Slow start to Black Friday sales

Experts are predicting that we’re about to spend £1bn in one day shopping ONLINE – the first time that has ever happened in the UK.

Last year’s scenes of bargain-hunters wrestling over cut-price televisions were not repeated in the early hours, but the shoppers who did turn up were seen loading up their trollies with high-value items including TVs, coffee machines and hoovers.

Originating in America, Black Friday is the day following Thanksgiving Day in the United States (the fourth Thursday of November).

It also warned that many websites slowed to a crawl past year, and suggested consumers register for online accounts early to “get in and out as quickly as possible”. Traditionally it is the start of the Christmas shopping season in the States when most major retailers open very early, often overnight, and offer promotional sales.

Game in Newcastle’s Eldon Square also opened its doors specially tonight to let shoppers in. “This year they have done well, only letting 20 people in at a time”. He said: “Last year was much better”.

Tesco Extra: Crowds patiently queue outside the store at Silverburn in Glasgow.

Entrance to Tesco’s Western Avenue store in Cardiff was limited to 10 people at a time, as people waited in the rain.

Tesco Extra stores, including those in Burnley and Accrington, will open at 5am on Black Friday – instead of the original midnight opening.

Stores had taken extra precautions this year after police warnings that they must have enough security staff on duty in case of any trouble.

A spokesman for Argos also confirmed it had increased security plans for the Black Friday period, while Currys PC World said would have 50 per cent more workers on shop floors to assist customers. Last year, British shoppers spent £1.75bn, according to Visa.

“The lure of a bargain can drive tension and frustration, which can often surface as aggression”, says Nigel Jones, principal lecturer in marketing at Sheffield Hallam University. “They open at 7am for clients who don’t wish to join in Black Friday”.

She said: “Last year I remember pulling up in the auto park to start work and it was already full and the traffic was really heavy”.

Introduced to these shores five years ago by online giant Amazon, the USA phenomenon that is the one-day sales bonanza had triggered additional safety measures in the wake of scenes last year which at times bore more resemblance to a riot than a pre-Christmas shopping trip.

Only around 40 people arrived at the shop before its 5am opening and the queue for items was estimated to be around a tenth as big as past year.