Save money on Black Friday, but don’t shop mindlessly

It is the firing pistol for the Christmas shopping season for years in the US, but Kingston students will be able to save themselves hundreds of pounds when stores across the country and online launch their Black Friday sales.

Black Friday marks the start of the Christmas shopping season and British shoppers are today expected to spend  £1m every minute or £6,000 per second, to snap up the best discounts.

This year, most of the shops in Kingston will take part in the discount-madness, including: Topshop, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Bentall’s and Boots and they are expecting the high street to be filled with people looking for a bargain.

Consumer expert Martin Lewis said: “With Black Friday competing to be the biggest shopping day of the year, it is great for the costumers.”

Stores in Kingston are expecting to get busy and are geared up with crazy deals and extra staff to help everything go along.

A manager for Topshop on Clarence Street said: “It is payday for so many people, so we are expecting it to be really busy.

“There will be more staff in the store to make sure it all runs smoothly.”

Topshop is offering 30 per cent off statement and party shoes, in addition to discounts on clothing, so this might be a perfect chance to spruce up your wardrobe for the Christmas party season.

Last year was the first time high street retailers got in on the action, and some retailers, notably John Lewis, saw a huge uplift in sales.

The high street giant broke all records last year and are expecting this year to top those sales.

Online director Mark Lewis said: “Black Friday has definitely become one of the key dates in the UK’s shopping calendar.

“Now that customers are aware of the date and expecting it, we anticipate that this year’s Black Friday will be bigger still.”

John Lewis would not give up any specifics on their deals, but said that there would be large discounts on tablets, televisions and computers.

If you do not feel like joining the crowds in the high street, there are plenty of Black Friday deals to be found online.

Amazon, the company who brought Black Friday to the UK via the internet in 2010, is running a whole week of “earthshattering sales,” and with 3,000 “lightning deals” where the items are discounted for a limited period of time, buyers are spoilt for choice.

Some of their deals include over £100 discounts on gadgets like a 42 inch Sony TV, a Nokia Lumia smartphone and a Canon DSLR camera.

Although it is a great day for bargain hunting, financial advisor Andrew Hagger said that students should be careful and not buy things just because they are on sale.

He said: “Unfortunately, many people purchase items simply because they are reduced – if it’s not something you need or really want, you have to question whether you should be making the purchase in the Black Friday sale.”

So whether you want to head into town to rummage through the sales-racks or sit comfortably at home clicking away, today will be a great opportunity to save some money. Maybe even get some of your Christmas shopping out of the way.