Black Friday shoppers prepare to spend £2.4bn – here’s what they’re buying
UK shoppers are set to spend a record £2.44bn on Black Friday tomorrow, with £2.95m being spent every minute as people prepare to do their Christmas shopping early.
High streets will attract the majority of the spend despite a tough year of declining sales, as retailers expect to net £1.41bn from brick-and-mortar stores.
Digital isn’t far behind however, with shoppers ready to order £1.04bn worth of goods as the likes of Amazon and Ebay offer heavy discounts on their range of products.
Jimmy New, marketing director at Vouchercodes.co.uk, which conducted the research with the Centre for Retail Research, said: “Black Friday is now well established as one of the prime pre-Christmas shopping days with millions being spent and made in minutes, both on and offline.
“The date provides a real opportunity for retailers to boost sales with strategic discounting and offers but it’s vital to ensure online channels and bricks and mortar stores are prepared for the influx of additional traffic and footfall.
“Planning ahead for the day will ensure that retailers can truly capitalise on the date and won’t fall foul of the mistakes made in 2014 – the year where Black Friday really took off, retailers’ websites crashed and traditional bricks and mortar stores saw massive overcrowding.”
According to Vouchercodes and the Centre for Retail Research, here’s what shoppers will be dropping their pretty pennies on tomorrow:
| Goods | Percentage of shoppers looking for deals |
| Clothing, footwear & accessories | 24 per cent |
| Personal electronics (smartphones, tablets) | 23 per cent |
| Home electronics (TVs, speakers) | 23 per cent |
| DVDs, computer games, books | 16 per cent |
| Toys | 15 per cent |
| Cosmetics and perfumes | 15 per cent |
| Homewares | 10 per cent |
| White goods (refrigerators, washing machines) | Eight per cent |
| Food | Eight per cent |
| Alcoholic drinks | Seven per cent |