By Peter Evans
LONDON--Black Friday used to be just another rainy day in
November for retailers in the U.K., where Thanksgiving isn't a
holiday. But now, the sales extravaganza is fast becoming one of
the most important dates on their calendar.
Last year, many U.K. stores embraced Black Friday for the first
time, albeit tentatively. This year, they have thrown off the
shackles and are planning big discounts on everything from tablets
to power drills to quad bikes.
Many retailers expect their biggest day of sales so far this
year. And they know 2014 will be the most competitive year ever as,
for the first time, giants such as Tesco PLC and Marks &
Spencer Group PLC commit fully to the deals bonanza.
"Black Friday now marks the real start of Christmas shopping,"
said Rob Hattrell, general merchandise director at Tesco, the
U.K.'s biggest retailer. The supermarket chain--which is running
ads urging "bargain hunters" of the world to "unite"--plans to make
reductions worth GBP15 million ($23.5 million) over three days,
starting at midnight on Thursday.
The U.K. is also bracing itself another traditional part of
Black Friday: stampeding shoppers racing for the best deals the
moment the stores open.
After a small number of violent incidents last year, retailers
now say they are prepared for the hysteria. Wal-Mart Stores
Inc.-owned Asda has called in thousands of staff to work overtime
on Friday and has beefed up its security detail.
Asda is hoping to make Wal-Mart's decades of Black Friday
experience a competitive advantage in the U.K. Around 80% of the
discounted products it offers--mainly electronic items like
televisions and tablets--will be sourced from suppliers used by
Wal-Mart in the U.S.
Asda will also ramp up in-store Wal-Mart branding--the only time
in the year that the name of the parent company is used in the
U.K.--in an attempt to generate a sense of "American excitement,"
said Andrew Moore, Asda's chief merchandising officer.
"We've learnt a lot from the U.S.," Mr. Moore said.
The discount frenzy will take place in stores and online. Online
transactions will increase 22% from last year, according to
research by Visa Europe. In total, British shoppers will spend more
than GBP1 million every three minutes.
Amazon.com Inc. is running seven days of Black Friday deals,
having bombarded customers with reminders for weeks in advance. The
company, which claims it introduced Black Friday to the U.K. in
2010, says it will offer 50% more discounts than last year.
After several years of skepticism, traditional British retailers
now view Black Friday as a vital part of their year. Upmarket
department-store chain John Lewis had its busiest-ever day of
online sales in 2013 and is expecting to beat it again this year.
"It's become a great day in the calendar," said Mark Lewis, online
director at John Lewis.
Still, some retailers this year are facing a familiar problem:
many British shoppers still have no idea what Black Friday is or
where it has come from.
A landing page on electronics retailer Currys's website is a
black background with the words "Black Friday 2014, coming soon..."
written in a stark white font. A countdown clock ticks off the
seconds left until the big day.
Underneath the clock, a helpful message in smaller writing
reads: "The Black Friday shopping deal phenomenon began in the U.S.
It's always the Friday after Thanksgiving Day and is seen as the
kickoff for the shopping season leading up to Christmas."
Write to Peter Evans at peter.evans@wsj.com
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