BLACK Friday sales start this week and are a great chance to start filling the Christmas stockings at a bargain price.
Local retailers will offer a variety of discounted items until next Monday, with some offering as much as 50 per cent off recommended retail prices.
Black Friday falls on November 24 and the weekend bonanza ends on Cyber Monday, November 27, but many retailers will be running the sale all this week.
Black Friday sales events are a nod to traditions in the United States, where sales are held the first Friday after Thanksgiving.
In recent times, Black Friday has evolved into a global shopping event with countries such as Belgium, Canada, UK, Australia also holding big online sales.
The name derives from the US, where retailers were often running at a loss (in the red) before Thanksgiving, traditionally the fourth Thursday in November.
The following day, Black Friday, was named for the sales that pushed retailers into the black.
While Australians don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, the timing lines up well with Christmas gift-buying and shoppers hoping to grab a bargain are likely to find best the best prices until next Monday.
With retailers feeling the sting of economic pressures including interest rate hikes, there has never been a better time to buy local than this week.
