Black Friday Weekend spending in the UK is predicted to hit £8.74bn this year as shoppers make the most of the discounts available to them in the run up to Christmas. The VoucherCodes.co.uk, Shopping for Christmas 2023: Black Friday Weekend report predicts that this year total Black Friday Weekend sales will rise by a marginal 0.4% from £8.71bn in 2022. Although sales will remain steady this year, many consumers will be waiting until Cyber Monday to ensure they are getting the best deal.

Shoppers are predicted to spend the most during the Black Friday Weekend on Cyber Monday, with sales predicted to reach £3.34bn, a 6% YoY increase compared to the £3.17bn spent in 2022. In comparison, spend on Black Friday itself is set to fall 0.2% to £3.01bn – down £6m versus 2022.

Despite rising living costs putting pressure on consumer finances, two-fifths (40%) of shoppers say they expect to make a purchase over the Black Friday Weekend, likely stocking up on discounted Christmas presents. With this in mind, it is expected that for each minute over the Black Friday Weekend a staggering £2.63m will be spent both online and in-store this year, equating to £157.79m every hour – rising 0.6% YoY.

When it comes to the items Brits are snapping up first, nearly half (46%) of shoppers plan to pick-up big-ticket items such as electricals, followed closely by discounted clothing and footwear (44%), toys (35%) and cosmetics (30%). Following the same pattern as 2022, some retailers are set to extend their Black Friday promotions to a two-week period, and the report forecasts shoppers will spend a total of £22.67bn – equating to a growth of 0.2% YoY.

Anita Naik, Savings Expert at VoucherCodes.co.uk, commented: “After a tough year of economic uncertainty, Black Friday Weekend sales will remain steady as consumers continue to be more cautious with their spending.

“Although shoppers will be using this time to stock up on presents ahead of Christmas, people will be making much more considered purchases this year with many waiting until Cyber Monday to ensure they are getting their desired products at the cheapest price.

“If like many you are planning on making the most of the discounts available this Black Friday Weekend, here are some top tips to make your money go even further:

• Plan in advance – To ensure you don’t get swept up in Black Friday fever, write a list of all the things you want to purchase over the four-day event. If you have specific products in mind, bookmark these pages in advance so as soon as the deals go live you can easily see how much you are saving.
• Follow your favourite brands – Signing up to newsletters or following your favourite brands on social media will mean you hear about their deals first. If you are lucky, you might even be given early access to sales or exclusive discounts.
• Start your shopping early – In recent years, retailers have launched their Black Friday deals up to two weeks in advance. Waiting for Black Friday can mean you miss out on the best deals and the products you want being out of stock.”