Black Friday 2021: which cities are searching for the best deals and what items are trending?

There’s nothing Brits love more than finding a bargain and with Black Friday around the corner many are already on the lookout for a great deal. 

Having so many consumers eyeing discounted items provides businesses with a great opportunity to attract new customers as well as grabbing the attention of existing ones. 

Despite this, many businesses struggle to cut through the noise and effectively reach their target audience in the build-up to Black Friday. 

In order to lend companies a helping hand, business communication specialist Esendex has analysed more than 400,000 online searches relating to Black Friday deals to reveal the areas of the UK most keen to find a bargain. 

Having crunched the numbers they have also been able to identify the products which will be trending this year - providing businesses with the foundations to have the most successful year of Black Friday sales to date. 

Bristol is home to the savviest Black Friday shoppers, followed by those living in Leicester 

While northerners are often renowned for their love of a bargain, it is actually Bristolians who have made the most searches for Black Friday deals over the past 11 months. 

With a total of 1,146 searches (per 100,000 people) which included the phrase ‘Black Friday deals on’ it’s clear people in Bristol are keeping a close eye on any standout items which may be included in the sale. Consumers in Leicester are also keen to bag a bargain with 1,045 searches (per 100,000 people) related to Black Friday. 

Although they failed to make it into the top two, three northern cities did manage to claim a spot in the top five savviest shopping locations. Those living in Liverpool, Newcastle and Manchester all clearly have big plans for Black Friday.

In contrast, there has been a real lack of Black Friday shopping intent from those living in London, Cardiff and Wakefield with these three locations having the fewest Black Friday related searches per 100,000 people. 

In London, shoppers have made fewer than half of the number of Black Friday searches as those living in Bristol - with just 408 searches (per 100,000). 

On top of knowing which parts of the UK are searching for the best Black Friday deals, it is also important businesses have an understanding of what’s likely to be trending on the day. Having analysed every search term which included the phrase ‘Black Friday deals on’ and ‘Black Friday sales on’ over the course of the past 11 months, Esendex has identified six product themes which are set to dominate this year.

Fitness tech 

While most people may associate Black Friday with widescreen TVs and surround sound speakers, it’s technology of a slightly different kind which is proving popular this year. Apple watches are the 22nd most searched for item  - with an average of 1,300 searches per month while Fitbits also rank in the top 35. With Couch to 5k and home workouts fuelling many people’s fitness efforts in lockdown, it seems the pandemic has reminded consumers of the importance of prioritising their physical health. Smart watches are great devices for those wanting to monitor their fitness efforts with inbuilt technology capable of measuring the calories people burn, the distance they run as well as their heart rate changes. 

Tools for DIY

From bathroom improvements to garden projects, many people turned their hands at a number of different DIY assignments during lockdown. While people’s gardens are unlikely to receive much attention over the next few months, Brits are still embracing DIY life as Black Friday approaches. Over the course of the last 11 months, there have been an average of 1,300 searches for ‘Black Friday deals on tools’, with pressure washers, drills and saws all proving popular. 

Equipment to support working from home 

With hybrid working and even fully remote working here to stay for many of us, it is perhaps unsurprising to see that plenty of people are looking for a bargain on work equipment. Monitors top people’s shopping lists with an average of 1,300 searches per month; other popular items include computers, keyboards and office chairs. Black Friday therefore presents businesses with a great opportunity to tailor their advertising towards those looking to create or even revamp their home office. 

Holiday gadgets

After more than a year of extremely limited travel, many people are now taking full advantage of being able to holiday abroad - or even taking a well-deserved stay-cation. Whatever the plans, there are plenty of deals to be had right now for holiday-goers. Most popular in this category are the gadgets people take on vacation. 

There have been an average of 1,000 searches per month for Black Friday deals on cameras, making them one of the most popular items in the build-up to November 26. There have also been plenty of people searching for Black Friday sales on GoPros and drones which suggests holidaymakers are more keen than ever to capture all of their favourite moments on film. Drones in particular are an expensive bit of kit, so it’s no wonder people are holding out for a too-good-to-miss offer. 

Home workout equipment 

Despite gyms reopening way back in April, many people still haven’t returned to their usual routines and have instead continued to workout at home. Perhaps unsurprisingly then, queries around home gyms/home gym equipment have proven to be extremely popular with searches remaining high since peaking at the end of December last year. Because of this, it can be predicted a substantial amount of money will be spent on fitness equipment again this Black Friday. 

Treadmills are the most desired item, with an average of 1,000 searches per month for ‘Black Friday deals on treadmills’. All fitness fanatics will know dumbbells are an extremely versatile bit of equipment, so it’s unsurprising to see people searching for deals on these too. While it may be easy for businesses to presume there isn’t a demand for home workout equipment now restrictions have eased, this simply isn’t the case and there is clearly still a great opportunity for brands in the fitness and leisure industry to take advantage of. 

Kitchen appliances 

Yet another indication that working from home is here to stay is the number of searches there have been for coffee machines. Whether you prefer a flat white or a cappuccino, something most people can agree on is that no working day is complete without a coffee break. In total, there have been an average of 290 searches per month for Black Friday deals on coffee machines making them the most in demand kitchen gadget. Closely behind coffee machines are food mixers - an ideal bit of kit for all keen bakers. Lockdown left many Brits with a new found love of baking and it looks like that passion hasn’t dwindled; there have been more than 100 searches per month for Black Friday deals on food mixers.