Black Friday started earlier this year as shoppers turned to online services during the pandemic with sales expected to reach over £750m. The number of parcels being delivered started increasing sharply from the end of October. In a normal year, retailers would expect the week in which Black Friday falls to be the most profitable of the year. But sales were already up by between 50 and 60% in each of the first three weeks of November, according to IMRG, which collects data from online retailing companies. However nearly nine in 10 products sold on Black Friday are available for the same price or cheaper earlier in the year, according to consumer group Which?. Some big High Street names have decided to shun the Black Friday shopping bonanza even though online spending in the UK is set to soar. Several retailers told the BBC they were focussed on offering good value all-year round instead.
