A new report from Emarsys suggests that this year when the Black Friday weekend rolls around it will be another out and out success for brands which sell products via safe shopping online, while the high street is likely to suffer a downturn in activity compared with previous years.

Analysts revealed that 58 per cent of consumers questioned in the study said that they were intending to only use e-commerce sites to bag bargains as the year’s biggest shopping event kicks off in November.

Meanwhile, only 13 per cent confirmed that they would be visiting bricks and mortar stores to take advantage of Black Friday discounts in 2020.

This is yet another survey which reaffirms the rapid rise in online shopping that has been brought about by the pandemic. Since Black Friday is also prone to produce crowded conditions in high street outlets, there will be even more of an incentive for people to stay at home and buy from websites rather than taking the risk of heading to physical stores.

Report spokesperson Sara Richter said that consumer spending habits and shopping trends have been significantly altered by COVID-19, with Black Friday set to exemplify the wider changes that took place earlier in the year.

She also said that one of the benefits of more retail moving online during the sales event is that it will allow retailers to gain even more data-driven insights into consumer behaviour, as metrics are much harder to track in a high street context.

In terms of the products which will be popular, electronics were cited by 45 per cent of respondents as being at the top of their wish lists, while toys, beauty products and furniture will also be in the spotlight. Fashion items are less desirable this year.