Where to bag a bargain in Leeds for Black Friday

Deals include electricals, beauty, clothes - and even food - as retailers battle it out to boost pre-Christmas sales.

Last year across the UK, shop tills rang more in November than they did in December and developing shopping trends seem to suggest that consumers are looking for bargains earlier in the year.

Retailers are capitalising on this and are teasing their deals via social media in the run up to Black Friday while shops and online stores keep the prices low until Cyber Monday.

Trinity Leeds started last weekend with New Look, Dorothy Perkins and Burtons announcing the biggest cuts with 50 per cent off and fine dining roof-top restaurant, Crafthouse, is taking 25 per cent off some a-la-carte bills on the day.

Dan Wharton, Marketing Manager at Trinity Leeds, said while deals and discounts had already started Black Friday continues to boost retail with more offers on the day.

He said: “This time of year is incredibly busy and Black Friday always offers a boost for retailers at Trinity Leeds.

“The deals and discounts have actually already started, with amazing offers available now including 20 per cent off everything at Superdry and 20 per cent off at Swarovski.

“There will be even more offers on the day from the likes of Bose, Marks and Spencer, Lego and Next, and shoppers can take advantage of fantastic food and drink deals. We will be also offering free parking with Trinity Leeds gift card purchases.

“Whether you’re popping in for a quick bargain or spending a full day finding the best deals, Trinity Leeds is the place to be on Black Friday.”

In John Lewis electrical products have some of the biggest savings with £800 wiped off the price of a Sony Bravia 75 inch HD Smart Android TV and a ROBERTS S300 Multi-room Wi-Fi Bluetooth NFC Music System with Internet Radio & CD Player is £449 instead of £749.

The White Rose centre has a Black Friday gift card offer on Friday to Sunday where purchases of £40 vouchers come with a free Body Shop gift cube. At Victoria Leeds, Joules and French Connection have the biggest price drop with up to 50 per cent off.

Rachel Lund, head of insights and analytics at the British Retail Consortium, said: “The results for footfall can be mixed. While many consumers hold off purchases until the end of November, many will take to the High Streets to scope out potential products to purchase come Black Friday. The rise of click-and-collect can also drive footfall back into town in the days following Black Friday.”

Black Friday has become more than a one day deal with retailers extending offers over a period of days.

They say they do it to ease pressure on staff and delivery services but on the flip side some record a dip in profits as they bid to out price their high street competitors with Debenhams and Mothercare both feeling the pinch last year.

Online sales are also more popular than shop footfall with the Office for National Statistics reporting that internet sales nearly tripled between November 2010 and 2017. On Black Friday last year Argos saw 13,496 shoppers visit its website every minute.

Some firms such as Primark, Asda, B&Q and Marks & Spencer have said they won’t be taking part in the flash sales event and instead aim to offer value for money all year round. Others say spending and over-consumption has a negative impact on the planet.