‘Black Friday’ frenzy hits Malaysia

Rock-bottom prices: A shopper paying for her purchases during the Black Friday sale at the Aeon outlet in Mid Valley Megamall, Kuala Lumpur.

KUALA LUMPUR: The annual “Black Friday” shopping craze, a long-observed and beloved tradition in the United States, has hit our shores.

Store-wide Black Friday sales were held in several states, with shopping-crazed Malaysians going out early to grab the best deals and some stores offering discounts of up to 70%.

Although shopping fever was a far cry from the blockbuster experience in the United States, it was still a start to savour for many.

Clothing, household electrical items and kitchenware topped the lists of local shoppers.

IT manager P. Ray, 32, and his wife Z. Natasha, 34, from Puchong, were among the early birds at the Aeon outlet in Mid Valley Megamall yesterday.

“We need to buy lots of clothes for our one-year-old son,” said Ray.

The self-confessed online shopper said he decided to experience “the real deal” by visiting the Aeon store after finding out about the Black Friday sale.

A retiree, who wished to be known only as May, 63, had a double delight as she queued up to redeem a free gift.

“It’s my first time shopping on Black Friday and I find the sales to be quite good, with a wide range on offer,” said May, who bought kitchenware and home apparel.

Aeon assistant general manager Lim Bee Hoon said it was the first time Aeon stores in Malaysia had held Black Friday sales.

“It has been held at our stores in Japan for many years and this time we wanted to bring the trend over here,” she said.

Over at the Johor Premium Outlets (JPO) in Kulai, bargain hunters were out to exploit the deals on offer. Shoes, apparel, handbags, watches and perfumes were offered at big discounts.

Singaporean Cindy Foo came with her husband and two sons and was looking, among others, to buy a handbag and purse for her mother.

She said she had planned the trip after finding out about the sale on the JPO official Facebook page.

“Some of the offers were impressive. I am looking forward to shopping here again soon,” she added.

Contractor Aiman Hafif Abdullah, 44, was looking for a pair of sneakers, a watch and a backpack for his wife’s 39th birthday.

“The timing was perfect for me. My family and I will be travelling to Australia next month, so I grabbed some travel essentials too,” he said.

Over in Seberang Jaya, Butter­worth, a prominent outlet at a shopping mall offered an additional 15% discount to mark Black Friday.

Malaysians in the United States were fortunate to join in the shopping frenzy there.

“I saw a 55-inch TV going for just US$178 (RM730) at Best Buy,” texted Sam Yau from San Francisco.

Ohio State University student Lesley-Anne Gabriel flew over from Columbus to join her Malaysian friends at the Twin Cities Premium Outlets in Eagan, Minnesota.

“It was really crazy with shoppers going all out to get the best deals. We shopped till we dropped at midnight,” she said.

Carolene Schuster, another Malay­­sian, based in Katy, Houston, said she hoped the Black Friday deals in Malaysia would be kept true to the US tradition.

“Prices should be slashed to rock bottom. It should not just be like any other mega sale,” she added.