Black Friday fever catches shoppers: Spintex Road hot spot

THE Black Friday fever is catching on globally, and Ghana is not an exception. Almost all giant sales outlets across the country and online stores are coming up with competitive prices to attract consumers.

On television, radio, billboards, newspapers and social media platforms, brisk marketing is ongoing. This year’s Black Friday falls on November 27, however, some retail shops have started offering attractive discounts at the big shopping chains like Palace Hyper Malls, Shoprite, Melcom Superstore, Game Stores, Max Mart and CityDia, now known as Spar Ghana.

In Accra, it looks like the hot spot for this year’s Black Friday is the Spintex Road, where big shops such as Palace Hypermarket, Melcom Plus, China Mall, Orca Deco, Sneda Store, Furniture City and the Lifestyle Gallery have pitched camp and are offering various attractive discounts on household items, beddings, furniture, sports/fitness equipment, crockery and groceries.

Companies dealing in electrical appliances like CompuGhana, Telefonika, Electro Mart, Midea, Samsung, NASCO among others have reduced prices on audio systems, side-by-side refrigerators, washing machines, gas cookers, chest freezers, frost-free double-door fridges, split air conditioners, smart televisions like UHD Flat, LED Satellite flat, QLED, Curve TV, Sound towers, laptops and many more.

Offers
Interestingly, for some of the electrical appliances such as the double-door fridges and air conditioners, some stores are offering free microwaves for each purchase. For others, when you buy a washing machine, you will be given a pressing iron.

The freebies are also common at most of the phone stores, so for instance when you buy the latest Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra which is almost selling at GH¢7,000, you go home with a free stereo audio player and a power bank, while the Galaxy Z Flip which is about GH¢9,000 comes with gifts worth GH¢1,010 at Telefonika.

At Compu Ghana, there are several discounts on laptops, desktop computers and printers. Some of the prices spotted by The Mirror show that a potential buyer can save as much as GH¢500 on some of these items.

At supermarkets like Marina, Melcom Plus, Game and Palace, prices on some food items, cooking pots, blenders, casserole bowls, soft drinks, alcohol, bath gels, detergents and Christmas trees have all been reduced, offering shoppers the opportunity to cart a variety of goodies to their homes.

Clothing and shoe shops that deal in ready-to-wear clothes for both the young and old, including UK Brand Mr Price, Decathlon and Bata Shoes at the Accra, Achimota and Junction malls, are also offering as much as 40 to 70 per cent discounts on selected items as a build-up to the Black Friday and the Christmas festivities.

Shoppers
A shopper at the Palace Mall who was seen pushing a trolley filled with a carpet, curtains and bedsheets told this reporter that that was the best time to shop. “Since I got hooked to this Black Friday promotions for the past three years in Ghana, I try to save hard to enable me to change some of the major household items I need in my home,” he said.

Some people who are into events and floral decorations are also pitching camp at the new China Mall on the Spintex Road. Naa Dedei, an events organiser who was seen picking various types of flowers, wall frames, invitation cards, gift boxes among others, said we were in the wedding season, hence the need to purchase some of those essential items at reduced prices.

Online shopping
Aside from the retail shops, online shops such as Jumia, Kikuu, Alibaba Express and others on Facebook are offering massive discounts on a variety of items, with free deliveries being some of the perks.

For some people, it is better to be home on their smartphones or laptops than drive to the nearest mall or big-box store to peruse deals in person.

Last year, a large number of people thronged various shopping malls and supermarkets in Accra to cash in on the Black Friday sales promotion.
Most shopping malls in the capital city offered discounts on all goods purchased in the yearly sales promotion.

Why is Black Friday so popular?
The short answer is because it’s the traditional kick-off day for the holiday shopping season. Historically, it’s also been the best day to find great deals on the year’s hottest toys, games and electronics.

Innovative retailers are fighting the showrooming trend by bulking up their e-commerce capabilities and adopting generous price-matching policies, but the die is clearly cast. Black Friday now happens when, where and how consumers choose. It’s also happening earlier than ever, with “Black Friday” deals appearing as early as October. This is all great news for deal-seeking holiday shoppers.