Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Bloated Black Friday sales have lost their way

Retail sales jump on Black Friday discounting
Shoppers in York make the most of Black Friday in York. (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)
Getty Images

An entire month of Black Friday sales has devalued the event and left shoppers confused, says ParcelHero, and warns of a 20% drop in sales this year

Home delivery specialist ParcelHero’s Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks M.I.L.T., says: ‘Black Friday is in danger of becoming a bloated, overlong, anticlimax. In the 2010s it was a genuinely exciting shopping event, pioneered here in the UK by Amazon and really taking off after being adopted by the likes of Asda in 2014. Bargain hunters even brawled in the aisles over the latest deals. That all seems a long time ago.

"We’ve been analysing the latest predictions from many consumer and retail organisations, and the picture for Black Friday looks black," said Jinks. "Only 16 per cent of UK shoppers say they will 'definitely buy' anything at all during the Black Holiday sales this year, versus 24 per cent last year, according to the accounting specialist PwC. That’s a far cry from the event’s heyday when everyone seemed to be glued to their PCs and devices.


"Why has there been this collapse in interest? First, Black Friday offers began to stretch over the following weekend, joining up with Cyber Monday. Then they began to sprawl over the preceding week. Now we are facing 'Black November', an entire month of so-called deals. However, with retailers having to stretch their loss-leading bargains over longer periods, the flash sale has become a fizzle.

"Our latest analysis reveals that shoppers are likely to cut spending by at least 20 per cent as they lose the impetus of a single day of genuine bargains. This mirrors research from the consumer finance site Finder, which claims Black Friday spending is expected to drop by £900 million over the Black Friday weekend, down 23 per cent from a planned spend of £3.9 billion in 2022. Even for those who do plan to take part, the average spend per person on Black Friday 2023 is predicted to be £113, that’s 40 per cent less than in 2022 and 59 per cent less than in 2021.

"Of course, many shoppers also have a nagging doubt that many so-called bargains are anything but bargains. There’s no wonder, as the consumer organisation Which? reports, that only two per cent of products in the 2022 Black Friday sales were genuinely cheaper than at other times of the year. According to Which?, 98 per cent of sale items were the same price or less and 45 per cent were cheaper at other times of the year."

More for you

A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale

A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale, on December 13, 2024 in London, England.

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images

Retail sales disappoint before Christmas

UK retail sales rose less than expected in the runup to Christmas, according to official data Friday that deals a fresh blow to government hopes of growing the economy.

Separate figures revealed a temporary reprieve for prime minister Keir Starmer, however, as public borrowing fell sharply in November.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sybren Attema, and Betty Eekchaut

Presidents Sybren Attema, FrieslandCampina, and Betty Eekchaut, Milcobel

Yazoo parent FrieslandCampina announces merger with Belgian rival Milcobel

Dutch dairy collective FrieslandCampina has agreed to merge with smaller Belgian rival Milcobel, creating a leading dairy cooperative.

FrieslandCampina, whose brands include Yazoo and Chocomel, said the merger will provide the foundation for a future-oriented organisation that has dairy front and centre for member dairy farmers, employees, consumers, and customers.

Keep ReadingShow less
Retail Shoplifting. Man Stealing In Supermarket
Photo: iStock

Home Office reaffirms commitment to abolish £200 shoplifting threshold

The UK government has pledged stronger measures to combat anti-social behaviour and shoplifting, which it acknowledges as serious crimes that disrupt communities and harm businesses.

Addressing a House of Lords debate on Monday, Home Office minister Lord Hanson detailed plans to abolish the controversial £200 shoplifting threshold and to introduce a new offence for assaults on retail workers.

Keep ReadingShow less
post office store
Photo: Post Office Ltd

Post Office launches wellbeing hub to support postmasters amid rising retail crime

In response to the mounting pressures faced by postmasters across the UK, the Post Office has unveiled a centralised wellbeing platform aimed at simplifying access to support resources.

Post Office said the surge in shoplifting and violent incidents, documented in the 2024 ACS Crime Report, has only intensified the demand for comprehensive support.

Keep ReadingShow less
Independent retailers face mixed outlook for 2025 – Bira
iStock

Independent retailers face mixed outlook for 2025 – Bira

Independent retailers have weathered one of their most challenging years in 2024, with multiple headwinds affecting the sector, according to the British Independent Retailers Association (Bira).

With pressures mounting throughout the year, independent retailers have faced an increasingly difficult trading environment marked by changing consumer behaviour and economic uncertainties.

Keep ReadingShow less