One in 10 Brits plan to pull a sickie on Black Friday – with almost half blaming it on ‘mystery cold,’ study shows
ONE in 10 Brits plan to pull a sickie this Black Friday – so they have no distractions when it comes to bagging the best bargains.
A poll of 2,000 adults found that of these many will develop a mysterious cold (41 per cent) or flu (31 per cent) on Black Friday eve – while 24 per cent will come down with a bout of food poisoning.
But a further 27 per cent will utilise work hours to make the most of the sales.
And 40 per cent want to get a head start by setting their alarms for as early as 5:30am.
Comedian and actor Ellie Taylor has teamed up with cashback and rewards provider Rakuten, which commissioned the research, to create the ‘Guide to Slack Friday’ – which gives tips to help Brits pull off a sick day.
She said: “At this time of year, spending money is almost an inevitability – even if it means pulling a sickie.”
It also emerged that those shopping on Black Friday estimate they will spend over £400.
And 34 per cent of savvy shoppers have an average of £176 worth of promotional codes, gift cards and vouchers that they have stockpiled over the year.
Christmas gifts top the list of priority purchases (58 per cent), but 21 per cent will only be making purchases for themselves.
In addition, 31 per cent will use Black Friday to buy household essentials – such as soft furnishings, accessories and crockery.
While 29 per cent will buy essentials for the family, including children’s shoes, coats and backpacks.
But 27 per cent will also use the sale to get ahead of birthdays.
Rakuten’s shopping and trends expert, Alex Stedman, added: “As we approach Black Friday, using cashback sites to buy your Christmas gifts, or anything else you need outside of Christmas, is an easy strategy to ensure you’re getting the best deal.
“Not only can you benefit from significant discounts during the sales period, but you also earn cashback on your purchases, creating a win-win situation.
“It’s a simple way to maximise your budget.”