Black Friday: The Real Story, the Real Impact, and Why Shopping Small Still Matters

Black Friday: The Real Story, the Real Impact, and Why Shopping Small Still Matters

Black Friday: The Real Story, the Real Impact, and Why Shopping Small Still Matters

Every year, the day after Thanksgiving arrives with a familiar energy: chaos, coffee, and crowds.
Black Friday is practically a holiday of its own, but where did it come from?
And what does it really mean for communities, small businesses, and the people navigating it?

A Quick, Real History of Black Friday

The term “Black Friday” didn’t actually begin with sales, shopping, or discounted TVs.

The earliest Black Friday happened in 1869, when two Wall Street financiers tried to corner the gold market.
The scheme backfired, the stock market crashed, and newspapers labeled it “Black Friday” because the financial fallout was so severe.

Fast forward to 1950s Philadelphia, where the term resurfaced in a whole new way.
The day after Thanksgiving, the city swelled with people coming for the Army–Navy football game. Police began calling it “Black Friday” because of:

  • massive traffic jams

  • endless crowds

  • increases in shoplifting

  • long, exhausting shifts

Retailers hated the negative association…until they realized the crowds were good for business.

By the 1980s, they launched a PR makeover: the “from in the red to in the black” accounting story, not historically accurate, but a fantastic marketing move.

By the 1990s and 2000s, Black Friday had become a full-blown retail event, featuring early openings, doorbusters, and lines that wrapped around buildings before sunrise.

A Note on Black Friday: No Shame Here

Before we go any further, let’s be crystal clear:

No one should be shamed for participating in Black Friday.

People shop Black Friday because:

  • they’re cash-strapped and need the big discounts

  • they live in small-business deserts with limited options

  • they’re buying for large families and need their money to stretch

  • or — totally valid — they just enjoy the experience

Black Friday is not a moral failing. It’s a system shaped by corporate practices, not individual choices.

We all make purchasing decisions that work for our lives.

The Real Cost of Black Friday (Beyond the Discounts)

While Black Friday can absolutely help budgets (especially for big-ticket items), it also has ripple effects worth understanding.

1. Most of the money leaves the community

Spending $100 at a big-box store mainly goes to:

  • corporate headquarters

  • shareholders

  • executive salaries

  • mass production pipelines

Very little stays in your city or neighborhood.

2. Small businesses often can’t compete

Big-box stores use Black Friday as a strategic loss leader.
They slash prices below cost to pull customers in, something small shops simply can’t afford to do.

3. It feeds corporate consolidation

The more power large companies gain, the harder it is for independent businesses to survive.

4. It can strain retail workers

Black Friday frequently means:

  • unpaid extra hours

  • early-morning or overnight shifts

  • high stress

  • unsafe crowd conditions

The cost isn’t just financial, it’s human.

Why Shopping Small (When You Can) Matters

If Black Friday is the corporate cyclone, Small Business Saturday is the calm, cozy breeze that follows.

Here’s what happens when you spend $100 at a small business:

1. $68 stays in your community

It recirculates through:

  • local wages

  • locally owned suppliers

  • local taxes & services

  • neighborhood improvements

Local spending builds stronger towns.

2. You support real people

Makers, artists, parents, dreamers — not shareholders.

3. You help preserve community character

Small businesses shape the feel of a place: its identity, charm, culture, and warmth.

4. You encourage a more human economy

One built on connection, care, and creativity — not just volume and speed.

5. You strengthen the national economy

Small businesses account for:

  • 99.9% of all U.S. businesses

  • 46% of private-sector employees

Supporting small is literally supporting America.

A Balanced, Compassionate Take

Black Friday isn’t the enemy. Corporate greed is.

People are doing their best to support themselves and their families in the systems we all share.

Some shoppers rely on Black Friday — and that’s okay.
Some choose to shop small — and that’s powerful.
Many do both — and that’s reality.

At Ghost Poppy, we simply believe this:

When you have the ability to shop small, it creates real change — for us, for you, and for the community we all care about.

It keeps dreams alive.
It keeps neighborhoods vibrant.

So whether you shop Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, or anytime in between, we’re grateful you’re here, supporting in the ways that work for you.

And if you choose small?
Your community feels it.
Your local makers feel it.
And your conscience will smell fantastic.

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