<P> The news media have long described the day after Thanksgiving as the busiest shopping day of the year . In earlier years, this was not actually the case . In the period from 1993 through 2001, for example, Black Friday ranked from fifth to tenth on the list of busiest shopping days, with the last Saturday before Christmas usually taking first place . In 2003, however, Black Friday actually was the busiest shopping day of the year, and it has retained that position every year since, with the exception of 2004, when it ranked second (after Saturday, December 18). </P> <P> The SouthPark neighborhood of Charlotte, North Carolina, is the most trafficked area of the United States on Black Friday . </P> <P> Black Friday is a shopping day for a combination of reasons . As the first day after the last major holiday before Christmas, it marks the unofficial beginning of the Christmas shopping season . Additionally, many employers give their employees the day off as part of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend . In order to take advantage of this, virtually all retailers in the country, big and small, offer various sales including limited amounts of doorbuster / doorcrasher / doorsmasher items to entice traffic . The early 2010s have seen retailers extend beyond normal hours in order to maintain an edge or to simply keep up with the competition . Such hours may include opening as early as 12: 00 am or remaining open overnight on Thanksgiving Day and beginning sale prices at midnight . In 2010, Toys' R' Us began their Black Friday sales at 10: 00 pm on Thanksgiving Day and further upped the ante by offering free boxes of Crayola crayons and coloring books for as long as supplies lasted . Other retailers, like Sears, Express, MK, Victoria's Secret, Zumiez, Tilly's, American Eagle Outfitters, Nike, Jordan, Puma, Aéropostale, and Kmart, began Black Friday sales early Thanksgiving morning and ran them through as late as 11: 00 pm Friday evening . Forever 21 went in the opposite direction, opening at normal hours on Friday, and running late sales until 2: 00 am Saturday morning . Historically, it was common for Black Friday sales to extend throughout the following weekend . However, this practice has largely disappeared in recent years, perhaps because of an effort by retailers to create a greater sense of urgency . </P> <P> The news media usually give heavy play to reports of Black Friday shopping and their implications for the commercial success of the Christmas shopping season, but the relationship between Black Friday sales and retail sales for the full holiday season is quite weak and may even be negative . </P>

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