Millions of global citizens are carrying out their Black Friday shopping online today, Friday, November 27, 2020.
Traditionally, shoppers visit physical stores and buy in person but due to the Coronavirus pandemic this year, significant amounts of Black Friday shopping are taking place via the Internet.
Leading global retailers like Currys, PC World, John Lewis and Argos have launched a wide range of offers.
For 2020, discounts are expected until Cyber Monday.
France has however decided to push its Black Friday to next week when many shops are expected to reopen.
Black Friday is traditionally celebrated in the United States but has in recent years been adopted across the world.
The event is an informal name for the Friday following Thanksgiving in the US.
Originally, Black Friday was linked with financial crisis in the US and not shopping as it is known today. Black Friday accordingly came about when two Wall Street financiers namely Jim Fisk and Jay Gould jointly bought a significant amount of US gold with the hope of selling them for high profits.
Unfortunately for them, on Friday, September 24, 1869, the US gold market collapsed, giving rise to what came to be known as “Black Friday”.
The collapse of the gold market giving birth to “Black Friday”, according to historical documents, left Wall Street barons bankrupt due to Fisk and Gould’s actions.
By Melvin Tarlue