Whether you’re keen to bag a bargain or enjoy a bit of a scrap, Black Friday is fast approaching and appears to offer both.
In recent years, its popularity has soared since it made its way to Britain from across the pond.
Nowadays, the Christmas run-in simply wouldn’t be the same without images of people stampeding through supermarket doorways at opening time and trying to prise widescreen TVs from the grasp of others.
With this in mind, here’s all that you need to know about this year’s Black Friday.
What is Black Friday?
In case you’re not in the know, it’s a day when a number of shops offer huge discounts on their products. This coaxes hoards of bargain-hungry shoppers to various retailers and guarantees the aforementioned scenes of chaos we tend to see on the news.
When is it?
Unsurprisingly, it falls on a Friday. This year, it will be November 27.
Why does it fall a good month or so away from Christmas Day itself? Well – remember that this is an American thing which traditionally starts after their Thanksgiving celebrations.
When does it start?
Shops are expected to open their doors as early as 6am, but don’t think for one moment that you’ll be able to turn up at five to and be first in the line.
Many hardcore Black Friday shoppers won’t see their beds on Thursday night.
A better suggestion is to stay in and check the internet. Plenty of retailers put deals on line at midnight – meaning you can avoid the crowds.
Which stores are doing Black Friday deals?
Increasingly, this is becoming a case of which stores aren’t doing any.
It’s been revealed that Asda (ironically a US-owned store) has opted out this year, with chief executive Andy Clarke telling the Western Morning News that customers simply don’t want it:
“When it comes to putting customers first, Asda has always led the way, which is why we’re just as confident in our decision to step away from Black Friday as we were in introducing it to the UK.”
Plenty of others are undeterred.
Apple are set to be offer a range of discounts in the UK and stores like John Lewis have jumped on the Black Friday bandwagon.
Elsewhere, the likes of Amazon, Argos, Currys, Marks and Spencer and Tesco will also have deals throughout their UK stores.
If you’re brave enough to head to the shops that day, we wish you the very best of luck.
