Black Friday: The Story, The Buzz, and The Big Discounts🖤💰🧧

Black Friday

This year I shopped during the Nykaa Pink Friday Sale, and after that I kept seeing ads from so many brands offering massive price drops and discounts. It made me curious why do these big brands give such huge discounts? Doesn’t it cause them any loss?💰🎇

That curiosity led me to write this article…📝🍁

Every year, towards the end of November, the internet explodes with huge deals, price drops, and Buy-1-Get-1 offers from platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, Nykaa, Myntra, and more. Even this year, from November 23rd to November 30th, we saw massive Black Friday sales across almost every platform.💰🧧

So what exactly is Black Friday? Why is it celebrated? And why do companies give such huge discounts?

Lets break it down…✨ What Is Black Friday? Black Friday is a major shopping event held every year on the Friday right after Thanksgiving, which falls on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States.🎆🎁

Thanksgiving is always on the fourth Thursday of November, so the exact date changes every year. Because of that, Black Friday’s date also changes every year, but it is always a Friday.📅🤓

So Black Friday typically lands on a Friday between November 23-30. This year, in 2025, Black Friday fell on November 28th.🎆💵

While it started as an American event, today it has become a global shopping festival including India thanks to e-commerce giants and international brands.🏨👩‍💻

Why Is It Called “Black” Friday? There are two popular explanations:

1. The Accounting Theory (Most Accepted) In traditional accounting:

“In the red” = the company is running at a loss. “In the black” = the company is making a profit.

Black Friday brings a massive spike in shopping, so many businesses shift from losses to profits on this day. Because their books go “into the black,” the day came to be known as Black Friday.⚫💷💵

2. The Philadelphia Story In the 1960s, police officers in Philadelphia used the term Black Friday to describe the chaos, heavy traffic, and huge crowds that filled the streets the day after Thanksgiving.👮‍♂️🚨 The name became popular locally and eventually spread across the country and then around the world.🌏🗺️

Why Is Black Friday Celebrated? Originally, Black Friday kicked off the holiday shopping season in the US. People would get a long weekend after Thanksgiving, so stores used that time to:

• Attract shoppers
• Clear old stock
• Launch holiday season sales
• Increase year-end revenue

Over time, it turned into a massive cultural event both online and offline.

Why Do Companies Offer Huge Discounts?🎁💵 You’ve seen it yourself: Buy 1 Get 1, flat 70% off, jaw-dropping price drops, exclusive deals, and limited-time flash sales.💰💶

Here’s why companies go all-in on discounts:

1. To Clear Stock Before the New Year📦📦 Brands want to finish their yearly inventory before the next financial cycle. So they offer deep discounts to move products quickly.
2. To Attract New Customers👧👦 Black Friday brings massive traffic. If a customer buys something once, there’s a high chance they’ll:

• Come back again
• Subscribe
• Explore more products

So companies use this event to capture new customers. 3. Psychological Trigger: Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)📢🎁 Limited-time sales make people buy faster. The “sale ends tonight” effect boosts conversions massively. 4. To Compete With Rival Brands🥷 If Amazon runs a huge sale, Flipkart must match it. If Nykaa drops prices, Myntra follows. This competition benefits customers with even bigger deals. 5. Year-End Revenue Boost📈📊 November–December is a crucial period for companies. Black Friday helps them:

• Increase quarterly revenue
• Reach annual targets
• Impress investors

Doesn’t it cause them any loss? NO, here’s why🤔

1. Bulk sales → Total revenue increases Even if they reduce the price, millions of people buy. Small margin + huge volume = big profit. Example: If a ₹1000 item is sold for ₹600, and 10,000 people buy it in one day → that’s ₹60 lakhs revenue. 2. They clear old stock Products sitting in the warehouse are a loss for companies. So they offer huge discounts to clear inventory quickly. 3. They get new customers During sales, many people buy for the first time. If they like the product → future purchases → long-term profit. 4. FOMO & urgency psychology “Only today!” or “Limited stock!” This makes people buy instantly, creating massive short-term sales. 5. They treat discounts like marketing costs Giving discounts is cheaper and more effective than spending crores on ads. Discounts attract customers + generate sales → double benefit.

No loss. Companies actually earn more money, clear old stock, get new customers, and hit their year-end revenue targets.💵💰💴

How India Adopted Black Friday Though Thanksgiving isn’t celebrated in India, e-commerce platforms brought Black Friday here because:💻🛍️🛒

• People love year-end discounts
• Great time to buy gifts
• Brands already run Diwali sales, so this adds another boost
• Online shopping culture is huge

Now Indian buyers look forward to late-November sales just as much as the US audience.😄🎇🎁

Whether you shop or simply enjoy the buzz, Black Friday marks the beginning of an exciting holiday season.📢💵💰