New data from industry analysts GlobalData and Vouchercodes.co.uk is forecasting that UK shoppers will spend £9.14 billion over the four-day Black Friday weekend – a 4.5% increase on last year.
Clothing and footwear will be key, with the report noting that over half of Black Friday shoppers are planning to stock up on new season styles (55%, up from 44% in 2023).
The later date of Black Friday this year (Friday 29 November) could also benefit retail, with the reporting stating: “With Black Friday falling later in the year, shoppers will be snapping up the deals and discounts as soon as they’re available to make sure items arrive in plenty of time before Christmas.”
Almost half (47%) of Black Friday shoppers will be using the sales to get a head start on their Christmas shopping, while 9% will be basing ‘most’ of their Christmas shopping around the sales.
In addition, for the first time since 2022, bricks and mortar stores will increase their share of spend by 1.9%, taking their total to 46.9%, according to the report. Online stores will see their share dip slightly to 53.1%.
However there is one trend that could dent retailers’ Black Friday profits – the growing ‘Green Friday’ movement. This ‘encourages retailers to use the Black Friday sales to offload stock and reduce waste that could end up in landfill’. The report says that 17% of people say they would be keen to get involved in Green Friday instead of traditional Black Friday.
