Shoppers chase Black Friday bargains

Shoppers keen to bag a bargain have hit the sales as shops across the UK and Ireland opened their doors early for Black Friday, but things got off to a relatively slow start.

Retailers made cut-price deals available online from midnight and many shops changed their opening hours to offer customers more time to snap up discounted stock, ranging from televisions to toothbrushes.

But there were no signs of the huge crowds which gathered at stores in the UK last year, or the scuffles which broke out as customers fought over big-ticket items.

It is expected that customers could spend their way to the UK’s first £1 billion in online shopping day today. Irish consumers are expected to spend more than €100 million today, €4 million per hour on bargains.

Tesco, which opened many of its stores at 5am, had installed queuing systems and assured shoppers there would be enough security and stock following scuffles over limited numbers of items last year.

Ebay is expecting nine million Britons to visit its website today. Argos, Currys PC World and AO.com are all offering hundreds of pounds off selected items.

Amazon.co.uk is offering its Fire tablet for £34.99, £15 cheaper than the regular price, as well as deals on televisions, video game consoles and Star Wars toys and £650 off a Gibson electric guitar, while those in the market for fine jewellery can snap up a white gold and diamond tennis bracelet for £3,500 off the regular price of £8,995.

Last year, Black Friday overtook Cyber Monday for the first time as Amazon.co.uk’s busiest day, when it sold more than 5.5 million items at a rate of 64 per second.

But things got off to a slow start on Oxford Street this morning, where midnight came and went without any hint of last year’s consumer chaos.

The Boots flagship store on Sedley Place was one of a handful of shops which opened extra early, advertising deals on huge posters by the shop entrance.

But the doors flung open to two waiting journalists and no customers.

Elsewhere Norfolk Police were on site at Blue Boar Tesco in Norwich in case of trouble, but the queue of around 18 people moved slowly and politely through the doors as they opened up.

The scene at Surrey Quays Tesco was more calm than last year, when police were called to reports of arguments breaking out.

Around 30 people waited in the queue before making their way into the store as security guards looked on.

Entrance to Tesco’s Western Avenue store in Cardiff was limited to 10 people at a time, as people waited in the rain.

The 100-strong queue at Tesco Extra in Kingston Park, Newcastle upon Tyne were assured the store had plenty of stock, as the shutters were raised at 5am.

In the run-up to this year’s event police warned shops to ensure they have carefully thought-out security plans in place for the sales following chaos at a number of stores across the UK last year when huge crowds grappled for cut-price televisions and other big-ticket items.

However, consumer advocates warned that shoppers should exercise caution amid the rush for bargains.