Store owners and sales staff were kept on their toes yesterday as thousands of Barbadians took advantage of Black Friday deals.
Retailers are hoping the trend continues into the holiday season based on the response of shoppers.
Some lined up at stores even before the doors opened as early as 5 a.m.
There were long lines of shoppers at Unicomer (Courts), Bridgetown who were hoping to cash in on the deals offered.
“The crowds were here before we opened, managing director Trisha Tannis said.
Tannis said they did not expect to see such a great response because of the economic environment.
“We had a similar response last year but with the economy being a little bit more damp this time around, we would not certainly have been 100 per cent confident that we would’ve seen the response we are seeing. But it has been going extremely well, and a bit overwhelming,” she said.
Retail giant Cave Shepherd offered customers a store wide sale at their Sheraton branch, which location manager Stacey Wharton said was well-received.
“We are doing quite well. But with the layoffs, we weren’t sure show what to expect but we are doing exactly what we did last year,” she said.
Similarly at Woolworth, managing director Martin Bryan said he had taken the layoffs as a measure of the Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation programme, into account.
After a downward trend in sales this year, he said the turnout yesterday was promising.
“I don’t feel as bad as I felt in April/May but we still have some challenging times ahead for sure – but we’re looking very carefully at our margins and at the products that we are carrying and we’re making sure we have the right products and prices for our clients.
“It’s depressed market, our sales are certainly down but that’s a sign of the times. And this November has been on par with last year, and it’s actually the only month that has been on par, so I’m hoping that momentum carries over into December,” Bryan said.
Shopper Susan Gaskin was captured on camera at both Courts and Cost U Less taking advantage of the sales. She was among the shoppers who were on the road from as early as 5 a.m.
“To be honest, there is not a lot of money going around right now but based on everything, I think people prefer a discount even if it’s just ten per cent. This is the only time that you get a decent bargain in Barbados and on certain things the hassle is worth it,” she said.
Another Cost U Less shopper Kirk Cumberbatch said he could not complain after buying his television and printer for reasonable prices.
Donna Lynch was spotted in Woolworth after shopping for about four hours. She said she was excited about the deals. Not all shoppers were as impressed with the deals, however, one woman who did not give her name said she wanted bigger discounts.
The Black Friday weekend is expected to continue with more deals, ending on Cyber Monday. (TG)