Westfield Parramatta and DFO Black Friday hell: Aussies stuck in cars for hours in sales nightmare
Stunning images have emerged of the traffic chaos caused by Black Friday sales over the weekend in major Australian shopping centres.
The Australian Retailer’s Association believes 10 million Australians flooded stores from Friday in the hope of bagging some Christmas bargains, spending at least $6.36 billion.
The sales rush caused chaos at Westfield Parramatta and at DFO in Homebush, in Sydney’s west.
Two Sydneysiders’ plans to hold a Black Friday sale at Westfield Parramatta turned into a hellish afternoon.
It took the pair almost 90 minutes to get out of the Westfield car park, while others claimed it took two hours to get out.
This woman’s first experience with Black Friday sales in Sydney was not a good one
“The worst part is leaving the parking lot,” the woman explained.
She and her companion, who seemed unimpressed, spent more than an hour in the parking lot, passing the time watching YouTube videos.
At one point, the woman went back to Westfield to use the restroom.
“Guess what, the car is still there,” she explains as she returns to the vehicle.
“Didn’t move an inch!”
Other drivers caught up in the commotion can be heard voicing their frustration as the constant honking horn echoes through the parking lot. Even hours after the shops were closed, the situation did not improve.
“We waited an hour and a half to leave Westfield,” another frustrated shopper captioned her video of the Parramatta Westfield “parking station.”
It took this man almost 90 minutes to leave the Westfield Parramatta car park
The Westfield Parramatta car park was still a mess after the shops closed
The scenes were just as wild at DFO Homebush, where eager shoppers queued for hours to get in.
The line of shoppers in the parking lot stretched for hundreds of yards.
The men were just as enthusiastic about the sale as the ladies and flocked to the Nike outlet in search of new shoes and clothing.
Things weren’t much better outside, as another customer showed traffic backed up for miles.
Eager shoppers queued for hours to get into DFO Homebush
Traffic entering DFO Homebush was backed up for miles on Friday
The scenes of the Black Friday sale stunned viewers.
“I used to work at DFO, the sales go on all week, and they’re the same sales where you don’t have to wait in line for four hours,” one woman noted.
Another added: ‘Selling with old stock that no one wants. These people don’t value their time.’
Others wondered why shoppers would go through a nightmare when the same bargains are available online.
“Stay home,” one viewer wrote.
Australian shoppers will spend $6.36 billion over the four-day Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend, according to the Australian Retail Association.
“As the country remains in the grip of a cost of living crisis, the importance of Black Friday and Cyber Monday will be greater than ever before,” said Paul Zahra.
‘Despite a tepid spending forecast for the pre-Christmas period, Black Friday will be record-breaking this year as consumers look for bargains under intense financial pressure.
“We expect more than half of Australia’s gift shops would be completed by the end of November.”
The chaos will continue in the coming weeks as Christmas approaches, followed by the Boxing Day sales.
The Nike outlet was full of smart shoppers on the hunt for a bargain before Christmas