Get Black Friday ready - we round up the best deals and promotions

SINGAPORE - The annual American retail sale Black Friday, which will be held on Friday (Nov 23), has been gaining traction in Singapore over the last five years especially with brick-and-mortar stores.

Traditionally held on the Friday after Thanksgiving in November, the shopping day was named as such, as stores would make enough money to keep them in the black.

Retailers here have been gearing up for the sale as well.

Department store Robinsons is slashing prices by up to 80 per cent from Friday till Sunday. All three Robinsons outlets - Orchard Road, Raffles City and JEM - will open for 24 hours from midnight on Thursday to midnight on Friday. The store plans to give out free coffee to shoppers on Friday at 9am. On Saturday, it will open at noon and close at 10pm. It will resume normal operating hours on Sunday.

Meanwhile, IT, electrical and furniture retailer Courts is offering up to 23 per cent off on its website (courts.com.sg) and at its 14 stores from Friday till next Monday (Nov 26).

Over at department store Tangs, shoppers will be able to enjoy 12 per cent rebate on Friday and Saturday, up from the usual 6 to 10 per cent. Tangs will also be extending its operating hours on both days by an hour, and will open from 10.30am to 10.30pm.

Housewife Leong Pei San, 52, says she is looking forward to the sale and plans to start shopping on Friday morning.

Last year, she bought a washing machine from Gain City at 40 per cent off.

"I'm not really looking for anything specific this year but I will still head to some stores since there are usually good discounts and shopping during such sales is really exciting."

Public officer Justin Woo, 29, says he is planning to shop on Black Friday for the first time this year.

The newlywed, who will be moving into his new Housing Board flat soon, says he is planning to buy household items including bedding and kitchenware.

"I think more stores in Singapore are taking part in Black Friday now so that's good for shoppers. I'm interested to see how good the discounts will be."

Other large retailers taking part in the sale this year include department stores Metro, BHG and Tangs, shopping mall Ion Orchard, and furniture chain Ikea.

Retail giants Harvey Norman, Courts, Best Denki and Gain City, will also have attractive deals and special promotions for shoppers.

Here are some of the other deals available this weekend:

ALDO

From Friday to Sunday, the store is offering a 25 per cent discount storewide on all regular priced items.

BHG

From Friday to Sunday, shoppers at BHG will get discounts of up to 80 per cent. There will be other promotions at selected stores such as a $5 Grab voucher with a minimum spend of $150 at the Bugis outlet.

GOLDHEART

From Thursday to Monday, the jewellery brand is offering shoppers 50 per cent off all jewellery collections except the Celestial diamond collection at all its 22 boutiques. For gold pieces, the local jeweller is also offering $2 off per gram of 916/999 gold plus 10 per cent off the workmanship cost.

IKEA

From Friday to Sunday, Ikea will be having deals both online and in stores. Some highlights include the Stocksbo two-seat sofa-bed at $349 (U.P. $499) and the Nordmyra Table at $99 (U.P. $189).

ION ORCHARD

Shoppers at the mall can enjoy exclusive deals till Monday at selected beauty, fashion and dining brands. For example, stationery brand kikki.K is offering a 30 per cent discount storewide from Friday till Monday.

Other offers at the mall include a $50 shopping voucher with any purchase from Italian women's fashion brand Pinko and a free lipstick from Korean brand Hera (worth $45) with any cushion purchased from the store.

JD SPORTS

Both JD stores at Ion Orchard and Jurong Point will have discounts of up to 50 per cent off selected items from Friday to Sunday. Besides the discounts, shoppers at the Ion Orchard store will also receive a bespoke custom tote bag when they spend a minimum of $200.

MARKS & SPENCER

From Friday to Sunday, shoppers who buy one item from the store will get the second at 50 per cent off. The promotion only applies to regular-priced items, and terms and conditions apply.

METRO

The department stores outlets at Paragon, The Centrepoint and Causeway Point will open early on Friday, at 7.30am, and shoppers will be able to get discounts of up to 90 per cent.

SEPHORA

Stores will open at 9am instead of 10am on Friday and customers will get 15 per cent off in stores and online at sephora.sg.

THE BODY SHOP

Shoppers can get 20 per cent off their buys with a minimum purchase of two items. The discount is applicable storewide and will be held at The Body Shop outlets across Singapore till Monday. As part of Black Friday, make-up products, excluding its limited edition Christmas range, are buy one, get one free.

WING TAI

Customers can get up to 50 per cent off at Wing Tai brands such as Topshop, Topman, Burton Menswear London, Wallis, Warehouse, Dorothy Perkins, FOX Kids & Baby, Karen Millen and BCBGMAXAZRIA. Wing Tai members will also get an additional 30 per cent off for marked down items at selected stores.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.