Half of British shoppers have deliberately delayed buying something so they can get it in the Black Friday sales, according to a new survey from KPMG — the clearest sign yet that the whole Christmas season now bends around one weekend.
KPMG UK surveyed 3,000 people and published the results on November 6. It found 77% are planning to, or may be tempted to, shop in the Black Friday period up to November 27 — and 49% of those shoppers have held off buying target items until then. Gen Z, born after 1996, are the most likely to wait, at 71%.
About 30% plan to buy Christmas gifts in the sales, and 22% plan to buy for themselves; a further 25% may be tempted for themselves and 22% for gifts. Londoners are the most likely to shop: 35% for themselves and 46% for gifts. Free delivery, named by 40%, and free returns, named by 22%, are the top temptations — and 12% say they will ask AI chatbots such as ChatGPT or Gemini to find offers for them.
A quarter will not buy at all
Not everyone is convinced. About 23% say they will not buy anything in the Black Friday period — and of those, 48% say they do not trust that prices are better than at any other time of year. Linda Ellett, KPMG’s head of consumer and retail, said retail sales were strong in early summer but weaker in the latter part of the year, which is why so many shoppers are holding out for the sales.
The survey lands as the forecasts disagree about how much Britons will actually spend. Adobe expects UK online sales of £28.52 billion between November 1 and December 31, up 6.2% on last year, with Black Friday itself at £1.24 billion. A competing survey from Omnisend, by contrast, found shoppers expect to spend 32% less than last year. The two forecasts cannot both be right — Adobe measures actual online spending, while Omnisend measures what shoppers say they intend to spend.
Deals already live
Some deals are already live. The Independent’s IndyBest, updated on November 7, lists a new lowest-ever price of £198.89 for the Shark LED face mask, a Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra at £2,949, down from £3,549.60, a Gtech ProLite handheld vacuum bundle at £99.99, down from £180, a Simba Hybrid Luxe double mattress at £1,205.33, down from £1,799, and Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Intense at £43.55, down from £65. Currys, Argos and Boots have already launched sales, and Black Friday itself falls on November 27, with Cyber Monday on November 30. For shoppers, the conflicting forecasts are a reminder to check price history before buying: a discount is only a bargain if the price was not raised first.
