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Black Friday 2017 Recap

Black Friday 2017, which fell on November 24, marked another bustling day of commerce in the United States and many other parts of the world. This retail holiday, known for being the biggest shopping day of the year, is named for the day when many retailers historically moved from being "in the red" (losing money) to being "in the black" (making profits) due to the massive influx of holiday shoppers.

In 2017, Black Friday followed its trend of growing beyond just a single day of shopping deals. Many retailers launched their Black Friday sales several days early, even a week ahead in some cases. This extension of the sales period aimed to spread out the traffic, both online and in-store, while also capitalizing on the consumers' growing appetite for deals. This year also saw a continuation of "Cyber Monday" deals that extended the shopping frenzy into the following week.

One of the hallmarks of Black Friday 2017 was the widespread adoption of e-commerce platforms. More than ever, people turned to online shopping to find their deals, rather than lining up outside brick-and-mortar stores. According to Adobe Analytics, U.S. retailers earned a record $7.9 billion on Black Friday, a rise of nearly 18 percent from the previous year. It was the first year that mobile shopping surpassed $2 billion in sales.

The hot-ticket items of Black Friday 2017 ranged across a variety of categories. Tech products, as usual, were high on shoppers' lists, with items like 4K TVs, gaming consoles such as the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, Apple products, and various home electronics leading the charge. In the realm of toys, products linked to popular movies and TV shows dominated, with Star Wars-themed items being particularly in demand.

Overall, Black Friday 2017 served as a reflection of shifting consumer behavior. More consumers were shopping online and starting their holiday shopping earlier, indicating the evolving nature of this commercial phenomenon. It showcased the growing importance of e-commerce in the retail landscape and set the tone for subsequent Black Fridays.