"Through the years, we all will be together."
This might be an exaggeration at the rate the United States is going when it comes to the holiday season.
We only have to take a look behind the history of the consumer Christmas to see how our behavior toward the holidays (and our wallet) has changed.
1989-2000 - The U.S. economic expansion and corporate profitability in trading publically peaked, which resulted in more consumer buying power.
1996 - The first major national marketing of "Black Friday" as number one shopping day in the U.S. Black Friday was basically advertised as "Instead of being with your family, go shopping instead." Internet was fairly new, so Black Friday took advantage of that. Especially from retail stores such as Macy's, Best Buy, etc.
1999 - This was the first legal precedent for the use of "Happy Holidays," instead of Merry Christmas by retailers. A retailer had been sued because an employee was saying 'Merry Christmas' and some of the employees were not christians. So, Happy Holidays took over for Starbucks, Macy's, and other big retail stores. Once Merry Christmas was taken out of Christmas in retail stores, the overall idea of the holiday changed.
2001 - The year of the first airing of Hallmark channel and the G-rated Christmas movies. This opened mass cable advertising for retailers beginning on Black Friday until New Years. All day and all night, the channel was filled with advertising for more shopping.
2001 - There was a massive increase in holiday consumer spending and charitable giving in the wake of 9/11, amidst the temporary Christian revival. This caused an explosion of holiday spending to give to those who will not have a gift. The creation of giving and giving more, but also buying and buying more.
2003 - 2005 - A mass promotion of "Christmas" sales during other times of the year, especially among car and electronics retailers. Huge amounts of money to market their car, such as mercedes benz holiday event, lexus holiday event, and a BMW holiday event. People had also started going crazy to shop. There was a case of fist fighting over toys in Walmart. Also, another case of scalping. Scalping was the buying of product in the store when they went on sale and selling it for twice as much, since it was sold out in stores.
2008 - First mass marketing of Cyber Monday by Amazon. This was also the first year of the economic crash. So, Cyber Monday was created as a way to avoid holiday shopping in actual stores.
2010 - 2011 - The U.S. holiday spending rebounded after the two/three years of high sales in retail stores. Spending levels during these years remained the same.
2013 - The retail industry generated over three trillion dollars during the holiday season. The reasoning to why retailers sold so much product was because the "holiday season" started to begin is September. This is earlier than Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas.
2015 - During this year people were purchasing as early as October. Online retail increased up to 13 percent. Retail stores made that happen through sending mass emails everyday about the promotions going on. "Come in today to get this special free gift, with a $75 purchase," "Use promotional code HOLIDAY123, to get 10% off your purchase!"
2016 - Spending money on someone else is marketing, not giving.
