Stores to open early for bargain hunters

Tomorrow, bargain hunters will be in seventh heaven with some stores opening at 6am for a pre-Christmas shopping phenomenon.

Worth a reported €100m to the Irish economy, Black Friday sales have exploded with more retailers participating this year than ever before.

“Black Friday is a relatively recent phenomenon from the Irish perspective,” said IBEC’s Retail Ireland director Tom Burke.

He also believed the spending spree signalled the start of the Irish Christmas shopping season.

“Consumers are clever — they do their research and find the best value.”

The total spend in the run up to Christmas 2015 topped €4bn, an increase of 3.5% over 2014, Mr Burke says.

Retail Ireland said it is anticipating similar growth this year, believing the Black Friday sales will contribute significantly to the seasonal kickstart.

However, a couple of factors could potentially impact this growth this year, he noted, such as low consumer confidence and the impact of Brexit.

And, while Black Friday sales are good for larger retailers, the day can create a significant challenge for smaller businesses, according to Lynn Drumgoole, director of communications at Retail Excellence Ireland (REI).

According to REI, smaller businesses are under pressure to offer big discounts at a time when consumers would be shopping anyway.

“It’s a phenomenon that comes from the US and it makes sense in the US because Black Friday takes place on a holiday,” Ms Drumgoole said.

“Everyone wants the best deal and consumers have that right but it is important to remember we need to support local businesses as well,” she said. Every €10 spent in a local business is reportedly worth €40 to the local economy.

Several shops are offering a ‘click and collect’ service during the sales tomorrow. Vodafone has launched a new service ahead of its sale so customers can purchase online, selecting a shop to send their order to.

Argos is also encouraging customers to check and reserve items online, allowing customers 48 hours to collect orders from their selected store. Offers are expected to be released tomorrow across gift sectors such as technology, TVs and toys.

Debenhams, also offering a click and collect service, will have discounts of up to 50% off selected outerwear and ‘gift experiences’ as well as an additional 30% off selected lines.

Harvey Norman promises discounts on laptops, drones, and televisions, plus a promise the company is matching competitors prices while Currys PC World expect an order will be placed every eight seconds. Its flagship stores will open from 6am with deals on 4K TVs, smart watches, tablets, fitness devices and laptops.

Littlewoods Ireland online sale is up and running now with promises of more deals tomorrow.

Boots has a “better than half price” sale underway while a Brown Thomas sale continues until Monday.

Origins of Black Friday

- Jessica Casey

An American tradition, Black Friday falls the day after Thanksgiving - the fourth Thursday in November.

This weekend 137.4 million Americans are expected to take part in the sales, according to the National Retail Federation.

The origin of the term “Black Friday” is subject to debate. Some say it dates back to the 1950s when in order to take advantage of a four-day weekend droves of people would call in sick to work the day after their national holiday.

A more recent explanation of the name comes from the idea that the day moves businesses from operating at a loss, ie operating in the red, to operating at a profit, ie in the black.

US-owned supermarket Asda is partly responsible for introducing Black Friday to Britain. The shop, owned by Walmart, was one of the first to run promotions on the day in 2013.

According to the Black Friday Death Counter, a website that tracks deaths and injuries during or as a direct result of the sales, seven people have died and 98 have been injured since 2006.

In fact, several fights have broken out on this side of the water over the years with one woman hospitalised with a suspected broken wrist after a stampede of people rushed an Asda store in Belfast. Crowds of people had waited outside the shop from 5am that morning for discounted TVs, according to BBC reports.

In 2014, Black Friday made its first appearance on Irish shores.

By 2015, the shopping event had made its mark with customers here spending up to €100m across the four-day period, according to Retail Excellence.