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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2016/nov/25/online-rush-for-bargains-kicks-off-black-friday-business-live
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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Online rush for bargains kicks off Black Friday - business live | Online rush for bargains kicks off Black Friday - business live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 9.04am GMT | |
| 09:04 | |
| Also today... UK GDP and CBI retail survey | |
| In other news, we have a couple of bits of interesting data coming up in the UK this morning. | |
| At 9.30 the Office for National Statistics will publish its second estimate of GDP in the third quarter. It is expected to confirm that the economy grew 0.5% between July and September, unchanged from the first estimate. | |
| The ONS is also expected to confirm an annual rate of growth of 2.3% in the third quarter. | |
| The second estimate will reveal new data on the spending side of the economy, and will offer a glimpse on firms’ willingness to spend in the months following the June Brexit vote. Business investment is expected to rise by 0.6% in the third quarter. | |
| At 11am the CBI will release its distributive trades survey for November. It is expected to show a slowdown in retail sales growth compared with October. | |
| Updated | |
| at 9.08am GMT | |
| 8.49am GMT | |
| 08:49 | |
| Nick Bubb, independent retail analyst, gives his view on Black Friday: | |
| Well, it remains to be seen how busy the high street will be today, but the much-dreaded “Black Friday” sale promotions this week will undoubtedly pull a lot of business forward from December, at lower margins, and it’s tempting to agree with the comment to the BBC by Peter Ruis, the boss of fashion chain Jigsaw, that Black Friday is a “complete and utter deception”… | |
| 8.46am GMT | |
| 08:46 | |
| Here’s our latest news story: | |
| 8.38am GMT | 8.38am GMT |
| 08:38 | 08:38 |
| Retailers have shifted their approach to Black Friday since it arrived here in 2010 (thanks to Amazon). | Retailers have shifted their approach to Black Friday since it arrived here in 2010 (thanks to Amazon). |
| This year many BF discounts are not single-day offers but promotions that spread over days and weeks, with a bigger focus online. | This year many BF discounts are not single-day offers but promotions that spread over days and weeks, with a bigger focus online. |
| PCA Predict says there have been record breaking online transactions this morning, up 21% on last year between midnight and 7am. | PCA Predict says there have been record breaking online transactions this morning, up 21% on last year between midnight and 7am. |
| East London is home to the savviest shoppers, with the highest number of online transactions before breakfast, followed by Croydon and Birmingham. | East London is home to the savviest shoppers, with the highest number of online transactions before breakfast, followed by Croydon and Birmingham. |
| Mobiles have been the most popular device for deal-hunters so far but PCA Predict expect this could change to desktops over the day as consumers head into work. | Mobiles have been the most popular device for deal-hunters so far but PCA Predict expect this could change to desktops over the day as consumers head into work. |
| The top five busiest online shopping regions according to PCA: | The top five busiest online shopping regions according to PCA: |
| 8.26am GMT | 8.26am GMT |
| 08:26 | 08:26 |
| Back here in 2016, Black Friday appears to have moved online: | Back here in 2016, Black Friday appears to have moved online: |
| The madness of Black Friday in Harringay captured by @levenephoto pic.twitter.com/Z6odXWvSO4 | The madness of Black Friday in Harringay captured by @levenephoto pic.twitter.com/Z6odXWvSO4 |
| First man to leave Sainsbury's on Black Friday is carrying ... three baguettes | First man to leave Sainsbury's on Black Friday is carrying ... three baguettes |
| Heading to the Westend in search of some Black Friday buzz.. | Heading to the Westend in search of some Black Friday buzz.. |
| 8.24am GMT | 8.24am GMT |
| 08:24 | 08:24 |
| My colleague Rupert Neate captured some of the madness of 2014 in this short video. Well worth a watch: | My colleague Rupert Neate captured some of the madness of 2014 in this short video. Well worth a watch: |
| 8.17am GMT | 8.17am GMT |
| 08:17 | 08:17 |
| Black Friday today is a far cry from the scenes we saw in stores in 2014, when there was an unseemly scramble for bargains such as televisions. | Black Friday today is a far cry from the scenes we saw in stores in 2014, when there was an unseemly scramble for bargains such as televisions. |
| Here’s a reminder from two years ago: | Here’s a reminder from two years ago: |
| *collective nostalgia for unseemly trampling incident in Asda Wembley* #blackfriday | *collective nostalgia for unseemly trampling incident in Asda Wembley* #blackfriday |
| 8.11am GMT | 8.11am GMT |
| 08:11 | 08:11 |
| Guardian reporters have been out and about since the early hours, joining the Black Friday bargain hunters. | Guardian reporters have been out and about since the early hours, joining the Black Friday bargain hunters. |
| My colleague Sarah Butler says its been “more of a saunter than a scramble” at Tesco Extra in Streatham: | My colleague Sarah Butler says its been “more of a saunter than a scramble” at Tesco Extra in Streatham: |
| While online retailers were busy, stores were off to a slow start. At the Tesco Extra in Streatham, south London, there were only 11 people in the queue when the supermarket opened at 5am - not many more than the number of security guards. | While online retailers were busy, stores were off to a slow start. At the Tesco Extra in Streatham, south London, there were only 11 people in the queue when the supermarket opened at 5am - not many more than the number of security guards. |
