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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Black Friday: Retailers hope for record sales | Black Friday: Retailers hope for record sales |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| UK stores opened their doors early and cut-price deals were put online overnight as the Black Friday sales got under way. | |
| Analysts are predicting record sales, but early reports suggest smaller crowds than last year outside stores. | |
| Consultants Experian and online retail group IMRG are forecasting online purchases will hit £1.07bn, the first time they have passed £1bn in one day. | Consultants Experian and online retail group IMRG are forecasting online purchases will hit £1.07bn, the first time they have passed £1bn in one day. |
| Visa Europe says £1.9bn could be spent online and in-store on its cards alone. | Visa Europe says £1.9bn could be spent online and in-store on its cards alone. |
| Last year's Black Friday saw shoppers fighting over bargains, websites crashing and delivery companies struggling to cope. | Last year's Black Friday saw shoppers fighting over bargains, websites crashing and delivery companies struggling to cope. |
| A spokesman for Tesco said it had been very busy so far with early shoppers behaving well. | |
| The discount day originated in the US, where it takes place the day after Thanksgiving and kick-starts the Christmas shopping period. | The discount day originated in the US, where it takes place the day after Thanksgiving and kick-starts the Christmas shopping period. |
| Police warning | Police warning |
| Last year, Amazon sold more than 5.5 million items on Black Friday at a rate of 64 items per second. | Last year, Amazon sold more than 5.5 million items on Black Friday at a rate of 64 items per second. |
| Ebay is expecting nine million British consumers to log on during the 24-hour period and for 25 items to be sold every second. | Ebay is expecting nine million British consumers to log on during the 24-hour period and for 25 items to be sold every second. |
| Some of the stores who have opened their doors early include Argos shops and a selection of Tesco, Sainsbury's and Currys PC World stores. | |
| Gary Booker of Carphone Dixons said the retailer had brought in 40% more stock to cope with the predicted number of shoppers, but he admitted the cheapest prices that consumers will find in the year will still be on Boxing Day. | |
| Earlier this year, retailer John Lewis warned that UK firms would have to rethink the heavy discounting of Black Friday, but it has decided that it has little option but to compete with other retailers and will be offering in-store and online promotions. | Earlier this year, retailer John Lewis warned that UK firms would have to rethink the heavy discounting of Black Friday, but it has decided that it has little option but to compete with other retailers and will be offering in-store and online promotions. |
| However, supermarket chain Asda, which started Black Friday promotions in the UK in 2013, has decided not to take part this year. | However, supermarket chain Asda, which started Black Friday promotions in the UK in 2013, has decided not to take part this year. |
| It said there was "customer fatigue" around such events and it was providing savings across the Christmas shopping season. | It said there was "customer fatigue" around such events and it was providing savings across the Christmas shopping season. |
| Last year, police were called to a number of stores to break up scuffles among shoppers vying for the best deals. | Last year, police were called to a number of stores to break up scuffles among shoppers vying for the best deals. |
| The police have warned shops to ensure they have carefully thought out security plans so they can avoid any trouble. | The police have warned shops to ensure they have carefully thought out security plans so they can avoid any trouble. |
| 'Spiky' period | 'Spiky' period |
| Some analysts feel the event has distorted Christmas spending pulling it forward at a time when retailers traditionally charged full prices. | Some analysts feel the event has distorted Christmas spending pulling it forward at a time when retailers traditionally charged full prices. |
| James Miller, senior retail consultant at Experian Marketing Services, said: "There is little doubt Black Friday has dramatically changed the way people shop in the run-up to Christmas and has created an expectation of deep discounts that arguably did not exist before. | James Miller, senior retail consultant at Experian Marketing Services, said: "There is little doubt Black Friday has dramatically changed the way people shop in the run-up to Christmas and has created an expectation of deep discounts that arguably did not exist before. |
| "Offline retailers in particular need to plan very carefully for this new 'spiky' festive period. While Black Friday offers the potential for a short blast of extra sales volume, this will be at the expense of margins during the most crucial period of the trading year." | "Offline retailers in particular need to plan very carefully for this new 'spiky' festive period. While Black Friday offers the potential for a short blast of extra sales volume, this will be at the expense of margins during the most crucial period of the trading year." |
| Consumers association Which? also warned shoppers to be careful. | Consumers association Which? also warned shoppers to be careful. |
| Which? editor Richard Headland said: "There will be a whole host of deals available on Black Friday but not all of them will be genuine." | Which? editor Richard Headland said: "There will be a whole host of deals available on Black Friday but not all of them will be genuine." |
| Paul Green, business development manager at retail systems integrator, Tryzens said Black Friday should be got rid of altogether. | Paul Green, business development manager at retail systems integrator, Tryzens said Black Friday should be got rid of altogether. |
| "Black Friday makes little sense in the UK. Without Thanksgiving, the event's focus point, the decision to concentrate so many resources and discounts on a Friday in November seems arbitrary at best and significantly disruptive at worst. | "Black Friday makes little sense in the UK. Without Thanksgiving, the event's focus point, the decision to concentrate so many resources and discounts on a Friday in November seems arbitrary at best and significantly disruptive at worst. |
| "Retailers are actually in danger of losing money this Black Friday through heavy discounting, while requiring high online maintenance and operational fulfilment costs to enable peak web and store sales in the process." | "Retailers are actually in danger of losing money this Black Friday through heavy discounting, while requiring high online maintenance and operational fulfilment costs to enable peak web and store sales in the process." |
| Are you planning on shopping during Black Friday or going to avoid the High Streets? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | Are you planning on shopping during Black Friday or going to avoid the High Streets? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or use the form below | Or use the form below |