Savvy buyers head online as demand in-store decreases
Last year, scenes of near-rioting were seen in stores across the country, on the date now known as Black Friday, as shoppers brought out their competitive sides in the search for a bargain.
This year however, it seems people had been put off the hustle and bustle of midnight openings and clustered checkouts, as crowds stayed at home to carry out their spending sprees online.
The huge queues which were seen in 2014 were nowhere to be seen on Friday 27th November with only a few patient members of the public seen at stores across the country.
Videos from 2014, of people fighting to get their hands on reduced electronics, appear to have been enough to drive custom away from store openings and towards the safe haven behind a computer screen.
Myf Ryan is a director at Westfield, which runs The Broadway shopping centre in Bradford as well as two other sites in London.
Speaking about the trend of shoppers this year, he remained optimistic for in-store sales despite not confirming any figures.
“Last year, Black Friday cemented itself in the UK festive calendar for both shoppers and retailers,” he said.
“At Westfield, we saw nearly 300,000 people pass through our doors and we expect similar record numbers of visitors this year as shoppers take advantage of the special deals on offer.
“Black Friday is quickly becoming a marker of the start of Christmas shopping in the UK, with many people using the weekend to get ahead with their purchasing.”
Despite shoppers opting not to go out into the cold this year, predictions still suggest a record amount was spent during the Black Friday sales.
