The main distinction between Black and White Friday is that Americans use the term ‘Black’ for the Friday following Thanksgiving, while the MENA region uses ‘White’ instead of ‘Black’ to describe the same day. Black Friday and White Friday are shopping festivals that take place on the last Friday of November, typically a holiday for US citizens. On this day, numerous discounts and promotions are offered on nearly everything online and in stores, causing people to become highly competitive in their purchasing habits. The US initiated Black Friday to symbolize the beginning of the Christmas shopping season, with deals lasting either only on that day or throughout the weekend. Retailers eagerly anticipate and plan for this event all year long, as it is highly profitable for them.
Key Takeaways
- Black Friday originated in the US and is a day of significant discounts and promotions, marking the start of the Christmas shopping season.
- White Friday was introduced in the MENA region as an alternative to Black Friday, using the color white to symbolize positivity and happiness.
- Both Black and White Fridays offer customers numerous promotions and discounts, making them highly anticipated shopping events for consumers and retailers alike.
What is Black Friday?
Black Friday is an informal term used to refer to the day after Thanksgiving. Black Friday is usually the last Friday in November. Black Friday is famous because, on this day, many shops give offers as a kick start for the Christmas shopping season. Therefore, it is considered the busiest day of the year. On this day, almost every item on the market, including Christmas decorations, clothes, cosmetics, electrical appliances and many other things, are given high discounts.
Black Friday originated in the USA around the 1960s. The term ‘black’ is used since it is connected with profit; people used to write their profits in black ink and losses in red. In the USA, this is a holiday for the people.
The retailers become very competitive on this day; they give various types of deals and high discounts to attract more customers. They plan Black Friday during the entire year since this day shoots up their sales. It is very important for retailers and also the economy of the country. Sometimes people are reported to skip Thanksgiving dinners to camp in front of their favorite stores to enjoy the promotions given. The shops open very early on Black Friday, some even open on Thanksgiving day because these offers are often valid only on that day, usually starting from midnight or throughout the weekend. At present, this concept is popular in other countries also, especially with e-commerce and USA based online retailers.
What is White Friday?
White Friday is a term used to refer to Black Friday. White Friday is as famous in the MENA (the Middle East and North Africa) region as Black Friday in the USA. This was originated in 2014 by Souq.com (now amazon. ae) in Arab. The term ‘white’ was taken because the Middle Easterners consider white as the color associated with positivity; according to them, black is connected with unhappy and tragic events.
In the Middle Eastern counties also, this day is celebrated on the day after Thanksgiving day, which is a Friday. Countries like Kuwait, UAE, and Saudi Arabia started this event before Qatar, Egypt and Oman. This concept has now been adopted by Pakistan as well.
On this day, retailers give a lot of discounts and promotions like 0% interest facilities for installments, encouraging the use of credit cards with extra discounts for both online as well as in classic brick and mortar stores to the public.
What is the Difference Between Black and White Friday?
The key difference between Black and White Friday is that Americans use ‘Black’ to refer to the Friday after Thanksgiving, while the MENA region use ‘White’ instead of ‘Black’ to refer to the same.
Summary – Black Friday vs White Friday
In the 1960s, the USA started Black Friday. It is held on the day after Thanksgiving, which is generally the last Friday in November. In 2014, the MENA region started the same festival, initiated by countries like Kuwait, UAE and Saudi Arabia. But instead of ‘Black’, which is a color of unhappiness and negativity to the Middle Easterners, they use ‘white’ which is a color of positivity and happiness for them. Thus, this is the summary of the difference between Black and White Friday. Both on Black and White Fridays, the customers are given large amounts of promotions and discounts.
Reference:
1. “Black Friday (Shopping).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Oct. 2021.
2. “How to Maximize White Friday Sales in 2020: Easy Tips for E-Commerce.” Hyperpay, 27 June 2021.
Image Courtesy:1. “Black-friday-sales-action-trade” (CC0) via Pixabay
2. “Massive Discounts (7213140356)” By Kurt Bauschardt from Edmonton, Canada – Massive Discounts (CC BY-SA 2.0) via Commons Wikimedia
