How Kent shoppers are grappling with Black Friday deals

With the Christmas season firmly approaching many of Kent shops are cutting their prices, but how much are Kent shoppers buying into the deals?

Transcript

00:00The end of November is fast approaching which means two things for Kent's high streets.

00:05The Christmas decorations are up and the Black Friday deals are on.

00:09What started as a Thanksgiving tradition over in America has become so normal that many

00:13Kent shoppers don't even turn their heads to see the big black signs.

00:17But it doesn't necessarily mean that sales are down.

00:22From gadgets to garments, Black Friday deals are dominating the high streets nowadays.

00:27Every inch of these shop fronts seem to be splattered with the phrase, but it doesn't

00:31come without some cyber competition.

00:33Since 2020, online retailers have steadily overtaken brick and mortar stores, yet statistics

00:39show that Black Friday is still alive and well, with Brits expected to spend an eye-watering

00:44£9.1 billion this weekend alone.

00:48Here in Maidstone though, some businesses say the challenge is keeping people on the

00:51high street.

00:52I think some people think about it like Amazon because they're plugging it all the time.

00:56I think they're more likely to do something like that.

00:59We will do a 10% off for Black Friday because basically everyone's jumping on the bandwagon,

01:04but I don't think it's going to make a lot of difference to trade if I'm totally honest.

01:07Personally, I don't think things are going to pick up or I think it's going to be a more

01:10silver Christmas for us than a gold Christmas because gold is at its highest premium ever.

01:16But if people can't afford it, such is life and you have to cut your cloth, so hey ho.

01:23As for those businesses which have taken full advantage of the Black Friday trend,

01:27it's thought that the market feels a little overcrowded.

01:30I think it sort of marks the start of that more sort of frenzied period where people

01:38who maybe leave it to the last minute, they maybe wait for that Black Friday moment.

01:42Maybe people out there at the moment are looking for more of a bargain and a deal than previous

01:47years and don't find that now.

01:49They seem to come out even earlier.

01:52It used to be one day and now sometimes it's like Black Friday month.

01:58Back on the streets, it seems the pre-December discounts are dividing people.

02:02Just because they tell you it's a bargain doesn't mean to say it is a bargain.

02:06You know roughly what you want to spend on people and if it's within your range then

02:11that's fine.

02:13There's not so much the choice here that I'd like, so there's far greater choice on the

02:18internet.

02:21I mean I've just done it because I've just been sucked into it, whether or not it really

02:26is a good deal or not.

02:28So whether it's the convenience of a click or the charm of a high street stroll, one

02:32thing's clear, Black Friday is still making its mark here in Kent.

02:37Bartholomew Hall for KMTV.