£9BN BLACK FRIDAY
Brits tipped for record splurge
BARGAIN hunters are set for a recordbreaking £9.1billion Black Friday spree as they bag deals from gadgets and toys to fashion accessories.
Sales over the four-day extravaganza starting on November 26 are expected to be 15% higher than last year and 6.8% more than 2019, before the pandemic.
Figures from analysts GlobalData for website VoucherCodes reveal almost £3.4bn will be blown on
Black Friday alone, with £3.28million spent a minute.
The bargain bonanza, which runs until Cyber Monday on November 29, will give the high street a much-needed £3.4bn boost as shoppers trawl stores looking for the best deals, while online sales are expected to total £5.7bn.
Anita Naik, lifestyle editor at VoucherCodes said: “Black Friday is one of the best times of year for bagging a bargain, as retailers often reserve their best deals for it.
“With supply chain shortages still prevalent, it’s likely this year in particular people will be using Black Friday to get ahead on their Christmas shopping.”
Figures from eBay reveal two-thirds of Brits are planning to save cash by getting their stocking fillers over the four days.
Last year, 40 items a second were snapped up on the site and eBay said this would be the “savviest-ever” Black Friday. Gadgets are expected to be the big sellers with consoles, laptops, smartphones and Apple Airpods top of the pile. MoneySuperMarket spokesperson Jo Thornhill said: “While Black Friday is often associated with crazy queues outside shops, most Brits will take advantage of the sales online and they’re wise to do so. “If you want to avoid breaking the bank this Christmas, think ahead about your gifts and see if you can find them in the sales.” Black Friday fever hasn’t hit everyone though, with one high street expert labelling it the “Grinch that stole Christmas” for many smaller shops. Dr Jackie Mulligan, founder of shopping platform Shopappy, said: “Black Friday purchases made on Amazon or other online giants are a black eye to the small high street retailer. “So this year, after the turmoil of the pandemic, we’re encouraging everyone to shop local.”