Shopping Madness: The Black Friday Phenomenon

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Last updated on: November 27, 2025 20:24 IST

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Black Friday

Photograph: Kind courtesy: Powhusku/Wikimedia Commons

India has gained one more festival -- the season of Black Friday.

Consumers are being bombarded with promises of mega deals and being goaded into 'grabbing the big discounts' as news of 'unbelievable' doorbuster deals and 'early-bird' offers come in fast and furious, with slashed prices on smartphones and smart TVs to fashion steals, beauty bestsellers, home gadgets and everything in between.

 black friday

Photograph: Kind courtesy Marie Colvin/Pexels

1. What Is Black Friday?

Black Friday is the massive day of shopping right after Thanksgiving in the US. It effectively kicks off the year-end buying rush, as stores roll out huge discounts and jumbo sales get going.

According to History.com, the first use of the word originated in the 1950s in Philadelphia when sales got so wildly out of hand the day, after Thanksgiving, that the police had to be called in. Shoplifters had to be stopped in their tracks and crowds required management. It was the police who named it Black Friday.  

The Black Friday shopping mania has spread across the globe, growing far beyond America's borders. It is now a worldwide sale season, with also online shopping fests, stretching across many days, sometimes weeks.

This year Black Friday is on November 28.

 black friday

Photograph: Kind courtesy Max Fischer/Pexels

2. What Are The Most Important Shopping Days In The Year?

Black Friday and Cyber Monday (the Monday after Black Friday) grab most of the attention.

 black friday

Photograph: Kind courtesy zhugewala/Pexels

3. For which products does one get the best deals?

Standout bargains exist for skincare products, electronics like mobile, laptops and time-saving household equipment like microwave ovens, air fryers, vacuum cleaners and more.

 black friday

Photograph: Kind courtesy Karola G/Pexels

4. Some Of The Best Black Friday Destinations

  • New York, USA
  • Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • Rome, Italy
  • Dubai, UAE
  • Paris, France
  • Disneyland, Paris
  • Singapore

 black friday

Photograph: Kind courtesy Luis Zambrano/Pexels

5. Where The Best Deals Are In India?

According to The Economic Times, these brands are offering notable discounts:

Tommy Hilfiger (November 28 to December 1)
Calvin Klein (November 28 to December 1)
Wacoal (November 24 to November 30)
Zara (November 26 to November 29)
Bershka (November 28 to December 1)
Uniqlo (November 18 to November 22)
Puma (November 28 to November 30)
Adidas (From November 26)
Marks & Spencer (November 26 to November 29)
Levi’s (November 25 to December 1)

black friday

Photograph: Kind courtesy AS Photography/Pexels

6. E-Commerce

Black Friday 2025 is gearing up to be one of the biggest shopping spectacles in India, with platforms like Flipkart, Amazon, Myntra and Croma offering sweeping price cuts, as high as 80 per cent for tech, style, beauty and beauty products and home essentials.

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