Nowhere is the perceived special relationship between Britain and America more apparent than at the Macy’s sale in New York, the day after Thanksgiving.
By 9am yesterday, about 1,000 British and Irish tourists had already signed the foreign visitors’ book at the world’s largest department store, in Manhattan, entitling them to a further 11 per cent off the outlet’s already heavily discounted stock. Todd Frizell, of Macy’s visitors’ centre, said: “The British and Irish are definitely the biggest customers — they recognise a bargain when they see one.”
Macy’s threw its doors open at 6am yesterday, four hours earlier than normal, drawing in thousands of shoppers from all over the world. It lured them with “doorbuster” specials, such as $700 off a $1,300 (£673) pair of diamond earrings and 50 per cent off kitchen equipment.
Linda Windows, a holidaymaker from Coventry, said: “We are shopping for handbags, shoes, anything and everything we can fit in a suitcase, basically stocking up for Christmas. I have an eight-month-old grandson and have bought him a little New York Yankees jacket.”
Usually the busiest shopping day of the year, the day after Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the frenetic Christmas shopping spell. Many Americans take the day off to ensure first dibs on discounted items. It has been dubbed Black Friday because it used to be considered the point at which retailers turned profitable for the year.
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Mr and Mrs Geddes, a young couple from Southampton visiting New York for the first time, said that the savings they expected to make from their shopping spree would go a long way to paying for their trip.
“Things are much cheaper here anyway. But when you add the sale reductions, the 11 per cent visitor discount and the strong pound then you are really talking about considerable savings,” Mr Geddes said.
In the two hours since the couple had arrived at Macy’s, they had spent about $150 on a pair of Levi’s, a denim jacket, a pair of Timberland boots, a shirt and some Ralph Lauren underwear — which they estimated had saved them about $400.
Over at Bloomingdale’s, Kate and Helen, students on a work trip from the University of Lincoln, were eyeing jewellery: “We don’t have anything specific in mind, it just depends what we see. But what we’re really after is a Bloomingdale’s brown paper bag” — the store’s signature packaging has become a sought-after retail item in itself.
Mariska Gatha, a Canadian who recently moved to New York, said: “I have heard about the infamous Black Friday and wanted to check it out. Many of these items would be too expensive normally but they are now more in my price range.”
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Other competitors dream up ingenious ways to pull in the punters. Target, the department store chain, hired David Blaine, the magician, to promote its Thanksgiving sales by escaping from shackles while dangling five storeys over New York’s Times Square on Tuesday.
Big spenders
137m
Shoppers expected during Thanksgiving weekend
$300
Expected spend per head
$41bn
Total expected spend
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49%
of shoppers expected to buy clothing/accessories