UK Black Friday online sales rise 12% as retailers hope for festive boost

theguardian.com November 29, 2024, 05:01 PM UTC

Online sales in the UK for Black Friday increased by 12% compared to last year, with transactions up 11% by lunchtime. Retailers are hopeful this boost will lead to a festive spending surge, coinciding with many consumers' payday. Despite the rise in online shopping, foot traffic to physical stores fell by 0.5%. High streets saw a 2.5% decline, while shopping centers and retail parks experienced slight growth. Analysts suggest that evening shopping may improve high street numbers. Concerns remain about the environmental impact of increased deliveries and the risk of fraud, as Nationwide reported a 20% rise in transactions and an 18% increase in potentially fraudulent activity. Retailers anticipate a busy holiday season, especially with Christmas falling on a Wednesday.


With a significance score of 3.7, this news ranks in the top 27% of today's 16580 analyzed articles.

Get summaries of news with significance over 5.5 (usually ~10 stories per week). Read by 8000 minimalists.


Timeline:

  1. [4.3]
    U.S. consumers spend over $41 billion online during Thanksgiving weekend as retailers report record sales (nbcnews.com)
    1d 14h
    Source
  2. [4.0]
    Online shopping on Black Friday reaches record $10.8 billion in the U.S (inquirer.net)
    1d 16h
    Source
  3. [3.9]
    Online sales reach record $10.8 billion on Black Friday 2024 (timesnownews.com)
    1d 19h
    Source