NEWS26 October 2015

Black Friday expected to break UK online sales records

UK — Online shoppers in the UK are expected to spend over £1bn in a single day for the first time on Black Friday, which takes place on November 27.

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According to research firm Experian, working with IMRG, the UK’s industry body for online retailers, Black Friday will see UK shoppers spend £1.07bn. This is an increase of 32% from last year.

Black Friday is an import from the US – it is the Friday following Thanksgiving Day in the US (the fourth Thursday of November), and since the early 2000s has been regarded as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season in the US.

Experian and IMRG also forecast that Cyber Monday, on November 30, will generate £943m in sales, a 31% increase year-on-year, and that Manic Monday, on December 7, will generate £733m, an increase of 10%.

“The 2015 Christmas period is on track to be another record year for online retail in the UK,” said James Miller, senior retail consultant at Experian Marketing Services. “We expect that Black Friday will continue to break new ground for online shopping, passing the billion pound mark for the first time.”