More than a quarter of UK shoppers plan to buy online rather than in store this Black Friday, according to new data.
A survey by money-saving marketplace Flubit.com found that nine out of 10 of the 2,000 respondents said they would be avoiding the shops on November 25, with hyperactive children (21 per cent), stress (20 per cent) and ‘overfriendly, annoying’ staff (12 per cent) among the top reasons.
According to Flubit’s research, only nine per cent of consumers were planning to visit stores over the weekend, with 29 per cent saying they would opt to do their sale-hunting online to avoid the crowds.
Electricals were the most popular Black Friday buys, according to Flubit, with it reporting that one major retailer sold 30 TVs every minute during last year’s sale.
These figures were supported by a global survey from online translation agency One Hour Translation, which found that of the 600 UK respondents, 27 per cent were planning to shop online this Black Friday and a further 10 per cent on Cyber Monday (November 28).
One Hour Translation’s survey also revealed that millennials were leading the online shopping trend during the sale period, with 29 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds intending to buy online on Black Friday. A further 12 per cent said they plan to shop on Cyber Monday.
However, those aged 35 to 64 were not far behind, with a quarter intending to buy online for Black Friday and one-in-10 on Cyber Monday.
Tia Saunders, spokesperson for Flubit.com, said: “Consumers are clearly keen to avoid the Black Friday madness that we’ve seen in previous years, with our research suggesting most will be cashing in on deals from the comfort of their own home.
“With retailers now embracing Black Friday in their online operations, shoppers will have unprecedented choice and access to deals throughout the day.”
