It’s a secret!

This Black Friday, few retailers are giving away their early morning opening times and special promotional activities, and are instead steering customers to their advertising in The Royal Gazette on Thursday, when they say all will be revealed.

Last year, CellOne and Digicel opening their doors at midnight for hundreds of shoppers who lined up along Church Street and Washington Lane.

This year, spokespeople for the companies would not reveal what time they would start selling their highly sought after communications devices, but are working up to the big day with discounts and giveaways.

Schereene Outerbridge, CellOne’s marketing manager, said the cell phone company is giving away a staggering $10,000 worth or prizes and giveaways this week. “We started on Monday — the theme this week is ‘Let’s make a deal’. We have a ‘deal revealed daily’ where we’re launching a different brand every day — it was BlackBerry on Monday, Blu onTuesday, and on Wednesday — we will reveal which it is. The day we reveal the promotion, it runs to the end of the week,” she said.

Another promotional activity is CellOne’s Joker, pictured here, who has been roaming the streets of Hamilton with playing cards offering people the opportunity to play a game with the chance of winning a $25 gift certificate towards a purchase.

“Customers have been receptive so far — people are coming in and taking advantage of our promotions and giveaways.”

This week, competitor Digicel is already opening up at 6am with special offers. Aziza Ahad Furbert, marketing executive, said: “But beyond that, I’m not at liberty to say — even our opening time on Friday! Watch out for Thursday’s advertisement.”

Queues were also long outside Bermuda’s biggest retailers, the Phoenix Group and Gibbons Company, last year — and both companies are getting into the spirit of the event again in 2013.

Chief executive officer of the Phoenix Stores George Grundmüller said they are not revealing their opening times, but will be advertising them in this newspaper. “We’re keeping our opening under wraps,” he said. “Look in The Royal Gazette on Thursday.”

While he would not reveal details, he added: “We have a fabulous programme — it’s bigger and better than last year. People are already excited.” While many stores have started offering discount pricing during the week, he said: “We are not doing any early specials — we don’t want to water it down!”

And on the day, he said: “The best discounts will be early! So get up, and come out early! There will be a lot of activity in all the shops, and all our shops in town are participating — Brown & Co, P-Tech, the Phoenix Center and Annex Toys. We also have a satellite toy store in our basement, for the bigger toys.

“Every year, we learn from before. All of our staff are really into it. We are expecting more people this year than in previous years. It is a real event — it’s deep discounts — items will be at cost or below cost,” he promised.

Paula Clarke, CEO of Gibbons Company, said they are opening at 5am and the staff of their main store and two shoe stores, Twenty 5 Reid and Nine West, are in the Black Friday spirit. For activities and events, she also steered customers to their Royal Gazette advertisement.

“We’re running a huge double-truck advertisement on Thursday — so look for that,” she said.

She added: “We have the best to offer — the best rates, the best quality and the best selection, the most exciting assortment of merchandise.

“We’re opening at 5am again, and through 9pm. It’s going to be a really exciting day, the staff are revved up and they will be working split shifts.”

In addition, Gibbons will continue their Price Match Guarantee, and on all Fridays after Black Friday their 20 percent off for a charitable donation programme days will continue.

Head out of town and over to Mill Creek where the lighting fixtures specialist ESC is opening at 5.30am, offering deep discounts and coffee and breakfast goods for sale courtesy of Sweet Saaks Bakery. General manager Lindsay Davis was happy to talk about their plans for the day. “We did it last year and, it was successful so we’re doing it again.

“We have a 5.30am opening and all day discounts, with 30 percent off all fixtures, ceiling fans, bathroom units, and so on, 20 percent off lamps and 15 percent off home decor items. We are also giving 10 percent off candles and candle accessories.”

She said the popular consignment store, Orange Bay Company, which is also in their building, will also be opening at 5.30am.

Gorham’s, on St John’s Road, is opening at 8am as usual, but plans Black Friday specials throughout the store denoted by black tags and black balloons. Gorham’s director Henry Durham said: “Look in the newspaper for details, our Facebook page and our e-mail blasts as well.”

Also outside town, in Devonshire on the corner of Middle Road and Tee Street, Anslie’s Interior Decor Ltd — which has participated in Black Friday since the first year — is celebrating the day with cut prices on everything from pillows and window treatments to bins of fabric. “This year we thought we shouldn’t be absent, so we just had to do it!”

As well as a place to buy gifts, any pre-Christmas home decor projects or materials for hand made gifts are available here.

Anslie’s will be opening at about 8am as well, and will stay open until 6pm. “We have all kinds of stuff,” said owner and operator Cindy Laws. “We’ve got some custom treatments that are already made up.” For those people who are interested in window treatments, Ms Laws advised making sure they come with the measurements of those windows.

“For DIY people, we have fabrics, leatherette, canvas, sunbrellas, autocloth for cars, we will have barrel sales — a few yards off the end of a roll for $2 or $10 a yard, and fabric remnants, for those doing at home projects, like pillows and placemats and quilts and bags. It’s great for arts and crafts.”

She said they also have all the hardware for window treatments as well. “If you can’t find an accessory, you’ll find it here,” she said.

“We are also selling bags of chopped foam — 30 gallons for $35 — for pillows, toys or ottomans, for example.”

There’s free parking too — but Ms Laws put in plea for people to park considerately!

Daisy’s and Daisy & Mac’s on Queen Street also plan to open at 8am with their ongoing 50 percent discounts throughout the store. For this emporium of children’s toys and clothes, as well as clothing for ladies, Black Friday has started early as well. “We are having VIP nights from 6pm with cocktails, and special promotions as well as our deep discounts of 50 to 60 percent store-wide in both Daisy’s and Daisy’s and Mac,” said owner Dawn Zuill.

Ms Zuill said the Bermudiana Arcade, where the stores are located, is becoming known for its festive spirit and throughout the arcade they will have a DJ playing music and additional seasonal activities.

Also in the Bermudiana Arcade, Mystique will be opening their doors at 6am on Friday morning, and will be staggering sale prices for products which include many unique items, such as cell phone cases and phone gadgets, wine caddies, high fashion men’s watches — “the guys love the watches” said store owner Mstira Weeks, teddy bear phone covers and retro handsets. “You can make your cellphone into a traditional home phone,” she said.

“From 6am to 7am, we’ll have 40 percent off, from 7am to 8am 30 percent off, from 8am to noon, 25 percent off, and from noon on, 20 percent off. We might have mimosas as well!” she said.

As Mr Grundmüller said: “It’s an important day for retail.”