BLACK Friday has kicked off the predicted biggest ever weekend of shopping in the UK with consumers expected to spend almost £8 billion on deals over the next four days.

Britons will spend just under £2.6 billion on Friday alone – an 8% increase overall on last year – and £7.8 billion over the four-day period including Cyber Monday, up 7% on last year, according to predictions by VoucherCodes and the Centre for Retail Research (CRR).

Retailers are relying on a successful weekend and are hoping consumers will continue to spend confidently despite the first rise in interest rates in 10 years and a squeeze on disposable income driven by rising inflation and stagnant wage growth.

A number of big-name chains such as John Lewis, Game, Tesco and Argos have extended their high street opening hours and many retailers have already offered days of deals in a bid to maximise hype and spending around the global event.

The UK spends more money during the Black Friday to Cyber Monday event than in any other weekend of the year, new figures from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) based on a billion bank transactions show.

Last year shoppers spent more than £900 million more on debit cards compared to an average weekend, with the most “intense” increase in spending seen in the 45 to 65-year-old age group.

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