Kent shoppers will be hoping to bag the bargains in the Black Friday sales this week with many shops offering big discounts.

And with some retailers expecting to make more money on Black Friday than the last Saturday before Christmas and the first day of the January sales, the US shopping phenomenon has become an important fixture for the UK economy.

Originating in America, Black Friday is the name given to the first shopping day after Thanksgiving, famous for widespread offers, particularly on electronic goods.

In recent years the concept has been imported to the UK, with many retailers looking to emulate the sales boost enjoyed by their US counterparts.

Some are succeeding; John Lewis said Black Friday sales have changed the face of Christmas shopping in the UK.

Bluewater store manager Kim Lowe said: “It has changed the shape of shopping in November but it has still not taken away from the pre-Christmas period.

“Just before Black Friday we are not as busy and once we have gone past it everyone gets in the mode of Christmas shopping. It doesn’t detract from that. It is just a different kind of shopping on that day.”

John Lewis got on the Black Friday bandwagon thanks to its “never knowingly undersold” promise, cutting the price of mainly electrical goods as high street competitors slashed prices.

Significantly, there were sales on Apple products for the first time, driving many consumers to buy iPads at cut prices.

But unlike the traditional image of families going Christmas shopping or hardened bargain hunters rushing to the January sales, Black Friday reflects a new purchasing pattern.

Last year, John Lewis’ biggest trading hour was 7am to 8am, before the stores had even opened, as online shoppers bought items on their commute to work.

University of Kent student Rebecca Millhouse said: "I always look online for deals, even if it's just a quick browse because you never know what kind of things will be discounted, and sometimes at huge rates.

"I might pop into Canterbury town centre to see if any stores are having sales, but I won't be going to the extremes that people in the USA often do.

"I think it's quite nice to have the sales come over to the UK, especially for brands which operate in both the UK and USA. You can definitely make some great savings before the Christmas season really starts and can often get some really good deals on presents."

What deals are available?

The online focus has not deterred the county's main shopping centres from trying lure customers away from their screens, and many large retailers are offering deals in store.

Bluewater is holding a weekend-long Black 'Friday', with dozens of shops offering discounts and late opening until 11pm on both Friday and Saturday.

McArthurGlen near Ashford is offering exclusive deals to the outlet centre's Privilege Club customers.

Tesco is holding a sale including more than 200 electrical, entertainment, mobile, DIY products and children's toys.

Deals will include 70% off a leading branded coffee machine, 50% off a HD ready LED TV and significant discounts off gaming console bundles.

Asda - owned by US firm Walmart - is also promising big savings on electrical goods, with in store discounts revealed through the weekend.

Why is it called Black Friday?

Normally reserved for stock market crashes, how did a day of discounts earn the prefix 'black'?

If you've been trying to buy a Frozen doll in the run up to Christmas, you might have some idea.

Back in the early 1960s, Black Friday was the name Philadelphia police gave to the first shopping day after Thanksgiving, traditionally the start of the Christmas shopping season.

It was a day marked by traffic jams, overcrowded pavements and short tempers, resulting in increased numbers of car crashes, assaults and criminal damage.

Needless to say, it was not a day officers looked forward to with any enthusiasm.

But despite the chagrin of the local police, firms caught onto the name, using it to brand one of their most important sales opportunities of the year.

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