Happy Black Friday everyone! Or happy Black Friday Eve depending on when you are reading this. Or is it Saturday already?
The notion did not exist in Ireland seven years ago but it has now been embraced with so much gusto by so many shoppers and so many retailers that tens of millions of euro will be spent each day in the days ahead by people with a keen eye on the price.
Some Black Friday sales started 10 days before Black Friday on a no-colour Tuesday and almost every retailer big and small is now promising discounts of anywhere between 20 and 70 per cent.
Here are just some of the offers we have found so far. Let us know if you find something amazing and we will update our list. And as more deals become public we will update this article - you’d be amazed how many companies release deals under embargo and won’t let us publish them until a very precise time - were looking at you, Ryanair.
Accessorize: It is simply offering 20 per cent off everything.
Aer Lingus: The airline is not having a Black Friday event it is having a Black Flyday one - see what they did there. As it did last year, it is taking €100 off return flights to North America. The offer ends midnight next Tuesday. It also has some decent looking flights to Spain and Italy for as little as €30.
Amazon: The online monster has a Black Friday Deals Store which has been live since last Friday and will stay live until 23.59 on Friday 29th November, There are new 'Deals of the Day' going live daily (obviously) . There are also 'Lightning Deals' - products available at a discount, in limited quantities, for a short period of time - with new deals becoming available as often as every five minutes.
All Saints: The super cool but kind of pricey clothes retailer is offering "30 per cent off everything".
Argos: Is a 55-inch Samsung smart telly for €470 better than a 60-inch LG smart telly? Or what about the 50-inch Hitachi smart telly for €290? These aren't just some of the many questions anyone shopping here will need to ask themselves. The site is practically buckling under the weight of all the deals it is boasting about.
Arnotts: Just as it was last year, this swanky department store on Dublin's Henry Street is not having a Black Friday sale. It is however having a Christmas Mega Event which will see 20 per cent knocked off most of stock. We had a quick trawl through the shop and it was lucky it was the day before pay day. Otherwise we might have gone mad. There are a whole lot of impressive deals to be found on the shop floor and online.
Avoca: Expect to fnd 20 per cent off all men's Outerwear including Helly Hansen, Strellson, Scotch & Soda, Camel Active, 6th Sense, Knowledge Cotton Apparel and Selected Homme. There is also up to 40 per cent off women's clothes and more.
Boots: "Drop whatever you're doing and prepare to dash into Boots this Black Friday weekend," the press release says. And what can you expect if you do that? Well there is 3-for-2 on seasonal gifts and better-than-half-price on some beauty products. There are fragrances for her and him (phew) and beauty and skincare favourites from No7 and Ted Baker and all the rest. Boots is going hell for leather this year and is promising that prices will drop through to December as it swaps out Black Friday for Cyber Monday for daily Cyber Deals.
Brown Thomas: Just like its sister shop across the river, BT is not having a Black Friday sale. It is, however, having a Christmas Comes Early sale and you can expect a wide array of high-end bags, fancy clothes and perfumes and a whole lot more selling for discounts of 20 per cent or so.
Carraig Donn; You will be able to find 60 per cent off selected jumpers, ponchos, coats and dresses.
Carrolls Irish Gifts: It's not just for tourists. There are all sorts of Irish brands, Celtic jewellery, knitwear and Christmassy stuff on offer at a discount until midnight on Monday.
Chupi.com No discounts but arguably something more attractive . Shop online using the code BlackFriday19 and if you spend a Minimum of €179 you get a piece worth €119. If you spend at least €399 you get a solid gold bracelet worth €249 and if you spend €1000 or over you receive a solid gold piece worth €389.
Currys/PC World: This retailer is talking the whole thing very seriously with its Black Tag event and is promising savings of up to 50 per cent on thousands of product and a trawl through its website was pretty impressive. It is promising savings of €500 on a very fancy looking De Longhi coffee machine, Samsung tablets are sold with discounts of €90 and there are impressive-looking deals on TVs laptops, fitness trackers, speakers and more.
Debenhams: Up to half price on clothes for men and women, 50 per cent off fragrances. Look at the clothes and the kids toys and you might get some really good bargains ahead of Christmas Day.
DID: The big electronics retailer will be adding offers throughout Black Friday. Pick up a pair of Toshiba wireless headphones for €20, a saving of €30, they say. Or how about a Bosch dishwasher for €299 which, we are told is a saving of €130?
DoDublin Tours/Airlink Express: You can get 50 per cent of thses tickets in its online sale.. Might be handy for regular travellers on Airlink.
Elvery's: A nice simple offer from the sports people. Buy 1, Get 1 Half-Price on nearly everything for Black Friday with over 10,000 products to mix and match from. The sale has been running from Monday the 18th of November and the race will be run next Monday.
Eurocamp.ie: When it comes to family holidays it is hard to beat camping. Eurocamp is offering 50 per cent off holidays at campsites across Europe.
Harvey Norman: Is Harvey ever NOT in sale mode ? It won't come as surprise to learn, then, that Black Friday is a big deal for this retailer. It is offering up to 30 per cent off TVs, as much as €400 off laptops, up to 55 per cent off mattresses and up to 70 per cent off homeware and bedding.
Handyhardware.ie: This indepenent Irish hardware seller tells us it is offering "genuine/no gimmick Black Friday deals" and has added additional discount "to over 20,000 of our sale items".
The Health Store: There will be 20 per cent off on health and wellness products on this site from Thursday, November 28th to Saturday, November 30th using the discount code 'blackfriday' at checkout.
