Shoppers and stores '˜to shun' Black Friday

Now, as Black Friday approaches at the end of the month, shoppers in Yorkshire have been told to ignore a one-day burst as retailers seek to boost trading throughout the Christmas shopping period.

Retailers’ experience of recent Black Friday sales, which can present huge operational challenges for stores, means it is unlikely we will see a flurry of deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday alone, or indeed a repeat of the Black Friday chaos seen in stores, says Andy Brian, retail partner at Yorkshire law firm Gordons.

However, consumers will not miss out on the chance to make savings, as retailers are likely to use Black Friday to kick start a longer and more manageable period of deals spread over the holiday season instead, he said.

“Most retailers are yet to reveal their plans for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but it is unlikely we will see the scenes that made headlines in recent years with shoppers literally fighting each other to be first through the doors,” said Mr Brian.

“Trading figures from previous years show that Black Friday and Cyber Monday do not necessarily increase overall spending in the pre-Christmas period.

“They create a sharp spike in sales which in turn presents other challenges for retailers, with huge pressure on websites, sales floors and delivery networks, not to mention the impact it has on trading immediately beforehand and afterwards.

“Amazon always goes big on Black Friday, but last year we started to see many other retailers change tactic and spread their deals between Black Friday and Christmas. I would expect to see more retailers doing the same this year.”