first sale of the New Year; New Year opening sale
A seasonal retail term for the first business day or sales event held by shops after New Year, often associated with bargains and 福袋 lucky bags.
See also: 初買い
I bought a lucky bag at the department store's New Year opening sale.
Long lines formed from the morning for this year's first sale of the New Year.
I went to the department store's New Year opening sale.
The New Year sale started on the morning of New Year's Day.
I bought a coat at the New Year sale.
初売り refers to the shop's first sale of the New Year, while 初買い refers to the customer's first purchase, so the two are easily mixed up because they describe the same event from opposite sides.
counter for occurrences; times · time; instance; occasion · inning (baseball); round; game · episode; chapter; installment · Hui (people) · Islam
A transparent compound of 初, meaning 'first,' and 売り, meaning 'selling' or 'sale'; together it refers to the first sales conducted in the New Year.