"Vital": Yorkshire businesses set for Black Friday boost with shoppers set to spend over £10bn
Yorkshire businesses are preparing for a Black Friday sales boost with shoppers across the country expected to spend more than £10bn.
New data from Barclays suggests Black Friday shoppers expect to spend an average of £430 each in upcoming sales – £91 more than last year – amounting to over £10.2 billion.
Two in five UK adults (43 per cent) will be on the hunt for deals (up from 37 per cent in 2024), rising to 76 per cent among Gen Z.
One in four (26 per cent) have been saving money to spend during the Black Friday/Christmas sales period, which, combined with pre-Budget anticipation, contributed to subdued spending in October, when Barclays Spend data shows retail recorded its steepest fall (-0.5 per cent) since November 2024.
Last year’s Black Friday was the busiest day of the year for transactions, with retail volumes up 83.7 per cent in comparison to the daily average. Leeds was one of the cities with the largest week-on-week uplift in spending for Black Friday 2024. Its 41 per cent increase was only beaten by Bath and Exeter.
Rohan Kumar, Head of Barclays Spend Insights, said: “Our historical transaction data proves that Black Friday remains a vital retail milestone, with volumes typically spiking on the day itself. October’s slowdown was potentially a signal that this year’s sale will outperform 2024, after shoppers held out for discounts and deals.
"With any luck, retailers will see a considerable spike and food and drink businesses will benefit from the resulting footfall.”
Harshna Cayley, Head of Payment Acceptance at Barclaycard Payments, said: “Retailers will undoubtedly be hopeful that a Black Friday boost will set the tone for a strong ‘Golden Quarter’ this year.
"The sales event is now more of a marathon than a sprint, with 60 per cent of shoppers starting their search as early as October, presenting businesses with ample opportunity to engage savvy consumers on the hunt for deals.”
Across all age groups, 69 per cent of those shopping this Black Friday plan to shop online, compared to the one in three (34 per cent) who plan to shop in-store. Younger shoppers are most likely to shop in-person, at 40 per cent for those aged 18-27. In contrast, Baby Boomers (aged 60-78) are the most likely generation to browse the sales online, at 81 per cent.
But despite the spending projections, some scepticism is beginning to set in. Almost half (44 per cent) say they do not look forward to the seasonal sales as much as they used to.
Seven in 10 (68 per cent) are doubtful about the real value of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, and a similar proportion (65 per cent) believe such sales events encourage unnecessary spending.