The Evolution of Black Friday: From Chaos to Connection

Black Friday did not start with glittery earrings or stacks of scrunchies (though in my opinion that would have been amazing). At its origin in the 1950s, Philly cops called it the “Black Friday” crush due to the crowds, traffic, and chaos as shoppers flooded the streets after Thanksgiving. By the 1980s, the meaning softened: “In the black” meant profits, and retailers realized that a little chaos could be…kind of magic.

Fast forward to today, and Black Friday at my store isn’t quite the stampede I expected – though the excitement is still alive. This was my first time working Black Friday; I’d been warned with legendary stories of madness, stampedes of shoppers, and chaos everywhere. And yet…it was surprisingly manageable. Where was everyone? I found the whole thing oddly comical – a little frantic, a little fun, but nothing like the legends before me foretold.

Watching the day unfold, I couldn’t help but notice a few things. People still hunt for that perfect pair of holiday earrings or a sold-out plushie, but much of the energy has shifted away from physical stores. Black Friday isn’t just a retail store event anymore – it’s online, in apps, in gift cards, and emails. Commerce has changed, habits have changed, and yet the memory of crowded malls and chaos mixed with moments of joy, discovery, and connection remains.

As The Grinch reminds us, “Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Christmas… perhaps… means a little bit more.” In a time of rising inflation and tight budgets, people are finding new ways to tell their Christmas stories – through thoughtful acts, shared experiences, or just a little sparkle to show they care.

Maybe that’s the real magic. Black Friday isn’t just chaos, or lines, or glittery deals. It’s a lens on how we shop, how we prepare, and how the world quietly evolves around us-one little sparkle at a time.