Large crowds formed in Orchard Road yesterday morning to snag the best Black Friday offers despite keen competition and deals from online retailers.
Shoppers cited a preference for appraising deals in person as a key reason for making the trip, as well as the nostalgia factor at Robinsons' swansong annual sale.
Among those spotted deal-hunting at Metro department store in Paragon mall was Ms Esther Tan, 53, who works in the oil and gas sector. She had taken leave to accompany her elderly mother to shop for shoes, skincare products and bed linen.
"Metro gives a 20 per cent direct discount for my buys, so this will save me around $300," she said.
Many shoppers said they had set aside the day to check out Black Friday sales.
Healthcare worker Hilda Khoo, who beat some 400 shoppers to be first in line to enter Takashimaya yesterday morning, had cleared her schedule for the day.
The queue to enter the department store snaked from the first floor to the basement, as shoppers kept at least 1m apart for social distancing.
Some shoppers said that they chose to go to Takashimaya as it is one of the bigger department stores around.
Mrs Khoo, 54, secured her position at Takashimaya 50 minutes before the shutters went up at 11am.
Like Ms Tan, she preferred to do her shopping at bricks-and-mortar outlets, even as more Black Friday bargains go online. She was shopping for household items, as she had recently moved.
"I am not the type who can shop online. I like to touch and feel fabrics, and I can't visualise the colour or texture when I see it on screen," said Mrs Khoo.
While bargain hunters were out and about, The Straits Times found that the Orchard Road area was less busy compared with past Black Fridays, as Covid-19 remains a consideration.
Shorter queues were noticed during a stroll down the main shopping stretch yesterday. Shops were also less packed.
The mood was muted at Robinsons, which is holding its final Black Friday sale, although the 162-year-old department store, which announced its liquidation last month, did attract some loyal customers.
Mr Ong Chong King, 56, a retiree, said he has been going to the store since he was young. "It was very much a part of my childhood," he said.
He was in the queue to enter the store at The Heeren at 10am - a late hour compared with past years, he said. "When stores first started doing Black Friday sales, they used to open very early at 7am, and we would be there around 6.30am."
Online stores such as Amazon and Lazada were also offering deep Black Friday discounts, with up to 30 per cent off the sticker price on relatively big-ticket items such as Apple's AirPods Pro.
In response to ST's queries, online retailer Lazada said it saw a nearly seven-fold increase in sales during the first two hours of sales in comparison with last year's Black Friday event.
"Product categories that saw the largest year-on-year spikes ranging from 10 to 15 times include sports attire, televisions and furniture," a Lazada spokesman said in a statement yesterday.
Black Friday sales started in the United States as a way to mark the start of Christmas shopping. Stores typically turn over their inventory with attractive discounts on the first Friday following Thanksgiving there.
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