Experts anticipate consumers spending billions of pounds on discount deals despite anticipated shortages and some major retailers shunning the sales as Britain's Black Friday bonanza officially began today.
Accounting specialists Pwc are predicting shopping splurges to double what they were last year when the UK was in lockdown, with up to £8.7billion expected to be spent across the country amid fire sales today.
Known as the 'golden period' for retailers in the run-up to the festive period, Black Friday shoppers' spending has eclipsed that of the entirety of the Christmas week sales in recent years.
And although it was traditionally limited to November 26, major outlets including Asda, Currys, GAME and John Lewis have all planned for longer sales in 2021, despite lingering supply chain concerns affecting stock levels and delivery driver recruitment stalling.
But any stores expecting an immediate boom on Friday morning were left disappointed, as pictures showed a near-empty Oxford Street in west London, and not a single person queueing for discounted deals at the opening of stores at Silverlink Retail Park in north Tyneside.
85 per cent of independent retailers have also said they will opt out of any Black Friday deals, with many saying they will instead protect the High Street after struggling through the pandemic.
A very quiet Oxford street shopping area on Black Friday, with tube strikes and online sales having a knock-on effect for in-store purchases
Accounting specialists Pwc are predicting shopping splurges to double what they were last year when the UK was in lockdown, with up to £8.7billion expected to be spent across the country amid fire sales today.
Despite advertising big Black Friday sales, several stores in Oxford Street, west London including John Lewis and Primark saw little to no queues on Friday morning
Not a single person could be seen queuing as the doors opened at 8am at a Currys electrical store in North Tyneside on Black Friday
The scenes in British shops are a far cry from 2014, the year after Asda imported the tradition from the US, when thousands of shoppers camped out overnight and dashed into stores to get their hands on discounted items. Pictured: An empty JD in Oxford Street, west London
The scenes in British shops are a far cry from 2014, the year after Asda imported the tradition from the US, when thousands of shoppers camped out overnight and dashed into stores to get their hands on discounted items, with some even coming to blows.
This year, Asda has opted for a new approach by teaming up with luxury fashion house Gucci to provide huge savings in a handful of their stores.
Tying in with the release of House of Gucci in cinemas, lucky shoppers who find one of 30 exclusive vintage pieces from the iconic Italian brand in an Asda store today will be able to purchase it at a hugely discounted rate.
Lauren Mallins from George at Asda said: 'Whether you are a lover of vintage or just want to make more sustainable choices, our hand-picked PreLoved pieces are always a treasure trove of gems and now Gucci is adding to our customers’ reasons to shop with us.'
Westfield shopping centre said it was predicting a surge in footfall on Black Friday, with pre-Covid levels returning to about 80% of numbers seen in 2019 - when hundreds of thousands of shoppers hit the Stratford mall.
Scott Parsons, chief operating officer at Westfield's, told MailOnline: 'Although there isn’t a major focus on Black Friday activity at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City, this date usually marks the start of the Christmas shopping season for our retailers.
'In addition to offers and events; brands that have invested in experience-led retail such as new technologies, personalised services and gamified shopping experiences, are also expected to perform well with 81% of consumers telling us they’re willing to pay more for this kind of experience.
'At our centres, we are seeing positive footfall tracking at around 80% on 2019 which means there will be a real buzz this weekend, but thanks to the sheer scale of our centres, plus extensive outdoor dining and family entertainment including the Winter Chalets Igloos on Westfield Square, visitors can enjoy a comfortable and safe day out.'
High street footfall has taken a significant hit in recent years as consumer spending habits continue to drift towards an online-first approach with thousands of offers available within the space of a few clicks.
As that trend continues, compounded with concerns about Covid-19 health measures, shoppers are again expected to opt for deals on the web rather than in-store in 2021.
Amazon slashed hundreds of prices earlier this month in what is now dubbed 'Black Friday week', with the American giant's top-selling items last year including hoovers, electric razors, makeup, Alexa devices and Fire Sticks.
But some stores, including Next and Marks and Spencer, have refused to take part in Black Friday deals this year, instead opting to offer savings and value throughout the calendar year.
Jon Williams, trading operations director at John Lewis, said the store was anticipating a return to pre-pandemic levels of spending, with sales already increasing 40 per cent week-on-week.
Analysis from global consultancy firm Simon-Kucher & Partners confirms these predictions, with more than half of UK shoppers admitting they were going to buy something on Black Friday, with the average spend seen in Britain likely to hit around £214.
Tube strikes, lingering supply chain concerns affecting stock levels and delivery driver recruitment stalling means Black Friday sales could look very different in 2021. Pictured: An empty H&M store in Oxford Street, west London on Friday
Young shoppers eagerly queue outside of a JD Sports store in Newcastle on Friday morning as they prepare to bag a bargain in the Black Friday event
Linda Ellett, head of consumer markets at analysts KPMG, warned deals were likely to be impacted by lingering supply chain issues and shortages of seasonal warehouse workers and delivery drivers.
She told the BBC: 'As rising costs start to bite hard into margins and supply chain issues impact the availability of goods, it leaves very little room for the mega discounting events we have seen in previous years.'
Electrical retailer AO World moved early to secure 500 additional drivers for Black Friday sales, but admitted they were still struggling to acquire gaming stock due to a global shortage of microchips.
It comes as consumer expert magazine Which? warned this week that 99.5 per cent of Black Friday 'deals' were in fact cheaper or the same price in the six months before the big day.
Now eco mob target Black Friday: XR activists lock themselves to bamboo towers and scaffolding as they block 13 Amazon warehouses across the UK
By Rory Tingle, Home Affairs Correspondent for MailOnline
Extinction Rebellion mobs have blocked roads leading to more than a dozen Amazon fulfilment centres across the UK as they target Black Friday shoppers.
Pictures showed activists sitting in large bamboo towers outside the warehouses, preventing vans and lorries from getting in on the US giant's busiest day of the year.
The protests started at 4am
