Long before "Black Friday" became known for mobs killing each other in attempts to get the last marked-down TV, it was used by merchants. It reflected the fact that holiday sales beginning around Thanksgiving often marked the point at which a retailer was "in the black"--that is, showing a profit for the year.

I don't know how far back the phrase goes. But think about it: what sort of business climate exists when sellers do not show a profit for the year until the end of November? What percentage of their sales occur during the remaining 1/12th of the year I do not know, but that seems like a mighty slim profit margin.

If you were starting a business, how eager would you be to make the capital investment and effort if you knew that for the vast majority of the year, you would be running at a loss? I would not be interested. Mind, I presume that this situation is the result of artificial ("government") regulation, taxation, etc. I can only wonder how many capable people have looked at the economics of retail and built a career elsewhere. With that sort of profit margin, there is little wonder why "big box stores" are increasingly all that thrives.