Business & Tech

Five Things for Friday: Black Friday Forecast, Myths & More

Find today's weather for Johnston and the facts — and myths — about Black Friday.

 

Johnston Weather:

Friday: Mostly sunny. Highs in mid/upper 50s.

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Saturday: Cloudy with a 50 percent chance of rain. Highs in the upper 40s.

Sunday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the 40s.

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What It's About: The term “Black Friday” was coined in the 1960s to mark the kickoff to the Christmas shopping season. “Black” refers to stores moving from the “red” to the “black,” back when accounting records were kept by hand, and red ink indicated a loss, and black a profit. Ever since the start of the modern Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924, the Friday after Thanksgiving has been known as the unofficial start to a bustling holiday shopping season.

Myth about Black Friday:

  • Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year.

Facts about Black Friday:

  • Nearly 135 million people shop every year on Black Friday.
  • In 2010, 212 million shoppers spent $39 billion for an average spending amount of $365.34.
  • In 2008, Jtimytai Damour, a Long Island Walmart temporary employee, was trampled to death at Green Acres Shopping Center.

Stats You May Not Know:

  • The National Retail Federation reports that 51.8 percent of U.S. consumers will be doing their holiday shopping online this year, up 5 percent from 2011.
  • According to a survey, 52.9 percent of smartphone owners and 64.1 percent of tablet owners will use their devices to do research and make purchases.
  •  Shop.org forecasts that online holiday spending alone this year will amount to a whopping $92 to $96 billion.


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