The history of Black Friday — the shopping holiday that once beckoned hordes of frenzied shoppers and is now dying
- Though Black Friday became one of the biggest and busiest shopping days of the year, it hasn't always been that way.
- Before it exploded into the national, post-Thanksgiving event we know today, it was reportedly a quirky tradition unique to Philadelphians.
- And now, the holiday is experiencing more changes.
- Here's the evolution of Black Friday, from its 19th-century namesake to the shopping phenomenon it is today.
Black Friday has long been associated with turkey dinner and bargain-priced holiday shopping.
It's turned into one of the most profitable days for retailers, who raked in $8 billion from Black Friday and Thanksgiving sales in 2017.
But it wasn't always that way.
Here's how Black Friday has evolved over the last two centuries.
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DON'T MISS: 11 insider facts most Black Friday workers know — and you probably don't
The day after Thanksgiving has long marked the beginning of the holiday shopping season, starting with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924.
Source: Business Insider
The behemoth retailer used the event as a living and breathing advertisement ahead of the holiday season.
Source: Business Insider
It helped cement the Friday after Thanksgiving as the ultimate holiday shopping day.
Source: INSIDER
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