Around 50 people had parked themselves outside Robinsons The Heeren by 4pm yesterday to be among the first in line when the store's doors open at 7am today for its annual Black Friday sale, called The Great Blackout.

The bargain hunters came armed with deckchairs and sleeping bags for the night. First in line was a 29-year-old financial adviser who wanted to be known only as Mr Tan.

He started queueing at 4am to snag a new mattress and home appliances. Major local retailers such as Courts, Tangs and Metro have all jumped on board in recent years, with some offering discounts as high as 90 per cent.

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