Black Friday rush will happen online this year, but majority of UK shoppers remain comfortable visiting the high street

Black Friday rush will happen online this year, but majority of UK shoppers remain comfortable visiting the high street.

· Two thirds (67%) of Black Friday shoppers will be going online this year

· UK shoppers plan to spend an average of £736.62 each

· Customers expect discounts of 32% on Black Friday deals

· Sixty percent of shoppers still feel comfortable shopping in-store, despite COVID risk

· Top shopping tips: Make a list in advance and compare prices before you buy

Online shopping became a national pastime during COVID-19 lockdowns and PriceSpy.co.uk can reveal how this shift in attitude is affecting Black Friday spending.

Sixty-seven percent of Black Friday shoppers in the UK will only be making their purchases online this year, with a further 22% hoping to mix online and in-store spending. Elsewhere, just 8% are planning to do their shopping solely in-store, according to the price comparison service’s 2020 Black Friday report.

How much will shoppers shell out?

Overall, just over a third of consumers (36%) are planning to hunt for offers on Black Friday. This rate is far higher for the millennial age group – 25-34 year olds – with over half (52%) of respondents in this age band reporting they’ll be likely to shop in the Black Friday sales this year.

When it comes to customers’ expectations on discounts, a 32% reduction was the sweet spot for what shoppers found enticing. The average amount shoppers are expecting to spend on the day is a lofty £736.62.

Top five categories consumers will be shopping in 2020:

Gadgets and electronics 52%
Fashion 32%
Beauty & health 31%
Toys, children and baby 28%
Home & garden 25%

 

The COVID effect

According to the survey, safety isn’t an overwhelming factor in shoppers’ decision to purchase in-store. Six in 10 (60%) said they would feel safe in a physical store and only 15% won’t feel safe at all. There is a strong generational effect here too. Generation Z – 16-24 years old – feel the most at risk while those who are 55 years + feel the least.

That said, more than half of shoppers (55%) feel at risk of contracting coronavirus due to the high street being busier than usual and 48% reported that they don’t feel other shoppers maintain appropriate distances.

Public perceptions of Black Friday value

Despite predictions of the biggest Black Friday yet, scepticism still abounds regarding the value of the discounts offered on the day itself. More than a third (37%) believe that shops raise prices before Black Friday to make discounts seem bigger and 33% say that deals have been declining in recent years. In addition, half of people (49%), have felt pressured by retailers into buying things during flash sales like Black Friday.

On the other hand, a quarter of Brits (26%) think there are good deals and discounts at Black Friday and just under a fifth (18%) believe there are better deals during Black Friday than during the Christmas sales.

 

Avoid the hype and buy smart

Ossie Bayram, commercial director at PriceSpy.co.uk, said: “With people spending more time at home than usual and non-essential stores shut, online shopping has become an important outlet to many consumers. Based on the success of Amazon Prime Day, with sales increasing by 29% on our site, we are predicting the biggest Black Friday yet.

“Overall, the rapid growth of what has become our most popular shopping day can’t continue forever and in future years we expect the double-digit uplifts in spending we have seen to drop to a more sustainable single-digit pattern of growth.

“There are many great offers to be had, but, as always, we advise doing your homework to understand whether what you’re buying is truly a great discount and to compare across the market for the best price.”

 

ENDS

 

Notes to editor

Research was carried out during October, by independent research firm Censuswide. In the UK 2,007 respondents were surveyed, aged 16+. Implementation period 9 - 12 October 2020.

Media enquiries  

For more information or to request any imagery:  

  Tushar Parmar/ 07428 584 468 / tushar@milkandhoneypr.com  Lizzie Elkin / 07824 832 106 / lizzie@milkandhoneypr.com 

  About PriceSpy  
PriceSpy is a comprehensive price & product comparison service used by millions of consumers every month. It helps consumers find, discover, research and compare products.  

  PriceSpy has 5,520,000 indexed prices, 829,000 products, 6,910,000 product properties, along with hundreds of thousands of product and shop ratings. Providing a fully impartial comparison service for consumers and a deep depository of price data for retailers.  

  Prisjakt launched in the year 2000 and is Sweden's largest price comparison service. The service is known in Sweden and Norway as Prisjakt, and in the UK, Ireland and New Zealand as PriceSpy. 

More than a third of Brits (35%) plans to shop on Black Friday. On average, they intend to spend £736

Brits overall feel fairly comfortable visiting physical stores during Black Friday, despite the COVID-19 risk.

 

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