Hi all,
We just moved to Switzerland and now setting up a new home including purchasing furniture, electronics, etc. I've seen catalogues with "Black Friday" stated. What is this?

If there are super sales, is it worth waiting? Think it might be this Friday coming, 24 Nov 2017.
Thanks!

The day after Thanksgiving.

Tom

I've got my costume, you best hurry to find yours before they all sell out!

It's an American thing. Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday and the day after is a holiday there. Typically it is also the day when people there start to seriously do their Xmas shopping.

For the people in retail, this popular shopping day came to be known as the day when their accounts went from red ink to black, hence Black Friday.

Today, in America, Black Friday is absolutely horrible. Giant retailers run crazy specials, (like flat screen tvs for 100 dollars), that start at 12:01 in the morning on Friday and people line up at the doors in the middle of the night. You are either a person who loves the mob scene that is Black Friday or avoids any retail store at all on that day. Guess which one I was .

Fourth Thursday of November.

No, it's not.

Tom

Friday isn't technically a holiday but most businesses are off, linked to Thanksgiving

Black Friday - I can't get the image out of my mind of a Walmart shopper pulling a gun out while fighting over a notebook in a back to school sale. Be safe shoppers!

Thank you TheSpouse and FCBarca. Sounds like a day to avoid the shops, especially with young children in tow!

As an Australian, Black Friday is a day of remembrance for those who perished in one of the country's worst bush fires. We also have Black Saturday, Ash Wednesday...

Only in the US, not here.

Tom

It's a marketing ploy started in the US and now spread to the UK and Europe. This article refers to the UK, but it wouldn't surprise me to find similar results here in Switzerland.

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-42050642

Thanksgiving in the US is always the 4th Thursday in November with Black Friday being the 4th Friday in the month.

<Pedant mode>
Or the fifth, when Nov 1st falls on a Friday.
</Pedant mode>

trying way too hard to be funny

Here a summary for Switzerland. If you need a translation then use Google Translate: https://www.google.ch/search?q=googl...hrome&ie=UTF-8

http://www.20min.ch/finance/news/story/12471501
https://www.blackfridaydeals.ch/

I think the people who line up in the middle of the night in front of stores for Black Friday have a loose screw, but anyway...

We typically sleep in, have a good brunch, then either do movies or theater, or stroll around. If we must go anywhere near a store, we go later in the afternoon/evening, when the mad crowd has long gone!

A loose screw you say? JagWaugh is the answer - he can fix that with a matchstick and glue

Shopping in amongst crowds of people is bad enough anyway, but queuing up in the middle of the night to do it

You forgot Spider Sunday, Snake Monday and Jelly Fish Tuesday...

Oh Black Friday... how I miss thee

Entertainment is what it is, driving by all the major stores watching people line up the night before or early morning. Some even bring tents, sleeping bags and a portable bbq to be the first to get that door buster prize. Giant tv for like 70% off.

Stupid if you ask me, I avoided it all like the plague.

But do enjoy Small business Saturday and cyber Monday

They're doing this here too now (just like Valentine's, Halloween .... )
I don't know how many emails I deleted already, offering me black Friday prices. All shops in Switzerland.

its Capitalism in all his glory