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Mbulelo Mpofu, Showbiz Reporter
TODAY, people across the globe are expected to throng retail shops for early Christmas shopping as Black Friday kicks in with prices for goods expected to drop to as low as 50% off on selected items.

In Zimbabwe, the Black Friday shopping craze has caught on with citizens, over the past three years, painting their respective cities black as they jostle to get “special deals”.

Interestingly, some sleep at retail outlets a night before the big day with some waking up extremely early to make sure that they are the first in line when stores open.

Delving deep into the origins of this extravagant time of the year will only derail the purpose of this article. Be it hardware, software, furniture, groceries and apparel, “Black Friday Deals!” will rule the roost and spendthrifts will have a field day today.

Chronicle Showbiz went about the streets of Bulawayo to ascertain how excited people were about Black Friday and how much were they willing to spend, a mixed bag of responses was drawn.

“It doesn’t matter how much it costs, but we stand to bargain much and save during Black Friday. Tomorrow (today) won’t be an exception. This is the time of the year when we can actually breathe a sigh of relief since, for the better part of the year, we’ll be feeding on crumbs as prices will be exorbitant,” said Thulisile Ngwenya.

Ryan Makusha said, ““Yes, Black Friday is a bonus for us as we get to bargain but we need to guard against overspending as we can be prone to it. It’s easy to get fooled during this time as you can be overpriced for merchandise that is lower-end.”

Besides buying lower-end stuff, prices may continue on the descent and may be too enticing to ignore, thus making it easy for one to overspend. The more the prices drop, the more chances there are for one to end up majoring in minors and buying what they do not actually need.

Another challenge that residents usually face during this time, especially given the Covid-19 pandemic is crowding and battling other shoppers for the item that they want. One will have to queue and wait their turn to get into the store, something that may become a critical ingredient for a stampede.

The general consensus is that of bargaining during Black Friday, but the real bargains may be limited in quantity and sold to early-bird shoppers.

Preferences and financial muscles differ, but whatever one’s answer is, the smart thing to do for one is deciding beforehand what they are going to buy which should be in the parameters of their budgets.

That way, come next week, one will not have to feel the after-effects of irresponsible demeanor. Happy shopping folks!  — @eMKlass_49