UK shoppers are set to take advantage of Black Friday

According to Verdict, 47% of shoppers say they intend to buy Black Friday promotional products today, with women leading the charge.

The market researcher predicts 61% of female consumers will make a purchase and that the popular shopping day will become a permanent fixture in the UK retail calendar, as consumer expectation and demand continues to grow.

“With many shoppers still not prepared to pay full price, resulting in high levels of shopping around, providing unbeatable discounts and unique offers will prove crucial on Black Friday 2014 to seize consumer spending,”​ says Verdict analyst Kate Ormrod.

The online survey included 10,000 UK consumers, the results of which found 25% of shoppers to make their Christmas purchases earlier this year compared with 2013.

The survey predicts that shoppers will hand over an extra £2.3bn this year, compared to last year – a rise of 2.6%, reaching £90.7bn.

“While many consumers have previously held out for deeper discounts in the run up to Christmas, this year they are more confident than ever that discounts will come through earlier, such as those on Black Friday, resulting in spend being brought forward​,” Ormrod adds.

Bargains galore, but beware of cyber crime​

While there is many a bargain on offer today, various security firms are warning consumers that they may be subject to phishing scams and cyber crime while shopping online during.

According to Kate; “While many consumers have previously held out for deeper discounts in the run up to Christmas, this year they are more confident than ever that discounts will come through earlier, such as those on Black Friday, resulting in spend being brought forward​.”

Although this forecast looks promising for retailers, their interest lies in the figures – and it looks set to be good news. 

Specifically, it is expected shoppers will spend £53.6bn on non-food items, which would include cosmetics and personal care products.

In particular, online retailing will play a key role this year making up £13bn of sales, with the click & collect category accounting for £1.6bn of online sales.