discount products end up creating a greater profit for the sellers. 

In Canada, people aged 18 to 34 have proven to be the largest spenders. Although the enthusiasm for Black Friday has decreased since Canada first implemented it in the late 2000s, it still incentivizes shoppers to purchase an average of $418.30 worth of products they would not have. This year 46% of Canadians, shown through a survey, participated in Black Friday events.  

Furthermore, the fight for discounted goods also creates violence and mayhem. The Black Friday Death Count keeps track of accidents caused by this holiday worldwide. There have already been 17 deaths and 125 injuries, accounting for the one in Canada. This shows how consumer’s inclination to purchase these products is greater than their remorse for human lives. Black Friday, an example of consumerism, encourages violent and inhuman behaviours from acquisitive individuals.  

Finally, large corporations’ involvement in Black Friday may fuel the economy, but they can only sustain their cheap prices by underpaying their workers or creating products in a way that negatively impacts the environment. Large companies, including celebrity brands like Kylie Cosmetics, are known to underpay their workers in order to create a larger net income for themselves. From an environmental viewpoint, over-consumption creates more household waste, and unsustainable factories and transportation involved with the production process contribute to environmental degradation. Retailers tap into materialistic desires in order to capitalize on consumers, prompting corruption and environmental destruction.  

Consumerism is the source of exploitation and over-consumption, evident through the historical purpose of creating a larger economic market through commercial holidays.