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November27–December 3

National Deal Week – November 27-December 3, 2024

National Deal Week is marked from the Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day to the following Tuesday — from November 27 to December 3 this year. It was created by Deal News to celebrate the heaviest online spending period of the year, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Did you know Black Friday originated from a dark day in American history — a stock market catastrophe? Black Friday and Cyber Monday are two of the heaviest shopping periods in the year. They are the time of the year with the biggest deals and discounts, with consumers jostling to save up on expenses. Black Friday occurs on the Friday after Thanksgiving Day, and Cyber Monday is the following Monday after Thanksgiving Day.

History of National Deal Week

Before Black Friday became known as a big shopping day, it was a reference to dark days in the country’s history. The most popular of those days was the Panic of 1869. A stock market catastrophe was caused by Jay Gould and James Fisk, who attempted to use their connections with the Grant Administration to manipulate the gold market. President Grant’s effort to prevent that led to a stock market crash, causing many people to lose fortunes.

Black Friday’s first use as a shopping day dates back to the 1960s in Philadelphia. It referred to the day after Thanksgiving when a massive crowd of shoppers and visitors troop to the city for holiday purchases. The day was also before the Army-Navy football game, hosted by the city of Philadelphia. All these resulted in heavy pedestrian and vehicular traffic, forcing traffic cops to work 12-hour shifts to control the traffic. This yearly traffic chaos became referred to as “Black Friday,” reflecting the police’s irritation and frustration.

In 1961, a public relations expert advised the city of Philadelphia and its retailers to rename these days as “Big Friday” and “Big Saturday.” While the city implemented this recommendation, the terms never caught on with the general public. Over time, Black Friday began spreading to cities outside Philadelphia, including Trenton and New Jersey.

While it has been touted as the biggest shopping day since 1975, it was only officially designated as that – the biggest shopping day in the year — in the 2000s, overtaking the Saturday before Christmas.
In 2011, Deal News introduced National Deal Week to celebrate the period of the year when shoppers make the most online purchases.

National Deal Week timeline

1960s
The Creation of the term “Black Friday”

Philadelphia traffic cops coin the term “Black Friday” to refer to the traffic disruptions that occur the day after Thanksgiving.

1990s
A National Term

Black Friday has become a term used by retailers and shoppers outside Philadelphia.

2000s
The Biggest Shopping Day

Black Friday earns the designation 'the biggest shopping day of the year,' overtaking the Saturday before Christmas.

2011
National Deal Week is Born

Deal News creates National Deal Week, to celebrate the growth of online shopping.

National Deal Week FAQs

Is Walmart doing Black Friday 2021?

Walmart has announced that it won’t be opening its stores on Thanksgiving Day; Instead, it will offer its Black Friday deals online, as in 2020.

Why is it called Cyber Monday?

It was a marketing term coined by the National Retail Federation to attract people to e-commerce stores on the Monday following Thanksgiving. It’s the online equivalent to Black Friday.

What is the reason for Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving Day is celebrated every year to commemorate the harvest and other blessings of the past year. It began in 1621 when the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Native Americans shared an autumn harvest feast.

National Deal Week Activities

  1. Go shopping

    If you have been holding out on yourself all through the year, National Deal Week is the perfect time to go all out without breaking the bank. Take advantage of Amazon or Walmart deals and discounts to buy yourself that latest device, clothing, or a trip to your desired holiday destination. Turn on email notifications for top retail stores like Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, or Target, to be among the firsts to get those shopping deals and discounts.

  2. Buy a gift for a loved one

    Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the beginning of the holiday shopping season. Use this period to buy Christmas and New Year gifts and presents for family, friends, significant others, and coworkers. Check Macy’s online store for the best presents to get or go to the nearest store near you that offers Black Friday sales.

  3. Kick back and relax

    If you’re not into shopping or not interested in Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping this year, you can use National Deal Week to relax and catch up on the latest movies or your favorite series. Black Friday is observed as 'The Day After Thanksgiving' in some states, making it a holiday. That, combined with Thanksgiving and the weekend after it, gives you a long stretch of days to chill and have fun with loved ones.

5 Interesting Facts About Black Friday You Didn't Know

  1. It was rebranded as Big Friday

    The city of Philadelphia tried to rebrand Black Friday as Big Friday, but the term never became popular with the public.

  2. Its predecessor was Santa Claus parades

    Before Black Friday grew in popularity, Santa Claus parades on December 2 usually signal the beginning of the holiday shopping season.

  3. It’s El Buen Fin in Mexico

    Black Friday is known as El Buen Fin – the good weekend – in Mexico, marked in the same week as the Mexican revolution anniversary, which is the same time as the American Thanksgiving.

  4. It’s not the busiest shopping day

    The award for the busiest shopping day of the year goes to the Saturday before Christmas.

  5. Walmart broke the tradition

    In 2011, Walmart broke the Black Friday tradition by opening its store on Thanksgiving evening, ushering in a new shopping day called 'Grey Thursday.'

Why We Love National Deal Week

  1. It’s one of the best weeks to shop in stores and online

    National Deal Week includes two of the busiest shopping days of the year — Black Friday and Cyber Monday – which offer massive discounts and cheap shopping deals. You can get anything from T.V.s, mobile and P.C. devices, and gadgets to clothing and flight tickets at heavily discounted prices and less than any other time in the year.

  2. National Deal Week is fun

    The fantastic deals and outrageous discounts available on Black Friday and Cyber Monday and the stuffed turkey and cold beer of Thanksgiving make National Deal Week one of the most fun-filled weeks of the year. Spoil yourself with discounted devices or fashion items, and enjoy Thanksgiving with your loved ones.

  3. It’s also a week to express gratitude

    National Deal Week includes American Thanksgiving Day, where friends, family, and loved ones gather together to celebrate the successes of the previous years and reflect on the upcoming one. It’s also a day to show gratitude to those who have positively impacted our lives through gifts.

National Deal Week dates

YearDateDay
2021November 24Wednesday
2022November 23Wednesday
2023November 22Wednesday
2024November 27Wednesday
2025November 26Wednesday

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