Local retailers line up Black Friday discounts

ROUGHLY a fifth of Irish shoppers will do the majority of their Christmas shopping on Black Friday (this coming Friday, November 23), and Cyber Monday, three days later.

That’s according to a survey by Amárach Consulting for PwC which shows that Irish consumers are now firmly in the grip of a retail phenomenon imported from the US.

Black Friday, and its less famous cousin, Cyber Monday, have now replaced the traditional big pre-Christmas shopping day of December 8, and as a result - according to data from Littlewoods Ireland - November is now the most valuable shopping month of the year.

Over half of consumers surveyed for PwC said they will do at least some of their shopping this coming Friday or Monday and half of those say they will spend between €100 and €500.

While Black Friday began as an online initiative, the majority of Irish shoppers still aim to do their shopping in bricks and mortar stores where retailers are offering discounts across a range of goods, particularly in electronics and clothing.

Among the Co Wexford stores buying into Black Friday is Dominic Smith Electrical in the Knockmullen Retail Park in Gorey where bargains include a Samsung 50 inch 4K smart TV for €499, a KitchenAid stand mixer at €299, SONOS One speaker with Alexa at €199, and a Dyson V8 Absolute cordless vacuum cleaner at €399.

There are more bargains to be had at Redmond Electric in the WFC Retail Park in Gorey where an LG 65 inch smart TV is down €400 from €1,199 to €799; a Samsung Tab A 7” is reduced from €169 to €99 (with the 10” down from €229 to €179); a Beko 7kg 1200 spin washing machine is reduced by €70 to €199; and a Delonghi Bean to Coffee Maker is down a whopping €600, from €1,299 to €699.

Meanwhile, in Joyces at Clonard Retail Park, Wexford, Samsung tablets are at their lowest ever price, starting at €99, and a Normende condenser dryer is reduced by €80, from €299 to €219. Customers can save up to €600 on range cookers, and up to €500 on TVs.

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