Tomorrow is Black Friday, which falls on the fourth Friday of November, as it does every year. Chatting with the Bard and the Puppeteer, we realised that the term ‘Black Friday’ could have different origins.
The origins of Black Friday
First of all, some historians date Black Friday to finance. Two events were thus described as Black Friday: one in 1869, the other in 1929.
On 24 September 1869, the New York gold market collapsed after two speculators, Jay Gould and James Fisk, tried to manipulate the market. This led to a financial panic and large losses for many investors.
The Black Friday of 1929 was the name given to the stock market crash that took place on 29 October 1929, marking the start of the Great Depression. On that day, the New York Stock Exchange experienced a sharp fall in securities, leading to severe economic consequences.
Black Friday in retail
The second origin of Black Friday is associated with the city of Philadelphia. In the 1950s, Philadelphia police began using the term ‘Black Friday’ to describe the disorder and unrest that erupted on the city’s streets the day after Thanksgiving. Shops opened their doors early in the morning, bringing a rush of shoppers eager to take advantage of the bargains. These crowds of shoppers, often tumultuous and aggressive, led to accidents and injuries.
The third origin of Black Friday is associated with commerce. During the 1960s, retailers began to adopt Black Friday as a strategy to usher in the Christmas shopping season. They offered significant discounts on a variety of products, attracting large numbers of customers.
Black Friday in popular belief
Finally, popular belief suggests that the phrase “Black Friday” may have been adopted to describe the day when retailers move from a loss-making financial position (“red”) to positive profitability (“black”). In the days when accounting records were often kept manually, losses were recorded in red, while profits were recorded in black. The Friday after Thanksgiving would thus have marked the moment when many retailers saw a significant increase in sales, symbolising their transition to financial profitability.
Black Friday & Green 220
At Green 220 we’re committed to bringing you the best deals and the best prices, every day. Our team had already concocted a great selection of scooters at knockdown prices, so we’ve decided to add two wheel models!!
From 5pm on Thursday 23 November to midnight on Monday 27 November, we’re offering two Inmotion models at unbeatable prices in French shops.
First up is the Inmotion V12 wheel in its High Speed model, which will be offered to you at the price of 1790€, i.e. a discount of 500€. Inmotion’s ultra-vitamin model will take you on long rides with up to 160 kilometres of range at a maximum speed of 70 km/h (on private terrain in France). With its 2500 W motor and dual 2 x 875 Wh battery, the V12 High Speed has plenty to convince you.
The first Inmotion wheel equipped with suspension, the V11 needs no introduction! With its wide 18″ off-road tyre, it will carry you over hill and dale for up to 120 kilometres at a maximum speed of 50 km/h. This “comfortable tourer” is on sale during the 4 days of Black Friday at a price of 1990€, a saving of 600€ on the base price!