SHANNISE DZOBO
MASVINGO CITY-As the countdown to the famous Black Friday gets underway, residents in the ancient city are eagerly awaiting for the once a year experience where prices are slashed by half in other departmental stores.
While discounts were popular in Zimbabwe during the festive season, the economic meltdown experienced over the past three decades retailers have turned the coin as they now hlke prices in anticipation of high demand for their goods.
Shoppers now rely on Black Friday to enjoy discounted prices for their favourite goods with some going to the extent of crossing the border to South Africa where the culture is very big.
The economic meltdown has also seen a lot of Zimbabweans leave the country to other countries where they have had occasion to experience ‘Black Friday’ culture.
In Zimbabwe shops began to take advantage of this by offering inducements to entice people to buy and spend, eventually it evolved into a day when one could do early Christmas shopping.
According to retailers it’s a day that allows them to make huge profits because of these sales.
In Masvingo most retail outlets that participate in the ‘Black Friday’ shopping spree this week are TV Sales and Home, Edgars, Jet, Texas amongst others.
Tinotenda Sauriri, the manager at Ali and Company complex told The Midweek Watch that they are going to have their own version of ‘Black Friday’ and the day after Saturday and they have termed it ‘Good Friday’.
“Under the complex of Ali and Company we have different stakeholders who have different businesses, they are going to be offering 50 percent off their marked price on every service they give and they are also others who will be offering to give one free item after one has bought one (buy one get one for free),” said Sauriri.
“We are inviting everyone to come in their numbers and take advantage of the sale on Friday and Saturday as a way of giving back to our loyal customers”.
A resident in Masvingo City, Blessing Moyo told The Midweek Watch that they are looking forward to day and they will make sure to be at the doorsteps of the retail shops as early as 6am.
“I can’t wait for the sale to happen next week because I have been waiting for the whole year to go and buy clothes at Edgars on discount and also if I get extra, I will go and check out other stuff in Jet Store for my family as we are approaching Christmas”, said Moyo.
At TV Sales and Hire, workers were preparing for the big day although they could not divulge the actual prices for the day, but last year they knocked down their prices by in some instances.
Last year at Edgars and Jet, customers literally fought for goods that were reduced by more than three quarters on selected items.
Black Friday is a colloquial term for the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States. It traditionally marks the start of the Christmas shopping season in the United States. Many stores offer highly promoted sales at discounted prices and often open early, sometimes as early as midnight or even on Thanksgiving.
