With some retailers now opting to cash in on consumer enthusiasm for Black Friday bargains, many are expected to extend their discount period to a full two weeks. Expanding the forecast to incorporate a fortnight of sales, UK shoppers are anticipated to spend £29.57bn in just 14 days.
And, there is a clear pattern within the UK that shoppers are increasingly opting to stay away from the manic in-store environment, instead opting to get their deals online. While offline sales (£4.80bn) are still anticipated to outstrip online purchases (£3.77bn), online sales are expected to grow by 8.3%, with in-store forecasts dropping 0.2% on last year. In fact, the UK is the only country included within the report to show a decrease in offline purchases, even though the other nations are also hinting at a shift towards online.
Anita Naik, Lifestyle Editor at VoucherCodes.co.uk commented: “Even with concerns over consumer confidence due to Brexit and the upcoming General Election, it looks as though enthusiasm for Black Friday’s showing no sign of slowing down in the UK – with total spend up 3.4% on 2018. Black Friday falls slightly later in November this year, so there’s a possibility this will create a greater sense of urgency among shoppers to get their Christmas shopping done over the deal-filled weekend.
“While Black Friday can be confusing and very hectic, there are plenty of things you can do to prepare yourself to make sure you get a great deal. You can sign up to alerts from your favourite brands and retailers to make sure you’re ready to take advantage of some of the great discounts on offer. It’s also a good idea to make a list of items that you are thinking of buying before Black Friday begins – that way you’ll be focussed on only buying what you need and can check whether or not you’re actually getting a good deal on the day. Check out all of my insider tips over on the
VoucherCodes blog.”
View findings from the Black Friday report at:
https://www.vouchercodes.co.uk/press/infographics/black-friday-2019
