Black Friday 2018 sales are here

The online shopping frenzy kicks off today and a tonne of local retailers have jumped on board with bargains to get ahead of the Americans.

The annual Black Friday shopping frenzy is back.

A decades-old tradition celebrated every year the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday marks the unofficial start of the Christmas shopping season in America.

Together with its more recent online counterpart Cyber Monday, the sales have become a major global event over the past few years as online shopping has brought the bargains to the rest of the world.

Australian retailers are increasingly getting on board, offering their own deals in a bid to stop some of those dollary-doos going overseas.

“Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the last big sales before Christmas, so it’s the perfect time to start your shopping — and bag a bargain while you’re at it,” said Finder.com.au money expert Bessie Hassan.

“With Australians tipped to spend more than $1300 each on Christmas, a discount here and there could make a huge difference.”

SEE ALSO: Amazon Australia reveals Black Friday deals

Black Friday 2017 brought in $US5.03 billion ($6.87 billion), an increase of 16.9 per cent on the previous year, while Cyber Monday sales were up 16.8 per cent to a record $US6.59 billion ($9 billion), according to Adobe Analytics.

The combined $US11.62 billion ($15.87 billion) paled in comparison to Alibaba’s Singles Day event, which last week shattered records with $42 billion in purchases in 24 hours.

Aussie shoppers generally prefer Black Friday, however, spending an estimated $200 million last year. Finder.com.au predicts that figure will top $320 million this year, with research suggesting four million Australians plan to take part.

A survey by ING found 70 per cent of Australians have bought something online from an international retailer in the past 12 months, spending some $6.6 billion at an average of 5.6 purchases totalling $492.77 per person.

While the sale technically starts at 4pm AEDT on Friday, or midnight US time, many retailers now offer deals all week. If the overseas retailer doesn’t ship to Australia, you can sign up for Australia Post’s ShopMate parcel forwarding service.

“Some brands will even start their sale before Friday, so keep an eye out on your favourite stores,” Ms Hassan said. “If you haven’t already, sign up for their e-newsletter and follow their social media channels to be the first in the know when the sales hit.”

Meanwhile, PayPal head of consumer marketing Liz Lefort has offered some tips for Australians to stay safe and get the most out of the online sales.

Ms Lefort said shoppers should “look for the lock” icon next the website URL indicating the site has security features in place, while avoiding doing shopping while using public Wi-Fi.

Watch out for suspicious links in marketing emails that seem too good to be true, and do your research by looking up reviews for online vendors before purchasing anything.

She also recommends using a price comparison tool. “Use online tools such as Google Shopping, PriceGrabber, NexTag or Pronto to help you quickly determine if you’re getting the best deal before you hit purchase,” she said.

Lisa Chan, head of international postal product at Australia Post, said registrations for Shopmate had surged 15 per cent so far this month.

“Considering Black Friday and Cyber Monday originated in the US, Shopmate registrations are a good indication of Australians looking to find global bargains during the sale,” she said.

“But Black Friday and Cyber Monday is not just confined to the US. We are pleased to see more and more Australian retailers participate in the global online shopping festivals, with these sales driving online volumes for local merchants by as much as 30 per cent.”

Ms Chan said interest in Black Friday and Cyber Monday had increased steadily in recent years, with customer sign-ups last November jumping 67 per cent month-on-month and transaction volume growing 9 per cent.

It comes as Amazon caved in to customer complaints, backflipping on its controversial decision to stop shipping to Australia from its US store just in time for Black Friday.

Meanwhile, Melbourne property developer Caydon Property Group is offering up to $100,000 off apartments and townhouses from 6am on Friday morning.

LATEST BLACK FRIDAY DEALS*

• Australia

The Volte: 30 per cent off fashion rentals, code CYBER18

EasyShed: Up to 45 per cent off sheds, workshops, garages and aviaries

Beastandbeauty: 30 per cent off store wide

Mobvoi: 15 per cent off TicWatch Pro smartwach

MSY Technology: Up to 43 per cent off

Scorptec Computers: New deal every hour posted to Facebook and Instagram

Umart: Up to 50 per cent off computers

Mwave: Up to 40 per cent off online orders only

SaveOnIt: Up to 80 per cent off software

Bonds: 40 per cent off everything, free shipping

Blackmores: 40 per cent off, free shipping, code BLACK40

Country Road: 20 per cent off everything

Best Price Linen: 15 per cent off everything, code FRIDAY

Videopro: Up to 50 per cent off sound bars and home theatre

Petzyo: 50 per cent off first dry dog food order, code BLACKFRIDAY50

Target: Up to 30 per cent off LEGO sets

Kmart: 10 per cent off seven-station swing set

City Beach: Up to 60 per cent off hundreds of styles

Nasty Gal: 50 per cent off ‘absolutely everything’

