Black Friday in metro Phoenix draws shoppers
Arizonans flocked to malls and stores across metro Phoenix in search of the best deals ahead of the holidays.
Black Friday is coming up, and Arizonans have a chance to save big on popular items, especially if you want to get some holiday shopping done.
From electronics to appliances to clothes and personal care items, many major United States retailers will have sales for holiday shoppers.
Black Friday sales in the U.S. reached $9.5 billion in 2023. Shoppers should expect the same from sales in 2024 and should plan for a lot of foot traffic in retail stores that are offering big sales, like Target, Walmart, Kohl’s and Macy’s.
Here is when Black Friday 2024 is, some history behind the shopping holiday and other useful info.
When is Black Friday 2024?
Black Friday is always the day after Thanksgiving. This year, that day falls on Nov. 29.
What’s the best time to shop on Black Friday?
It is smart to have a plan of action for your trips to stores across Arizona, that way you can not only get the best sales but do your best to stay away from massive crowds of shoppers.
Time Magazine in 2025 analyzed Google trends that showed foot traffic in stores was lowest between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., with the crowds starting to pick up at about 8 a.m.
Foot traffic peaks between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., which would be a good time to avoid shopping if you want to steer clear of crowds.
The best way to bypass large Black Friday crowds could be to get up early and shop early, even if you’re still full from your Thanksgiving feast the day before.
When was the first Black Friday?
In the 1950s, Philadelphia police used the term to describe the chaos that ensued on the day after Thanksgiving, when mass crowds of suburban shoppers flooded the city before the Army-Navy football game held on the Saturday after the holiday every year.
Philadelphia cops couldn’t take the day off, and they had to work extra long shifts to deal with the crowds and traffic. Shoplifters took advantage of the stores and stole myriad merchandise, adding to the headache.
By 1961, the name “Black Friday” had caught on in Philadelphia, though it had a negative connotation.
Sometime in the late 1980s, retailers wanted to find a way to reinvent Black Friday and turn it into something that reflected positively on them and their customers. By the mid-1980s, the term “Black Friday” was in common use nationwide.
Expect lots of traffic, both on the road and in stores
Data tells us that Black Friday causes huge increases in traffic, both on foot and by car.
According to Google Consumer Trends, store foot traffic jumped 65% on Black Friday when compared with an average weekend day in November.
There are also more cars on the road, which causes an increase in accidents. According to Progressive, Black Friday saw about a 34% increase in car crashes compared with any other day of the year from 2010 to 2014.
Reach the reporter at zbradshaw@gannett.com or on X at @ZachBradshaw14.