20 Holiday Shopping Days That Changed Retail History
Holiday shopping has always been an essential part of retail society, and certain days have marked significant changes. Some days of the year have changed the way we shop forever, from changes in-store to changes online.
- Tricia Quitales
- 8 min read
Many events over the years have shaped retail’s past, and some days of holiday shopping will never be forgotten. From the start of Black Friday to significant changes in e-commerce, these days show how consumer behavior has changed in reaction to changes in the economy and technology. Some days we’ve discussed here saw the start of revolutionary sales tactics that changed how people shop forever. We can better understand how each new holiday shopping day changed the retail scene and how businesses and customers behaved by looking at 20 of these critical events.
1. Black Friday 1924
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The Philadelphia Police Department first used “Black Friday” to describe the day after Thanksgiving, not sales. It was a chaotic day. This year was the first year that stores stayed open later to accommodate the large number of Christmas shoppers. It wasn’t until many years later that Black Friday became known nationwide as the day when stores had the most deals.
2. Cyber Monday 2005
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A news release from the National Retail Federation was the first to use “Cyber Monday.” It came about because so many people were shopping online after Thanksgiving. Stores quickly took advantage of this by offering discounts and deals that could only be found online, aimed at people who shop from home. In a way, this day was the start of the modern e-commerce boom. It made it possible for online shopping to become its holiday ritual.
3. Amazon Prime Day 2015
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Prime Day started as a way for Amazon to celebrate its 20th anniversary, but it quickly became a worldwide shopping event on par with Black Friday. The day’s success was due to Amazon’s ability to offer special discounts to its Prime users, which made people loyal to the brand and drove billions of dollars in sales. By the following year, other stores started to copy Amazon’s strategy, which led to a new round of mid-summer sales.
4. Christmas Eve 1851
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This was the first time stores stayed open late on Christmas Eve to help people still shopping. While this is a common practice today, it significantly changed regular business hours in 1851. This choice showed how important the holiday season was to retail sales and made it possible for stores to stay open later every day.
5. Thanksgiving Thursday 2011
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To make more money, stores started opening on Thanksgiving evening, which many people saw as the end of the usual family meal on this holiday. This move caused many people to rush to find deals immediately, but it was controversial. People complained that the approach made holidays too commercialized, but it ultimately changed the retail calendar, and other stores quickly followed suit.
6. “Super Saturday” 1992
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Marketing experts called the last Saturday before Christmas “Super Saturday” to mark the end of the holiday shopping season. People came in more significant numbers, stores stayed open later, and there were big sales. In terms of retail, it was a big deal for both traditional and online stores, which started fighting for last-minute shoppers.
7. Small Business Saturday 2010
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American Express started Small Business Saturday to encourage people to shop at local stores and support small businesses during the holiday season. By giving small companies their day, the campaign helped them do well during one of the busiest shopping times of the year. It caught on quickly and is now well known, encouraging shoppers to split their money between big stores and small businesses.
8. Boxing Day 1947
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Boxing Day originated in the UK, but after World War II, it became a significant shopping day in the United States. In 1947, stores started having sales after Christmas to get rid of their extra stock. Since then, the day has grown into a worldwide shopping event. The sales bring in a lot of money for stores worldwide, making it an essential part of holiday shopping plans.
9. Singles’ Day 2009
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The first Singles’ Day, held in China by Alibaba, was a single-person party. It quickly became the biggest online shopping day in the world. This shopping trend started a new era in e-commerce and shows how the Chinese market is becoming more critical to global shopping trends. Since then, the day has had more sales than Black Friday, showing how technology can change how people shop.
10. Green Monday 2007
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eBay coined “Green Monday” to describe the last Monday before Christmas when people still had time to buy things. Soon, big online stores like Amazon and Walmart did the same, giving discounts to get people to buy things late in the season. Today has changed because online buyers rush to deliver their gifts on time. It is now an essential part of the holiday sales cycle.
11. Cyber Week 2012
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Cyber Week began as a week-long event for online shopping. It drew attention to the Week after Thanksgiving as a time to get special online deals. By making the deals last longer, stores could attract more people to shop in more than one day. Since then, almost all big stores have started using this idea, opening up a new way to shop online.
12. The First “Midnight Madness” Sales, 1970s
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Retailers first tried midnight sales in the 1970s. They would open their doors at midnight to offer customers “exclusive” early deals. The idea fits with people’s growing desire for one-of-a-kind holiday events and deals that last only a short time. As a precursor to the 24-hour sales events we see now, it helped make shopping more consumer-driven and urgent.
13. “Buy Nothing Day” 1992
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Many people buy things on Black Friday. On the other hand, Buy Nothing Day was created as a protest against shopping too much. Although it didn’t directly affect sales, it did give people a different perspective and make them think about things other than shopping during the holidays. Because of this slight movement, people worldwide started discussing the costs of overconsumption. It also allowed programs to start up that encourage sustainable shopping.
14. Christmas Shopping on the Internet, 1994
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There is no “shopping day,” but the first online Christmas shopping in 1994 was significant in shopping history. Amazon and eBay were among the first websites to sell holiday gifts. This showed that shopping online could be better than going to a store. This early event for online shopping going so well was a sign of things to come in the store business.
15. Giving Tuesday 2012
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Giving Tuesday was created as an alternative to the shopping-heavy Black Friday and Cyber Monday to urge people to give to good causes. Retailers backed this cause by offering discounts to shoppers who donated to charities, making corporate social responsibility a part of the holiday season. Giving Tuesday has grown over the years, changing what it means to give back during the holidays.
16. Valentine’s Day 2011
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In 2011, Valentine’s Day sales were over $18 billion, the first year the event brought in that much money. Today, people are known for buying many gifts, such as flowers and chocolates. It was also the first time people did “holiday shopping” for events other than holidays. Because more people spend money on Valentine’s Day, other special holidays get more attention.
17. Flash Sales on Thanksgiving Weekend 2014
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In 2014, Thanksgiving weekend was filled with flash sales. Stores offered short-term, time-limited discounts to make buyers feel like they needed to act quickly. These sales successfully got people to buy right away, showing how powerful limited-time offers can be for boosting instant sales. Flash deals are now used year-round, which has changed how we shop online and in stores.
18. Hanukkah Shopping Surge, 2017
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Because of the timing of the holiday and consumer habits, Hanukkah became a major shopping event in 2017. This year, more retail ads were targeted at Jews, with brands advertising Hanukkah-themed sales and items. The significant increase in sales showed that stores were becoming more aware of the need for focused, culturally relevant ads.
19. New Year’s Day Sale Boom, 1980s
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In the 1980s, New Year’s Day sales became popular. They gave people who had spent all their money on gifts a chance to shop again after the holidays. As stores tried eliminating last year’s stock, they offered significant discounts. Today, there are still big sales during New Year’s, which extends the holiday season’s effects on the shopping economy
20. Labor Day Weekend Sales, 2000s
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In the early 2000s, Labor Day sales expanded, changing the structure of retail seasons by extending holiday sales well past the usual winter months. Retailers found they could reach more customers by offering back-to-school deals and clearance sales for summer goods. Because of this approach, Labor Day has become one of the most anticipated shopping days of the year, even more so than Black Friday.