| Some of those queuing had been there since 4.30am and were surprised how few people had turned up compared to last year. | Some of those queuing had been there since 4.30am and were surprised how few people had turned up compared to last year. |
| Tony was queuing up for a Hatchimal after being unable to get one for his kids online. “I’ll either go home a hero of If they haven’t got one I’ll be home in bed in half an hour.” | Tony was queuing up for a Hatchimal after being unable to get one for his kids online. “I’ll either go home a hero of If they haven’t got one I’ll be home in bed in half an hour.” |
| Most of those in the queue were planning to pick up a TV from the large pile just inside the door. But it was more of a saunter than a scramble once the doors opened. | Most of those in the queue were planning to pick up a TV from the large pile just inside the door. But it was more of a saunter than a scramble once the doors opened. |
| Michael, who bought two TVs, said: “This is quiet, very calm. Last year at Sainsbury’s it was crazy. I thought it would be a real rabble again.” He said he was buying himself a TV for the second year in a row as the one he got last year broke.Martin, the store manager at Tesco in Streatham, said he was expecting sales to build through the day into the afternoon. He said hundreds more TVs would be delivered over the weekend. “It will give us additional spend later on when people come in to do their normal shop,” he said. | Michael, who bought two TVs, said: “This is quiet, very calm. Last year at Sainsbury’s it was crazy. I thought it would be a real rabble again.” He said he was buying himself a TV for the second year in a row as the one he got last year broke.Martin, the store manager at Tesco in Streatham, said he was expecting sales to build through the day into the afternoon. He said hundreds more TVs would be delivered over the weekend. “It will give us additional spend later on when people come in to do their normal shop,” he said. |
| 7.59am GMT | 7.59am GMT |
| 07:59 | 07:59 |
| We had about 20 folk here at Tesco. All very quiet now. #Black Friday looks set to be an online event again. | We had about 20 folk here at Tesco. All very quiet now. #Black Friday looks set to be an online event again. |
| 7.52am GMT | 7.52am GMT |
| 07:52 | 07:52 |
| Argos readies Black Friday 'war rooms' | Argos readies Black Friday 'war rooms' |
| Rebecca Smithers | Rebecca Smithers |
| John Rogers, the new chief executive officer of Argos, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that there had been 500,000 visits to the retailer’s website in the first hour of online trading between midnight and 1pm - up 50% on last year. | John Rogers, the new chief executive officer of Argos, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that there had been 500,000 visits to the retailer’s website in the first hour of online trading between midnight and 1pm - up 50% on last year. |
| He expects peak traffic between 7am and 10am as people shop on their mobile phones on their way to work. Rogers - the former finance director at Sainsbury’s which has taken over the business - was speaking from Argos’s distribution warehouse in Burton-on-Trent, as part of a whistlestop ‘national tour’ of its stores and facilities in the run-up to Christmas. | He expects peak traffic between 7am and 10am as people shop on their mobile phones on their way to work. Rogers - the former finance director at Sainsbury’s which has taken over the business - was speaking from Argos’s distribution warehouse in Burton-on-Trent, as part of a whistlestop ‘national tour’ of its stores and facilities in the run-up to Christmas. |
| For Black Friday itself, Argos has set up three “war rooms”. One will monitor and tweak deals, one will oversee systems – standing ready to tackle any technical glitches - and the third will oversee communications with shoppers. | For Black Friday itself, Argos has set up three “war rooms”. One will monitor and tweak deals, one will oversee systems – standing ready to tackle any technical glitches - and the third will oversee communications with shoppers. |
| Rogers predicts that Argos will take 70% or more of its orders online on that day, compared with 50% during normal trading, and that the company is better prepared for Black Friday than last year after rigorously testing its systems. | Rogers predicts that Argos will take 70% or more of its orders online on that day, compared with 50% during normal trading, and that the company is better prepared for Black Friday than last year after rigorously testing its systems. |
| 7.46am GMT | 7.46am GMT |
| 07:46 | 07:46 |
| Black Friday gets underway | Black Friday gets underway |
| Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of the world economy, the financial markets, the eurozone and business. | Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of the world economy, the financial markets, the eurozone and business. |
| Black Friday is here again, but this time without the shop-floor stampedes. | Black Friday is here again, but this time without the shop-floor stampedes. |
| Retailers are instead reporting a surge in online traffic as shoppers seek out the best bargains at the discount event that began in the US but has been adopted by the UK in recent years. | Retailers are instead reporting a surge in online traffic as shoppers seek out the best bargains at the discount event that began in the US but has been adopted by the UK in recent years. |
| Argos said there were half a million visitors to its website in the first hour of Black Friday trading. | Argos said there were half a million visitors to its website in the first hour of Black Friday trading. |
| So far we haven’t seen the queues and chaos in shops that characterised Black Friday in 2014. It’s much more orderly this year. | So far we haven’t seen the queues and chaos in shops that characterised Black Friday in 2014. It’s much more orderly this year. |
| We will be bringing you updates on this, and other developments, as they happen. | We will be bringing you updates on this, and other developments, as they happen. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 7.47am GMT | at 7.47am GMT |