Jack & Jones: We are not the early worm and as a result we missed the best of the savings here. In the Jervis Centre in Dublin these people were offering 40 per cent off betwen 7am and 8am, then they were offering 30 per cent off for the next hour. Now you will have to settle for discounts of 25 per cent.
Kennys.ie: The Galway bookseller is promising discounts of up to 80 per cent plus free delivery worldwide. The sale includes many of the big books for Christmas and lots of best-sellers with prices often cheaper than and competitive with Amazon and other big players. The sale runs until and including Cyber Monday.
Kilkenny Shop: It is not just Black Friday here it is Green Friday too. The latter is an initiative led by Marian O'Gorman of Kilkenny to champion a movement to support Irish brands and businesses nationwide. Some discounts you can look forward to are up to 50 per cent off McNutts of Donegal range, 50 per cent off Max Benjamin, 30 per cent off Caulfield Country Boards range, 10 per centoff Pestle & Mortar range, 50 per cent off Newbridge Whiskey Decanter & 6 Glass Sets and 10 per cent off Chupi Jewellery.
Kinvara Skincare: There is 20 per cent off selected products plus free handcream and free shipping on orders over €50 between Friday and Monday .
Littlewoods: New deals and offers have been released daily in the run-up to Black Friday and you can expect 40 per cent Off clothes and footwear, 30 per cent off TVs. There will be up to 25 per cent off PC Gaming and Computers and more besides.
Marker Hotel: Rooms reduced to €199 per night when you book between the 28th of November and 6th of December.
McCauleys: The Irish pharmacy group are offering 15 per cent off on all fragrances, 10 per cent off on all cameras, and 50 per cent on electric toothbrushes. And nothing says Happy Christmas like and electric toothbrush.
Pandora : The bracelet and charm people are offering 20 per cent off all products over the Black Friday period which - if you are interested - runs until December 2nd. You might want to know that this promotion excludes specific collections such as the Harry Potter collection and the Pandora Me collection.
Paradores.es: Anyone familiar with Spain will know that the Paradores are the fanciest places to stay. Well the official site is offering rooms in such places for as little as €66 per night for people travelling until early April.
TM Lewin: Expect deals to include up to 50 per cent off men's casual wear with delivery available to Ireland.
The Loop: Not even Dublin Airport has been immune to the charms of Black Friday and it is promising up to 30 per cent off selected fragrances and beauty.
McElhinneys: Donegal's favourite retailer is promising up to 50 per cent off selected designer and boutique brands for this weekend only.
Mothercare: Anyone with a baby knows how expensive they are, so all help is welcome. This retailer started its sales last Monday offering up to 50 per cent off for the big event which carries on through to Cyber Monday. Deals can be found on clothes, nursery items, travel and baby accessories.
O'Briens: Over 200 "festive wines" are on sale at O'Briens for Black Friday. You can also find Irish whiskeys from €19.95, gins from €19.95, and vodka from €18.95. Drink responsibly, by the way.
Ryanair: The airline is promising "up to 25 per cent off over one million seats". It adds that its "amazing seat sale, marking day six of Ryanair's week-long "Cyber Week sale", is available for travel from December to March and must be booked by midnight tonight."
Sea Life: Bray's aquarium is offering a 60 per cent off entry on tickets purchased online today.
Smyths Toys will be running €5 off when you spend €50 and €10 off when you spend €100 valid in-store only. This offer will be valid until Monday December 2nd. There are also lots of Black Friday specials online and in-store and you can expect some pretty hefty discounts on gaming items and the stuff that you don't need to buy because Santa is going to take care of it.
Square Tallaght: This is hosting what it calling the Ultimate Shopping Night. Kicking off at 5pm on Friday customers can shop their legs to stumps with discounts throughout the centre from fashions and homeware to technology, beauty and more. There will be a live DJ, giveaways, food sampling and live entertainment. If the shopping gets too much, take a break with a complimentary shoulder massage or snap a selfie in the selfie studio. It sounds delightful.
Sunglasses Hut: Need a pair of shades to get you through the winter? Probably not but if you want to buy some sunglasses you can get 20 per cent off today.
Sweater Shop: Wait a minute, where's me jumper? It's here. This shop is promising at least 20 per cent off everything online and up to 40 per cent off selected items.
Tayto Park: The theme park is offering €50 off all season passes and 25 per cent off day tickets.
Tesco: Every little helps, right? Well Tesco is promising half-price offers on shopping essentials this weekend.
Travel Department: Book your holiday of seven nights or more using promotional code VP-BLACK50 to save up to €100 per booking. Offer is valid for all new bookings made between November 18th and December 2nd.
Trespass: These outdoor people are have 50 per cent off all stock until next Wednesday.
Topshop & Topman: A pretty simple set-up at the high street clothes retailer. It is offering 25 per cent off everything
TUI say people can save €100 when they spend €1000 (Code name BF100), €125 when they spend €2000 (Code name BF125) and €150 when they spend €3000, (Code name BF150).
White & Green: A reader was in touch to say this Irish company is offering 25 per off on "their beautiful, ethically-made bed linen. Really excellent quality products. It sounds like I work for them, but I don't. I'm just a really big fan," she wrote. Grand so.
Yankee's The Candle Store: Up to 50 per cent off some itelams and 30 per cent off gift sets and 20 per cent off regulare smelly candles.
If you have have any suggested bargains email me on cpope@irishtimes.com or you'll find me on Twitter, @conor_pope.