The Good Guys: Up to 50 per cent off, stores open until 9pm

Rebel: 30 per cent off Under Armour, 20 per cent off tights

Boohoo: 50 per cent off everything

EB Games: 50 per cent off PS4 Slim and three games

Matt Blatt: Up to 75 per cent off more than 300 products

Dell: Up to 40 per cent off until next Thursday

ShopMate: 20 per cent off shipping fees, code SHOPUSA18

Lookfantastic: Up to 40 per cent off GHD and Olaplex

Healthy Life: Up to 50 per cent off select products

Frank Body: 20 per cent off site wide

Hotels.com: Up to half price, extra 10 per cent off, code THANKS

Contiki: 20 per cent off North America and Europe 2019 trips

Expedia: 50 per cent off selected hotels, packages and experiences

Intrepid Travel: Buy one get one free on Asia Adventure Cruises

Trafalgar: 20 per cent off Eastern Europe, Scandinavia and Russia trips

Insight Vacations: 15 per cent off Spain, Portugal and Morocco trips

AAT Kings: 11 per cent off 17-day New Zealand guided holiday

Busabout: 20 per cent off its new USA Hop-On Hop-Off pass

Ovolo Hotels: 33 per cent off any stay between January 1 and April 30

Appliances Online: 47 per cent off Bosch washer-dryer combo

Big W: Up to 50 per cent off toys, electronics and homewares

Canningvale: Up to 70 per cent off bedding, towels and homewares

tech21: 30 per cent off sitewide, up to 75 per cent off selected phone cases

The Personal Print: 20 per cent off customisable phone cases, code BLACK20

GoLights: 15 per cent off store wide, up to 70 per cent off selected lights

Smith&Smith Lighting: 20 per cent off store wide

Woolworths: 50 per cent off selected items grocery items

Betta Home Living: Up to 50 per cent off small appliances, 40 per cent off vacuums

ExperienceOz: Up to 50 per cent off, extra 5 per cent off, code BFCM2018

Wired Store: $100 off TV wall mounting and free bracket

TJ Swim: 25 per cent off all swimwear site wide

PlusSpec: 70 per cent off 3D design software

Shhh Silk: Up to 75 per cent off silk pillowcases and eye masks

Mitre 10 / Home Timber & Hardware: 46 per cent off Lemair Wine Fridge

PrettyLittleThing: 50 per cent off everything, code HURRY50

Glassons: 20 per cent off full-price collections

Hallenstein Brothers: All denim $29.99, all polos $20

Sol Sana: 30 per cent off all shoes site wide

From St Xavier: 30 per cent off site wide, free shipping over $100

SurfStitch: 30 per cent off site wide

Nura: 20 per cent off Nuraphone headphones

Angelina Alvarez: 40 per cent off, code BLACKFRIDAY

Devi The Label: 30 per cent site wide, code BFCM

Little Wildling Co: 30 per cent off entire order, code BLACKFRIDAY

Allerton Swimwear: 40 per cent off site wide

Frankie Peach: Up to 50 per cent off site wide

Audeara: 30 per cent off Bluetooth headphones

The Undone: 20 per cent off everything ‘black’, code BLACKFRIDAY20

Kacey Devlin: 20 per cent off everything, code BLACK20

Assembly Label: Choose what you pay, dollar-for-dollar charity donation

The Clinic: 15 per cent off everything online, code BFSAVE15

Amazon.com.au: 50 per cent off Echo Dot

Harvey Norman: 15 per cent off Microsoft Surface Go 8GB

JB Hi-Fi: 33 per cent off GoPro Hero

Bing Lee: 20 per cent off Panasonic 55-inch 4K OLED Smart TV

Kogan: 42 per cent off Dyson V7 Cord-Free Vacuum Cleaner

Myer: 50 per cent off Jamie Oliver Tefal cookware

David Jones: 30 per cent off selected Calvin Klein clothing

Catch.com.au: 41 per cent off Asics sneakers

Groupon: Up to 80 per cent off recommended retail price

Sephora: 15 per cent off site wide Friday and Saturday

Priceline: 50 per cent off cosmetics

Chemist Warehouse: 50 per cent off Swisse vitamins and skincare

Inclinic: 20 per cent off cosmetics, free delivery for orders over $75

Cotton On: 30 per cent off all swimwear

Lorna Jane: 30 per cent off when you buy three items

ShowPo: 25 per cent off orders over $100, code CYBER25

The Iconic: 30 per cent off, code SAVE30

General Pants: Free express delivery on orders over $75

InStitchu: 50 per cent off all shirts with suit purchase

OPSM: 20 per cent off storewide, code SW3

• International

Walmart: 33 per cent off Xbox One S 1TB Minecraft Bundle

Home Depot: Up to 40 per cent off power tools and accessories

Amazon.com: 53 per cent off Ecovacs robot vacuum cleaner

eBay: 60 per cent off Bose TV sound bar

Walgreens: 50 per cent off beauty gift sets

Lowe’s: Up to 35 per cent off smart home products

Best Buy: 25 per cent off iPad Mini 4 128GB

Macy’s: $25.95 shipping to Australia for orders over $130

Rite Aid: 30 per cent off online, code BLACKFRIDAY

Kohl’s: 30 per cent off Under Armour products

Meijer: 36 per cent off Keurig coffee machines

Nordstrom: Up to 40 per cent off, international shipping

Sears: Up to 50 per cent off winter clothing

GAP: 40 per cent off everything, code GIFT

BJ’s Wholesale Club: 30 per cent off PlayStation 4 Bundle

JCPenney: 72 per cent off Xersion puffy jackets

Bed Bath & Beyond: 35 per cent off all Nespresso machines

QVC: $US10 off first order, code TEN4U

Victoria’s Secret: 15 per cent off total order, code VSSAVE15

Dick’s Sporting Goods: 20 per cent off total order, exclusions apply

Staples: 40 per cent off HP Pavilion Intel Core i7 laptops

Bass Pro: Up to 50 per cent off fishing supplies

Tractor Supply Co: Up to 40 per cent off dog beds and accessories

Burlington Coat Factory: Up to 44 per cent off pyjamas

Ulta Beauty: Free nine-piece gift with any purchase over $US60

ASOS: Students get 20 per cent off

Book Depository: Up to 60 per cent off, free shipping

Target: 50 per cent off Hatchimals Surprise

Banana Republic: 40 per cent off purchase, some exclusions

Urban Outfitters: Up to 70 per cent off bedding

Indochino: Up to 70 per cent off everything

(*In no particular order)

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