Black Friday sales bounced back this year as shoppers looked out for good deals, despite predictions the higher cost of living would dampen the event. Barclaycard Payments, which processes £1 in every £3 spent on UK cards, said transactions rose 3.2% on last year. An all-time Black Friday record was made for the number of transactions per second between midday and 1pm. Currys said energy-efficient products led its sales as customers looked to save money on energy bills. Footfall in shops was up on 2021 with no Covid rules this year, but was down compared to before the pandemic. Experts had predicted overall sales and profits would be lower than last year, due to customers tightening their purse strings as prices rise at the fastest rate for 41 years.
