ULTIMATE BLACK FRIDAY BARGAINS
Get set for the biggest shopping day of the year — with deals galore that can save you hundreds ... and up to 90pc off!
LIKE so many things, we’ve got the Americans to thank for Black Friday. The term was apparently first coined by the police in Philadelphia in the Fifties.
The Friday after Thanksgiving was always a busy one as shoppers and tourists flocked to the city ahead of a big football game that took place on the Saturday. The ensuing crowds, traffic and trouble meant all police leave was banned, and everyone had to work longer shifts than usual.
By the Eighties, the term had spread to the rest of the country, and Black Friday sales were seen as a good way to offload stock before the Christmas season.
To give it a more positive spin, an urban legend grew up around the term, suggesting that it was on the Friday after Thanksgiving that — thanks to shoppers scooping up so many bargains — shopkeepers who had spent all year in debt (or ‘in the red’) went into the black.
But it wasn’t until 2010, when American-owned Amazon started offering Black Friday deals to British customers, that we got a taste of it. Things escalated in 2013 when Asda, owned by American retail giant Walmart took part and, over the past five years, more and more retailers have joined in.
Increasingly people are buying their Black Friday bargains online. Last year the UK’s online retail association IMRG reported that a staggering £1.4 billion was spent on online sales in the UK on Black Friday, up 11 per cent on last year.
Meanwhile retail intelligence experts Springboard forecast that footfall on the High Street was expected to be down almost 4 per cent on the previous year.
Inevitably Black Friday has its detractors, with some claiming that the bargains are not all they seem, but there are some great deals to be had, especially if you follow our shopping tips. And while traditionally the biggest price cuts are found on electrical items, as you’ll see from our guide, you’ll find impressive discounts on everything from clothes and make-up through to fashion, food and toys.
And what could be more appealing than wrapping up all your Christmas shopping, at rockbottom prices, before December’s even started?
Here’s all you need to know about the best bargains out there . . .