'Black Friday deals are harming small businesses'

From air fryers to hair dryers, in the past decade Black Friday deals have become increasingly common.

But some small businesses say the tradition is harming high streets and forcing traders into cutting prices they can ill afford to.

Mark Pullen runs Brick Shack – a Lego retailer that also provides activities for children.

"We see Black Friday as a heavily commercialised attempt by the larger firms to draw much-needed funds away from the smaller retailers, which can do nothing but harm our high street presence," he said.

“It highlights that these retailers are likely already making large profits in the first place.”

The Brighouse-based business was set up in 2015 and Mr Pullen said while it did offer deals, "these tend to tie in with initiatives that promote buying local and supporting small businesses".

Black Friday originally marked the day after Thanksgiving in the US, but in recent years the sales have extended into the weeks before and after, with Cyber Monday driving millions in online sales.

Shoppers spent an estimated £13.3bn during the Black Friday sales in 2023, according to Which?.

Rich Meyers, who runs Leeds bakery Get Baked, however has said his business would never do Black Friday deals.

He said: “It’s a conglomerate’s shady way of getting you to spend money you might not otherwise spend in advance of Christmas.

“This has resulted in small/medium sized businesses thinking they need to do the same by decreasing their margins, so they’re really busy, but making no money.”

Leeds-based social media expert Amy Downes advises small businesses on digital marketing.

She said many of her clients rejected doing Black Friday deals.

“The major problem for them, especially with everything going on in the world at the moment – the current cost of living crisis - is that they are already offering the cheapest they possibly can.

“So, to do an offer of dropping it even further means they’re losing money or they’re not making the right amounts for what their value is.”

According to a survey by OnePoll on behalf of Small Business Saturday – a campaign to encourage shoppers to use small businesses - 88% of respondents in Yorkshire and Humberside thought it was important to support small businesses.

Ms Downes said her many of her clients’ customers were supporting their move to reject Black Friday.

She said: “We’ve taken the opposite approach of talking about that on social media.

"One client will be talking about having to compete against larger companies and encouraging people to go out and support small businesses this weekend.

“Another client specialises in coaching people with ADHD, so she’s talking about the problems that Black Friday can give to people with ADHD, in terms of money issues and impulsiveness.

“When they talk about it with customers, people are agreeing with them. And actually they want to support them in that decision, overwhelmingly so.”

Small Business Saturday was started as an alternative to the more commercial deals.

The annual event, which began in the UK in 2013, takes place a week after the Black Friday weekend on 7 December.

Campaign director Michelle Ovens CBE said many small businesses were still "fighting to recover from the cost-of-living crisis and deal with continued challenges like high costs and flat growth".

According to the campaign, 26% of people across Yorkshire and Humberside will spend up to a quarter of their Christmas budget with small businesses this year.

Ms Ovens said: "It is really encouraging to see such positive public sentiment across Yorkshire and Humberside.

"We need this to continue as it really will make all the difference to helping small firms across the area stay in business and keep delivering their incredible value across our economy, society and local communities.”

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