Ever since the start of the modern Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924, the Friday after Thanksgiving has been known as the unofficial start to the holiday shopping season. The term “Black Friday” was coined in the 1960s to mark the kickoff to the Christmas shopping season and originated in Philadelphia. “Black” refers to stores moving from the “red” to the “black,” back when accounting records were kept by hand, and red ink indicated a loss and black a profit. 

Here are two interactives you can use to illuminate to students the holiday shopping season:

#1: Historical Holiday Sales (National Retail Federation): Introduce students to the trends over the past 18 years and discuss patterns and concepts. Can students identify economic slowdowns using holiday shopping data? Can they see how small increases in what we spend compound over time? Are they surprised by the prediction for the 2020 holiday season? 

#2: Consumer Spending Trends (Adobe Analytics): Have your students track the following in real-time over the holiday season: 

• How much consumers are spending
• When consumers are spending
• What consumers are buying

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Happy Thanksgiving! 

About the Author

Brian Page

Making a difference in the lives of students through financial capability is Brian’s greatest passion. He comes to NGPF after fifteen years of public school teaching where he was the ‘11 Ohio Department of Education recipient of a Milken National Educator Award, the CEE Forbes Award winner, and a Money Magazine/CNN "Money Hero". He served on the working group for President Obama's Advisory Council on Financial Capability. He has private school experience as a Trustee for the Cincinnati Country Day School and was a past Ohio Jump$tart President. Brian holds a BBA and M.Ed. When Brian isn’t working alongside his NGPF teammates he is likely spending time with his wife, three children, and dog; hiking, or watching Ohio State football.

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