doorbuster

American  

[dawr-buhs-ter, dohr‐] / ˈdɔrˌbʌs tər, ˈdoʊr‐ /

Or door-buster

noun

1. Informal.

   1. a retail item that is heavily discounted for a very limited time in order to draw customers to the store.

   2. the price of such an item.

2. a device used to forcibly open a door.

3. a person who breaks into a place by force.

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Etymology

Origin of doorbuster

First recorded in 1890–1900; door ( def. ) + buster ( def. )

Explanation

Sometimes you'll find a long line of people waiting for a store to open so they can take advantage of a doorbuster, a popular product being offered at a very low price. Doorbusters are an easy way to bring in customers. A doorbuster gets its name from the fact that it causes a rush of customers, seemingly enough to break down the door! That's because the sale price usually applies only to a limited number of customers, such as the first 100. It may be a discount that lasts for just a few hours, so people are anxious to get in as quickly as possible, or there may be a very limited stock of the deeply discounted items. Depending on how attractive the sale item is, there could be a stampede. So if you're ever in such a lineup, be careful when the door opens!

Example Sentences

After last year’s holiday season, which featured few traditional doorbuster sales, many shoppers, it now seems, are looking for discounts before they buy.

From New York Times • Nov. 16, 2022

The Thanksgiving weekend previously kicked off the U.S. holiday shopping season with "doorbuster" discounts that had consumers lining up for blocks outside brick-and-mortar stores across the country on Black Friday, the day following Thanksgiving.

From Reuters • Nov. 23, 2021

In recent years, retail stores have opened as early at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day for doorbuster deals on televisions and Instant Pots and AirPods.

From Salon • Oct. 10, 2021

The doorbuster deals on limited-stock items that have become a staple of Black Friday shopping?

From Seattle Times • Nov. 21, 2020

Retailers are reimagining a shopping experience that has long hinged on Black Friday doorbuster deals and shelves of impulse buys.

From Washington Post • Aug. 17, 2020