Black Friday 2024: How is this Christmas Shopping Season Celebrated Worldwide?

Black Friday is a major shopping event on the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States.

The holiday is celebrated around the world to help businesses boost sales and clear inventory before the end of the year. Retailers often offer deep discounts and promotions to attract customers and compete with other businesses during this highly anticipated event.

The name “Black Friday” originated from the fact that this day helps businesses “turn a profit,” meaning they make a profit rather than a loss.

Over time, it has grown into a global shopping phenomenon, with many countries adopting their own versions of Black Friday sales. From the UK’s Black Friday Week to Australia’s Click Frenzy, each country has its own unique style when it comes to sales events.

Let’s explore the different ways Black Friday is celebrated internationally and how businesses can adapt their promotions to attract customers in different markets.

How is Black Friday celebrated around the world?

Black Friday celebrations vary from country to country, with some welcoming the shopping frenzy with discounts and offers, while others may not participate in the tradition at all. Let’s take a look:

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USA

In the United States, Black Friday is considered an important retail holiday the day after Thanksgiving and marks the unofficial start of the Christmas shopping season.

Traditionally, it has been characterized by a wide range of sales and promotions across various retail segments, including electronics, clothing and homewares. Many stores open early in the morning, and some even start sales on Thanksgiving night.

Shoppers often line up outside stores hours in advance to get limited-time deals on popular items, known as “rush sales.” Major brands like Walmart, Target, Amazon, Best Buy, and Macy’s are heavily involved in Black Friday sales, offering deep discounts to attract customers.

Walmart famously started its sale on Thanksgiving night, setting a precedent that many other retailers would follow. In 2024, Black Friday sales are expected to reach an impressive $10.8 billion, a 9.9% increase from the previous year’s total of $9.8 billion.

Canada

In Canada, Black Friday has become an important part of the holiday shopping season, with its origins as a post-Thanksgiving event in the United States.

Canadians initially resisted Black Friday, but by 2008, many retailers began offering promotions to compete with those in the United States, especially as cross-border shopping became popular.

In recent years, Black Friday has transformed into a month-long event in Canada. This year, about 60 per cent of Canadians are expected to participate in Black Friday sales, reflecting the growing trend of online shopping and early savings.

Major brands like Walmart, Best Buy, Staples Canada, Apple, Lululemon, Levi’s, Nike, Old Navy and more offer extensive deals and deep discounts in a variety of categories, including electronics, tech, home goods and apparel.

About 60% of Canadians are expected to participate in Black Friday sales by 2024, reflecting growing acceptance of this shopping event.

Mexico

In Mexico, Black Friday is celebrated through a national shopping event called El Buen Fin (The Good Weekend), which takes place annually on the weekend before Mexican Revolution Day, usually in mid-November.

Launched in 2011, El Buen Fin aims to stimulate the economy by encouraging consumer spending and offering extensive discounts on a variety of products and services.

Major brands participating in this event include Amazon, Walmart, Liverpool, Koppell, Best Buy, Sephora and other well-known retailers. These companies offer discounts on a variety of products, from electronics to fashion to homewares.

In previous years, sales during El Buen Fin have reached impressive figures; in 2019, for example, sales were approximately MXN 118 billion (approximately US$ 6 billion). Participation is expected to remain high through 2024, with millions of people expected to participate in sales.

Black Friday Celebrations in Other Famous Countries

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South America

Brazil

Used since 2010, but promotions often involve price increases.

Colombia

Launched in 2014, local retailers are heavily involved.

costa rica

called Viernes Negromajor retailers are celebrating with discounts.

Europe

Belgium

The marketing campaign has performed strongly since 2016, with increasing engagement both online and in-store.

Denmark

Widely practiced, various retailers offer deep discounts.

Finland

Very popular, many retailers participate in sales.

Germany

The sales run for an entire week, known as “Black Week,” but the discounts aren’t always significantly lower than usual.

Greece

It became popular in 2016; many retailers offer special promotions during this period.

Ireland

Launched in 2014; increasingly adopted by small and large retailers.

Latvia

In 2017, the product gained popularity due to numerous promotions held in shopping malls during the weekends.

Liechtenstein

The online sellers’ joint promotion marks a major shopping event since 2013.

Netherlands

Launched in earnest in 2015; the event has rapidly grown in popularity in recent years, with more than 166 participating stores.

Norway

What started as a publicity stunt in 2010 has grown into an annual shopping event.

Poland

Interest continues to grow; many retailers are offering special offers during this shopping event.

Romania

Imported by eMAG and Franco in 2011; it has become an important shopping day with widespread participation.

Spain

It has been on the radar since 2015; smaller retailers initially participated, followed by larger ones.

Sweden

Extensively cooperates with many retailers to provide discounts in various areas.

Switzerland

Started in 2015; most Swiss retailers now participate and often extend the promotion to more than one day.

turkey

It’s called Efsane Cuma (“Legendary Friday”), and it’s very popular with deep discounts on various products.

Ukraine

Launched in 2016; many retailers attract consumers with special promotions during this period.

Asia

India

This has influenced many retailers to hold promotions similar to those in the United States in November.

China

Although not traditionally celebrated, major sales events occur around the same time as Black Friday.

Pakistan

In Pakistan, the term “Black Friday” was introduced in 2014 but was later changed to “Blessed Friday” due to religious and cultural reasons.

This change was widely accepted by all communities and the shopping festival is now celebrated with enthusiasm every year across the country.

Japan

For electronics sales, retailers offer various discounts.

Saudi Arabia

The localization of sales over the years resulted in deep discounting during this period.

Saudi Arabia

In Saudi Arabia, Black Friday began with the Yellow Friday sale launched by local e-commerce platform noon.com, which has since become an annual event.

United Arab Emirates

called yellow fridayprimarily an online shopping event that features significant discounts and promotions.

Africa

South Africa

Participating stores have been heavily promoting it since its launch.

Nigeria

Since 2014, it has been popular with local e-commerce platforms for discounts and promotions.

Egypt

launched as white fridayadapted in 2014 according to local traditions.

Oceania

Australia

It has been popular since around 2015, with many retailers offering deep discounts during this period.

New Zealand

Launched in 2013; major retailers such as The Warehouse, Noel Leeming and Harvey Norman are all offering Black Friday sales, and by 2018, Farmers, JB Hi-Fi, Briscoes and Rebel Sport have also joined.

Source: Forbes

Now, Black Friday is celebrated all over the world, not just in the United States. Many countries, such as Canada, the United Kingdom, India, and Australia, have adopted this shopping tradition.

Retailers in these places offer deep discounts in stores and online to attract customers. In some countries, Black Friday lasts for more than a day, with sales extending into the weekend or even throughout the week.

Online shopping has made it easier for people around the world to join, with websites offering special offers and free shipping.

While celebrations may vary – some places focus on in-store events, while others prefer online sales – the excitement of finding bargains makes Black Friday a global shopping event that everyone looks forward to.

Also Read | Black Friday 2024: Why to celebrate? History, significance and cultural importance