Black Friday 2016: Morrisons offers half-price booze
Morrison's is aiming to steal a march on the competition this year by launching deals on wines and beers ten days ahead of Black Friday.
From today, customers will be able to pick up a five-litre keg of Budvar, Old Speckled Hen and Old Golden Hen for just £10, rather than the usual £15.
Meanwhile, magnum bottles - double the usual bottle size - of selected wines are available for just £10.
These include Miscela Prosecco, Gallo White Zinfandel, Cassillero de Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon and Horologist Sauvignon Blanc. Single, standard-sized bottles of these wines cost from £6.50 for the Gallo, making them better than half price. The biggest bargain is the Horologist Sauvignon Blanc, which normally sells for £8.50 a bottle.
The great Black Friday rip off revealed
The deals will be available in store, with most offers online too. Other offers will be added every day for the next ten days, on items from food to beauty and fragrance gift sets.
Black Friday - the day after Thanksgiving - actually falls a week tomorrow, on November 25. But Morrisons is by no means the only retailer to jump the gun.
Black Friday 2016: Amazon's best deals and discounts
Amazon - which shifted 7.4 million items on Black Friday last year - has already started this year's sale, with today's deals including up to £350 off selected TVs and 30% off New Look.
And Tesco is expected to start cutting prices on Monday, and keep the sale going for a week after Black Friday itself.
Black Friday 2016: Tesco's best deals, discounts and sales
Argos, too, is starting early, with 13 days of discounts. Last year, its website had around 12 million visits, and purchases hit 18 a second that their peak.
E-commerce specialists Salmon predict that what they've dubbed 'Black Fiveday' sales will see sales hit £5 billion for the first time ever. About half these sales will be made via mobile, it says.
"Our research, and Amazon's noticeable shift to spread Black Friday sales across two weeks, highlights how important the run up to Christmas is for retailers," comments Patrick Munden, the firm's head of marketing and communications. "Black Friday has only grown in prominence over the past years."
We'll be reporting on Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales as they are announced, so watch this space for more bargains.
