The phenomenon, which marks the beginning of Christmas shopping, has gripped people all over the world as it is the day when people get to buy things on discount. Some save up for the better part of the year for this day in anticipation of good deals as retail shops slash prices by half with some being slashed by up to 75 percent.
Locally, the Black Friday concept has been adopted with more and more retailers joining in. ONWAI, an online marketplace will be participating with a 70% off on selected items.
Simbisa Brands, a subsidiary of Innscor, will have all its brands including Fish Inn, Pizza Inn, Bakers Inn, Chicken Inn, Steers, Nandos and Creamy Inn offering 40 percent discounts.
Edgars, which participated last year and had many stampeding because of the good deals they offered, will not be outdone again this year as they will have clothing items that will be on sale from RTGS$20. But, since not many local shops participate, some Zimbabweans who have access to scarce forex prefer crossing over to neighbouring countries such as Botswana and South Africa where they are confident of getting good deals, especially on gadgets.
Whatever the case, Black Friday is here and there will likely be so much activity worldwide. But for those who will partake in this frenzy, the best advice is to be really prepared for the day as there will be a lot of scrambling.
Chances of one being trampled on are very high.
To try and avoid the confusion, it is always good for a person to know beforehand what goods they want to buy so that as soon as they get into the shop, they go directly to what they want because goods tend to run out.
For promotions like the one at Edgars, some prefer sleeping outside the shop a night before so that they can be the first to get in when the doors are opened. Depending on one's seriousness, locals may also consider doing so or going to the shop very early.
Most importantly, being prepared for the day and researching on prices of certain goods beforehand is always the best thing to do before the day so that one will not be tricked into buying things that may look cheap in the shop, but may actually be cheaper at another outlet. Whatever the case and depending on one's wallet, it is always good to be part of the Black Friday as one can get stuff they have always wanted, for a very cheap price.
This will be a great way to celebrate Christmas by treating oneself or gifting loved ones.
