Thursday is the new Black Friday 9pm on Thursday night revealed as the most popular time for savvy shoppers to get the best deals

New research released today reveals that most people are snapping up Black Friday deals on the Thursday night, getting the best savings before the huge annual shopping sale has officially started. 

Shoppers at hotukdeals, the UK’s biggest deal-sharing community, are ahead of the discount frenzy with the biggest spike in activity seen between 9pm and 10pm on Thursday, 11% more than those shopping on Black Friday morning at 9am. 

Over 1700 deals were posted on the money-saving website the day before the shopping event last year, more than four times the amount on an average day. Another spike was spotted a full week before Black Friday, as retailers on the high street and online gear up for dramatic price cuts. 

As the biggest shopping sale of the year shows no sign of slowing down, hotukdeals saw offers increase by 110% when compared to an average week, as well as 50% more deals becoming available in November 2017, compared to the previous year.  

Danny Munday, General Manager at hotukdeals commented: “As the Black Friday frenzy begins earlier and earlier each year it is no surprise that by Thursday night savvy shoppers have got a huge range of deals to choose from and our 1.6 million members are the first to get the best offers.”

The research also identifies the most popular shopping categories as well as the increase in deals during Black Friday, including:

1.   Computers (360% increase)

2.   Gaming (323% increase)

3.   Homes and Gardens (217% increase)

4.   Electronics (359% increase)

5.   Baby & Kids (172% increase)

hotukdeals users can vote hot or cold on deals, alerting others that the hotter the deal, the stronger the offer. Hot or cold votes are based on factors such as price, quality of the product and retailer.

In preparation for Black Friday, hotukdeals have put together six top tips for bargain hunters: 

1. Get the hotukdeals app

The hotukdeals app enables users to set keyword alerts, such as Xbox, fashion, TV, or LEGO to receive notifications for new items instantly. With some deals expiring quickly, users can easily access deals as found by the hotukdeals community wherever they are. Featuring an alert feature and voting system, the app helps consumers navigate the huge number of offers available during Black Friday.

2. Sign up and save

With deals starting at varying times across Black Friday, hotukdeals members recommend that shoppers signup to newsletters and emails from their favourite retailers to gain early access to discounts and VIP slots. The trick is to be ready as early as possible to avoid missing out. Some members suggest taking out a 30-day Amazon Prime Free Trial for access to their early discounts – just remember to cancel if you don’t want to continue.

3. Make smart decisions

Regardless of whether it’s Black Friday or not, always check the item’s value for money. Members of hotukdeals advise checking the price history of a product and comparing prices to ensure the discount is worthwhile as, according to one user, “some retailers hike the price up to discount before Black Friday, so it looks like you’re getting a better deal than you are.” As experienced Black Friday shoppers will know, some unwanted stock also gets pushed during Black Friday, so beware of exaggerated discounts and check reviews to make sure you’re getting a worthwhile deal on a quality product.

4. Stack discounts

During Black Friday, savvy shoppers on hotukdeals check for discount codes to add alongside a deal to stack for extra savings. They also look for ‘deal extras’ on items that retailers are price matching on. For example, last year, retailers such as AO, John Lewis, Currys and Argos price matched on items including the Google Home and Google Home Mini. But hotukdeals users, with the help of fellow community members, could choose where to buy according to other factors such as extended warranty, free delivery or, for example, bundled music subscriptions.

5. Keep payment details updated

With items going out of stock quickly, shoppers can add products they plan on buying to their online basket in advance. To further speed up the check-out process, shoppers should check their saved payment details and delivery address are up to date, in case items sell out.

6. Use multiple devices

Members of hotukdeals recommend using multiple devices on Black Friday in case there is a virtual queue. For consumers with just one device, use multiple tabs to browse, so you’re ready to shop as deals go live at each retailer.

The hotukdeals app is free to download on iOS andAndroid.

-ENDS-

Editor’s notes

Data taken from the hotukdeals website from November 2017. 

Black Friday week defined as Monday – Sunday.

Category uplifts based on Black Friday itself versus an average day. 

About hotukdeals

hotukdeals is the UK’s biggest deal-sharing community where users find, rate and share the best deals from on and off the high street every day to provide inspiration to others on what to buy at the best prices. Members use the temperature gauge to vote on deals so other users know that the hotter the deal, the stronger the offer. hotukdeals has over 1.6m members and is a founding member of Pepper.com, the world’s largest social commerce group.