Save Yourself (as well as your money): Stay Home on Black Friday!

The Thanksgiving leftovers are in the refrigerator and the goodnights have all been said. It’s time to turn your thoughts to the next holiday on your calendar! You have your gift list organized (well, pretty well organized). You know that Amy wants a Brighton hair clip, a Brighton locket necklace would be perfect for your niece and, be honest, you’re hoping to find a Cosabella Talco camisole for yourself. 

You’re getting your parents theater tickets (what a great idea!), but you’re still not sure what to get for your boyfriend. Or your boss.  Or your sister. Ok, so maybe your list still needs a little work. But that’s ok. Because it’s Black Friday – and you have your laptop all charged up and ready to go.

That’s right. There’s no need to brave the crazy crowds on Black Friday. We have lots of great gift ideas for you – from an exciting selection of designers, including Last Tango, Cosabella Hanky Panky, Little Words Project, Trina Turk and, of course, Brighton! 

Besides, Black Friday wasn’t meant to be a shopping day. “Ironically the name ‘Black Friday’ was supposed to keep people from not going shopping on the day after Thanksgiving,” Country Living tells us. “Even though Black Friday is now one of the biggest shopping days of the year, in 1966 the Philadelphia Police Department started referring to the day of shopping deals as Black Friday in hopes that it would deter people from adding to the traffic and commotion before the Army-Navy football game that same weekend.”

The Dark Truth About Black Friday

According to Tom Risen, a staff writer at U.S. News & World Report, however, “The day was dubbed ‘Black Friday’ back in the 1960s, when account books were still kept using pen and ink and the day's sales helped move stories out of the ‘red’ (losses) and into the "black" (profits). Since then, times -- and shopping habits -- have changed.” 

Risen also reported that on Black Friday:

• Americans spend more time shopping on Thanksgiving weekend than they do visiting Disney hot spots.

• In 2011, Walmart attracted more than 22 million people to its stores  on Thanksgiving Day. That's more than the 18.5 million people who visit Disneyworld in Florida every year, or the 16 million who visit Disneyland in California. 

• Fifty-five percent of Americans -- approximately 133.7 million people -- shopped in stores or online during Thanksgiving weekend that same year, according to the National Retail Federation. 

• Surprise! “Some deals aren't really deals,” Risen says, referring to a study from WalletHub that indicated that 14 percent of products will have prices on Black Friday similar to their normal in-store costs.

And perhaps the single, most compelling reason to stay home on Black Friday and shop comfortably from home from our selection of beautiful Brighton stud earrings, Brighton lockets, stylish handbags, neoprene totes and more… 

“More people die while shopping [on Black Friday] than in shark attacks,” Risen reports. “Seven people have died and 98 have been injured in the U.S. while Black Friday shopping.” And that was just for the period 2006 to 2012. “That's more people injured or killed by fellow shoppers than by sharks.” 

Happy Thanksgiving.  Stay safe out there!