Sheffield’s main high street, The Moor, was deserted this Black Friday, with most shoppers deciding to find the bargains online rather than in person.
Online retailers have been offering discounts in the weeks leading up to today, meaning independent retailers, without websites, are being disadvantaged.
Al Bermawi, manager at Moor Perfume, said: “We have discounts but we feel as though the Moor is being a bit slow today
“Customer habits are hard to change. But, the whole Moor market management should encourage people to shop in small local businesses”.
#Blackfriday scenes from #SheffieldCityCentre. An anti-climatic start this morning. Will you be grabbing any bargains today? 🛍 pic.twitter.com/wdq67ZHDXj
— Sheffield Wire (@Sheffield_Wire) November 26, 2021
We contacted The Moor’s Management, but they were unavailable for comment.
It comes as Sheffield was named as having the best high street recovery score of the 63 largest towns and cities in the UK .
Brands being online creates a competitive advantage, with Boohoo’s half-year revenue growth of 45% and ASOS’s full year sales up by 20%, according to Space48.
Adobe’s Digital Economy Index found that UK shoppers spend 12% year on year for Black Friday online.
But, the survey also found that the majority of shoppers, 53%, do not plan on shopping on Black Friday at all.
Most were sceptical about the discounts on offer, with 39% saying that they felt this year’s discounts would be smaller than previous years.
Sheffield Wire will be providing updates on the busyness of the city centre’s Black Friday, which can be followed via our Twitter feed.
