By Jamie White – Head of Communications

 

After shoppers in parts of Britain went crazy in the shops and online on Black Friday, Douglas Stafford has conducted some independent research into the shopping phenomenon to find out what the British public really thought of the day.

 

Were there bargains to be found, was it just media hype? Did people buy, what did they buy, how much did they spend and where did they buy from?

 

The Douglas Stafford Black Friday survey reveals all.

 

Black Friday was first 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.

 

Out of 7,000 people surveyed by Douglas Stafford, 66% knew this was the reason for its name, with 34% being unsure.

 

Despite 47% of people claiming Black Friday was a day hyped up by the media and a chance for stores to get rid of old stock, many people were able top pick out some in bargains as outlets offered discounts to shoppers.

 

In total, 43%of people made a purchase on Black Friday, with 34% spending no more than £50. However, 22% spent between £51-£100, while 21% spent between £101-£200. Just 3% spent more than £1,000 on Black Friday.

 

Almost 50% of people made a purchase on Black Friday as part of their Christmas Shopping, while 21% of people made a purchase for themselves and 4% bought something as a birthday gift.

 

The most popular time for shoppers was between 12pm-4pm (44%), with 25% making a purchase in the morning between 6am-12pm and 6% later in the evening between 8pm-12am.

 

Online shopping topped the survey as the most popular way to buy, with 40% of people buying through the internet. 16% bought from the High Street, 16% bought from a Supermarket, 14% from a Retail Park and 13% from a Shopping Centre.

 

The majority of people surveyed only purchased one item (34%), with 17% purchasing two, 12% purchasing between six and ten, and 11% cent buying more than 10 items.

 

Some of the items purchased on Black Friday included laptops, handbags, alcohol, TVs, jewellery and perfume, with 26% purchasing clothes, 15% buying a Computer System or Games and 15% purchasing household electrical items.

 

Some of the most visited stores included Tesco, Asda, Topshop, Argos, Primark, Currys PC World, Next, Amazon and John Lewis.

 

A few of the more unusual purchases included a pirate costume, a cat massager, a slushy drinks machine and some lobster tails.