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SINGAPORE – Healthcare worker Hilda Khoo edged out 400 other shoppers to be first in line to enter Takashimaya on the morning of the annual Black Friday sales event, which was held on November 27 this year.
The queue to enter the department store ran from the first floor to the basement, with crowds leaving at least 1 meter space for social distancing. Some shoppers said they chose to go to Takashimaya, as it is the largest department store around, after Robinsons announced its liquidation.
Ms. Khoo, 54, said goodbye on Friday to shop for household items, having recently moved into a new home. He was in Takashimaya 50 minutes before the 11 a.m. opening time.
“I thought there would be more people,” he said.
She was one of many who showed up in brick-and-mortar stores in Singapore despite more Black Friday sales moving online.
“I’m not the type to buy online. I like to touch and feel fabrics, and I can’t visualize color or texture when I see it on screen.
There was also a crowd at the Metro department store in the Paragon Mall, where shoppers flocked in search of good deals.
Esther Tan, 53, who works in the oil and gas industry, said goodbye Friday to accompany her elderly mother to shoe, skin care and bedding stores.
“Metro offers a direct 20 percent discount on my items. This will save me about $ 300, ”he said.
The Black Friday sales began in the United States as a way to mark the beginning of Christmas shopping. On the first Friday after Thanksgiving, November 26, stores offer discounted items.
The Straits Times walked along the commercial stretch of Orchard Road on Friday and found that the lines were shorter and the stores less crowded than in previous years.
The tone was quieter at Robinsons, which is conducting its final Black Friday sale in light of its recent liquidation announcement.
Still, the 162-year-old department store attracted some loyal shoppers, such as 56-year-old retiree Ong Chong King, who has been coming to the store since his childhood.
I was in line to enter The Heeren’s store at 10 in the morning.
“When stores first started selling on Black Friday, they used to open very early at 7am, and we were there around 6.30am,” he recalled. “It was a very important part of my childhood.”
Online stores like Amazon and Lazada were also offering steep Black Friday discounts, with up to 30 percent off relatively expensive items like Apple’s AirPod Pros.
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