LONDON — British retailers are trying to go cold turkey on Black Friday. The trouble is, they just can’t seem to kick the habit.
Black Friday first crossed the Atlantic six years ago, when Amazon.com Inc. began offering discounts in Britain, and domestic retailers quickly followed suit.
Since then, Britain’s Black Friday has grown exponentially. By last year, 44 percent of consumers surveyed by Verdict Retail, a research group, participated in either Black Friday or Cyber Monday, the discount event coinciding with what was for many years the last date to order online for delivery by Christmas.
Retailers have always peddled special offers over the last weekend in November, which frequently coincides with pay-day, as they fight for holiday shoppers. Black Friday promotions may be less effective because retailers have already been discounting heavily
