Royal Mail : Night owls to bag a bargain this Black Friday

One in ten shoppers plan to burn the midnight oil to bag a Black Friday bargain this year. One in four confess they are gearing up to shop from work, as the deal frenzy takes hold, according to new research from Royal Mail.

• One in ten shoppers plan to burn the midnight oil to bag a Black Friday bargain this year, while one in four are gearing up to shop from work, according to new research from Royal Mail
• Ten per cent of Black Friday bargain hunters will stay up late to get the best deals between midnight and 3am on 25 November 2016. 40 per cent confess they are hoping to make their purchases at work, between 7am and 3pm on the day
• The findings show that 70 per cent of shoppers expect to spend between one and three hours online to secure their dream purchases
• One in five say they will be doing all their Black Friday shopping online. One in ten say a 50-50 split between online and in-store shopping is more likely
• Just over three in five say they see the sales event as a chance to do their annual Christmas shopping

One in ten shoppers plan to burn the midnight oil to bag a Black Friday bargain this year. One in four confess they are gearing up to shop from work, as the deal frenzy takes hold, according to new research from Royal Mail.

According to the findings, 10 per cent plan to do their shopping between 12am and 3am on 25 November. A further 40 per cent are looking to shop from work, between 7am and 3pm on the day, to make sure they bag their dream purchases.

Consumers are also prepared to devote considerable time to their quest. The findings showed that 70 per cent of shoppers expect to spend between one and three hours online.

One in five say they will be doing all their Black Friday shopping online while one in ten say a 50-50 split between online and in-store shopping is more likely for them.

Price-savvy shoppers are looking to do the majority of their Christmas shopping at a time when they are able to get the best deals. The poll found that just over three in five see the sales event as a chance to do their annual Christmas shopping.

15 per cent of shoppers interviewed make a list of all the things they want to buy, with the intention of specifically seeking them out on Black Friday. And the desire for having the latest device continues, with nearly half of UK shoppers planning to buy electrical goods in the Black Friday sales.

For some, the annual event is proving to be a little bit overwhelming. Nearly one in four confess to starting off really excited about the annual sales event, but when faced with so much choice, freeze and end up not making a purchase.

Last year, UK consumers spent £1.1bn on Black Friday. This year, shoppers are expected to turn-out in their droves with only 14 per cent planning to resist the lure of a bargain.

For media enquiries contact:

Akudo Ike

07843333035

Akudo.ike@royalmail.com

Note to Editors:

Total sample size was 2000 consumers who have participated in previous Black Friday sales events. Fieldwork was undertaken between 3rd and 11th October 2016. The survey was carried out online. The research was carried out by Onepoll.

About Royal Mail plc

Royal Mail plc is the parent company of Royal Mail Group Limited, the leading provider of postal and delivery services in the UK and the UK's designated universal postal service provider. UK Parcels, International and Letters ('UKPIL') comprises the company's UK and international parcels and letters delivery businesses operating under the 'Royal Mail' and 'Parcelforce Worldwide' brands. Through the Royal Mail Core Network, the company delivers a one-price-goes-anywhere service on a range of parcels and letters products. Royal Mail has the capability to deliver to more than 29 million addresses in the UK, six days a week (excluding UK public holidays). Parcelforce Worldwide operates a separate UK network which collects and delivers express parcels. Royal Mail also owns General Logistics Systems (GLS) which operates one of the largest ground-based, deferred parcel delivery networks in Europe.