Fashion was one of the top performers on Black Friday

Black Friday delivered a footfall boost to UK retailers as cost-conscious shoppers hunted for discounts, especially clothing stores, according to RetailNext, the leading analytics solution for bricks-and-mortar retailers.

Data from RetailNext’s shopper traffic platform, which captures billions of store visits globally every year, showed that UK footfall on Black Friday (November 29) improved by +40.5 percent week-on-week, rising to +45 percent in London compared to the week prior.

Despite seeing a dip in footfall compared to 2023, with shopper traffic on Black Friday itself falling -1.7 percent year-on-year, the week leading up to Black Friday (Monday, November 25 to Friday, November 29 inclusive) saw a +0.8 percent boost in footfall performance compared to last year, rising by +3.4 percent year-on-year on November 26 and +3.3 percent on November 28, as retailers extended discounting periods ahead of Black Friday.

Fashion was one of the top performing sectors, added RetailNext, with footfall to clothing stores rising +0.3 percent year-on-year and +54.1 percent compared to the week prior.

Gary Whittemore, head of sales EMEA and APAC at RetailNext, said in a statement: “While Black Friday discounting has become longer and more drawn-out, this hasn’t taken the shine off the event when it comes to driving footfall performance, with the lure of bagging a bargain still prompting shoppers to head into store to pick-up deals.

“As well as representing value to shoppers looking for discounts on early Christmas gifts, the event not only helps retailers get ahead on festive trading, whilst also unlocking revenues from excess stock due to unseasonable weather earlier this year.”

With Black Friday falling after payday this year, GlobalData predicts UK shoppers will spend over 9 billion pounds over the four-day Black Friday weekend, up +4.5 percent year-on-year, with physical stores set to increase share of spend for the first time since 2022, rising by +1.9 percent to 46.9 percent, as online shopping levels have started to stabilise post-pandemic.

Whittemore added: “While retailers will welcome the Black Friday boost to footfall, there’s still all to play for during peak trading, with some of the busiest in-store trading days, such as Super Saturday and Boxing Day, still to come. Key to success will be delivering compelling bricks-and-mortar experiences that can’t be replicated online to ensure that browsers turn to buyers.”