As November rolls around, U.S. retailers gear up for their busiest shopping season, with major events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday marking the start of the holiday rush. This period also sees the convergence of global shopping festivals, including Singles’ Day in China, Korea Sale Festa in South Korea, and El Buen Fin in Mexico. Retailers worldwide launch their biggest discounts of the year, attracting millions of consumers eager to snag a deal. Let’s look at these major shopping events from around the globe.
Boxing Day
While Boxing Day is most commonly associated with the UK and Canada, it’s also observed in Australia. Held annually on December 26, the day after Christmas, Boxing Day sales offer some of the year’s biggest discounts. Rooted in medieval European tradition, the event initially involved giving gifts to the less fortunate. Today, it has become a major shopping holiday, with many retailers staying open late to accommodate the shopping frenzy.
Cyber Monday
After the Thanksgiving weekend, U.S. retailers focused on Cyber Monday, a day dedicated to online shopping. Coined by the National Retail Federation in 2005, Cyber Monday has become the online counterpart to Black Friday. The event takes place on the Monday after Thanksgiving and marks a surge in e-commerce sales. As consumers return to work after the holiday weekend, many turn to online stores to continue shopping sprees from the comfort of their homes. During this time, shoppers can find steep discounts on everything from electronics to fashion.
Black Friday
Black Friday is arguably the most famous shopping event in the U.S. and one of the largest in the world. Falling on the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday signals the official start of the holiday shopping season. Black Friday refers to the traditional shift from being in the red (losing money) to being in the black (making a profit) for retailers. This event and the subsequent holiday sales period account for roughly 20% of annual U.S. consumer spending. Shoppers flock to stores and online sites for deep discounts, with many retailers offering doorbuster deals and limited-time offers.
Singles’ Day
Although Black Friday dominates in the U.S., Singles’ Day is the world’s biggest shopping event, and it takes place in China. Held on November 11 (11/11), Singles’ Day started as a celebration of single life, but in 2009, Alibaba Group turned it into a shopping phenomenon. The day is marked by massive online sales, with discounts across various products. The event has grown to rival Black Friday’s sales volume, making it a unique cultural and commercial phenomenon.
Premium Friday
While not directly competing with Black Friday, Premium Friday in Japan offers another example of a culturally unique shopping event. Held on the last Friday of each month, Premium Friday encourages workers to leave their jobs three hours early (a voluntary initiative to reduce overwork). Retailers take advantage of the extra leisure time by offering discounts on a wide range of high-quality goods, including fashion and food. Though the event is not as large as Black Friday, it has become popular for shoppers looking to get a jumpstart on their weekend.
Turkey’s Black Friday
Though Turkey is predominantly a Muslim country, Black Friday has also become increasingly popular, influenced by Western consumer culture. During this time, both e-commerce platforms and physical stores offer major discounts. The event has become so significant that delivery companies experience a surge in business as online shopping grows. However, the term Black Friday has some negative associations in Turkey, as the word black is often linked to bad things. This has led to some opposition to the event, though it continues to gain traction each year.
El Buen Fin
In Mexico, El Buen Fin (The Good End) is a key shopping event held over a four-day weekend in November, just before the country’s Revolution Day. El Buen Fin is designed to boost the economy by promoting consumer spending. Almost everything is on sale during this period—from food and clothing to electronics and automobiles. The event has become particularly popular for its significant discounts on electronics, with products such as Samsung TVs seeing record sales during this time.
Mega Sale Carnival
In Malaysia, the Mega Sale Carnival occurs annually during summer, usually between July and August. During this shopping festival, retailers across the country offer discounts of up to 70% on everything from fashion to electronics. The event draws millions of local and international visitors, with an estimated 5 million tourists visiting Malaysia to take advantage of the deals. If you plan to visit Malaysia during this time, preparing to make the most of the sales is a good idea.
Rebajas
In Spain, Rebajas is the name for the country’s semi-annual sales event, which takes place in the summer (typically July to August) and winter (January to February). Rebajas translates to sales in Spanish, and during these periods, retailers across Spain offered significant discounts on everything from clothing and accessories to electronics. The winter Rebajas, in particular, often coincide with the Christmas season and feature deeper discounts, making it one of the most anticipated shopping events in the country.
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