By Jamie White – Head of Communications

Shoppers across the country have been snapping up pre-Christmas bargains as retailers slash their prices for Black Friday.

It’s the biggest shopping day of the year, when millions of bargain hunters are expected to descend on the high street to scramble over the best deals.

Inspired by the Black Friday phenomenon in America, which has been a hit for years, UK shoppers have been spending thousands of pounds online and in stores since midnight, as many companies slash their prices in a bid to drive extra custom.

The surge has forced some websites to crash under the strain of online shoppers as sales began at midnight, with hordes descending on stores in a rush to pick up goods.

Black Friday was introduced in the US on the day after the Thanksgiving holiday and was so-named because brisk business was said to have helped retailers back into profit – into the black.

UK retailers are expecting their biggest day of spending this year, with reports estimating that £1 billion could be spent over the weekend.

Many retailers have been advertising Black Friday deals, with most offering discounts of up to 70 per cent.

Mystery shopping and performance improvement company, Douglas Stafford, provides a range of bespoke Telephone Mystery Shopping, Email Mystery Shopping, Report-Based Mystery Shopping and Video Mystery Shopping programmes to clients in a variety of industries, including retail.