Black Friday footfall to dip as retailers extend discounting into the weekend

Footfall during this year’s Black Friday is expected to slide, with fewer consumers feeling the urgency to shop on Britain’s high streets as retailers plan to extend the frenzied day of discounting into the weekend.

Research out yesterday from analytics firm ShopperTrak is predicting the volume of shoppers on the high street will be 6.5 per cent lower at this year’s Black friday than it was during the event in 2017.

While footfall on Friday is expected to be 20 per cent higher than the daily average, the rise in shopper growth is forecasted to be be stronger on Sunday (27 per cent).

“Consumers are demanding longer and longer periods of discounting, meaning Black Friday has evolved from a single day of discounts in 2014, to what was dubbed ‘Black Fiveday’ in 2017, to this year’s ‘Blackvember’ – where retailers, such as Amazon, have already started discounting early,” according to Steve Richardson, UK director at ShopperTrak.

The eagerly-anticipated day comes after several tough months for many of the UK’s major fashion high street brands, which have seen margins come under pressure after consumers held off on winter shopping amid a prolonged summer heatwave.