'Growing awareness' of Black Friday in UK

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, has come to be seen as the start of the Christmas shopping season in the US.

Now, many retailers are doing the same in Britain, with Asda, John Lewis and Amazon all offering Black Friday deals.

Lou Ellerton, a senior consultant at The Value Engineers, said the day will be especially welcome "in this current economic climate, as families are looking for anything that will make their cash go further".

She also added there was "growing awareness" of the day in the UK.

Retail consultant Caroline Wilde said if the day is going to make an impact outside of the US it is likely to be "an online phenomenon".

Ms Wilde also pointed out the origins of the day's name.

"The Philadelphia police force used to call it Black Friday because it was hell and there were traffic problems and fights…and later on retailers used to say it was the day they went into the black," she said.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Friday 29 November 2013.