Queue starts at 4am for Black Friday sale
Shoppers eagerly await their turn at sales of up to 90% off, with stores offering free iPhones and vouchers as part of deals
He was the first person in the queue at Robinsons The Heeren, appearing at 4am yesterday, armed with a foldable chair, floor mat, two portable chargers and some wet wipes, eager for The Great Blackout to start 27 hours later.
On the day known as Black Friday in the United States, Robinsons came up with its own sale here called The Great Blackout, offering shoppers discounts of up to 90 per cent from 7am today to 1am on Saturday.
Mr Jonathan Tan, a financial adviser, aimed to spend $8,000 at Robinsons The Heeren, hoping to tick off items like a vacuum cleaner, mattresses, bed sheets and furniture.
He told The New Paper yesterday afternoon: "I've had three cups of coffee so far, and brought wet wipes to freshen up. It's worth it because I'm hoping to get an iPhone 11 Pro."
Robinsons is giving away limited sets of the iPhone 11 Pro 64GB to customers who spend at least $8,000.
There were more than 50 shoppers in the queue when TNP got to Robinsons The Heeren yesterday, many with their own chairs, cards games and food. Barricades had also been set up.
Shopper Jacelyn Lim, 16, a student, was taking turns with her elder sister and cousins to wait in the queue.
Hoping to snag at least $10,000 worth of household items like a new bed and some furniture, Jacelyn joined the queue around lunch time with two friends.
She said: "My sister is moving house so we are all helping her to queue. My cousins are coming over later to bring some food and games. It's a team effort."
Metro's Black Friday will also offer attractive deals of up to 90 per cent off, with its Paragon and Causeway Point stores opening today from 7am to midnight.
Spend $5,000 and above in a single receipt on one mattress and get a free Apple iPhone 11 128GB and $500 Metro gift vouchers.
In addition, the first 200 customers at every store receive a $50 Metro gift voucher.
The annual sale in the US is traditionally held on the Friday after Thanksgiving and is so named because stores would make enough money to keep them in the black.
Senior general manager Danny Lim at Robinsons said the Black Friday sales have been gaining popularity in Singapore over the last five years.
He said: "We hope customers will be even more delighted with their purchases this year. We know that shoppers always look forward to the Black Friday sales."
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