Much like pop singer P!nk or The Bachelor, Black Friday sales are a rare American import Australians have embraced with open arms.

The US-born sales event runs on the last Friday in November and marks the beginning of a four-day-long sales fest ending on Cyber Monday, with customers able to snap up deeply discounted or limited-time products.

Nike's store in Melbourne during last year's Black Friday sales. Credit:Paul Rovere

Once eschewed by Australian retailers, Black Friday is now a mainstay of the retail landscape, one which analysts believe has transformed the familiar Christmas period into a drawn-out event which risks trapping sellers into a five-week-long sales slog.

Starting on Friday, merchants big and small will roll out their discounted offerings to customers both online and in-store. And according to Citi analyst Bryan Raymond, for some retailers the discounting won't stop there.