The Evolution of the Modern Black Friday
In its early form, Black Friday didn’t much resemble what it’s come to be. Retailers opened their doors at 6 AM at the earliest, to allow early shoppers a chance to beat the rush. That has changed over the years; some retailers began opening their doors earlier, and earlier (think 4 AM).
However, that changed dramatically in 2011, when some major stores began unveiling their Black Friday offers at midnight.
24-hour shopping locations like Wal-Mart began allowing customers to queue up at 12:00, and stores like Target that weren’t open 24-hours began unlocking their doors at midnight. The response from consumers was instantaneous and breathtaking. They loved it. They couldn’t get enough of it.
People lined up for hours beforehand just for the chance to get their hands on Black Friday offers. Not content with the midnight opening, some retailers have even started leaning toward Black Thursday, by allowing customers in the door at 10 PM on Thanksgiving night.
