I am talking of course, about Black Friday, which since Amazon decided to introduce the concept into the UK in 2010, has grown rapidly. And not just in our country - it is now also an event in Brazil, Russia and Spain.  

Here, it has been building in popularity in the UK since it properly exploded into the public consciousness in 2014 – far exceeding forecasts, catching many off-guard and overwhelming some operations.

It now qualifies as Britain’s biggest shopping event of the year and last year saw Brits collectively spend a staggering £2 billion in shops and online in the 24-hour period. This increased to £3.3 billion over the entire four-day weekend.  

The phenomenon itself has also morphed from its predominance in the retail sector into other areas. Companies from the telecommunications, event ticketing, publishing and sport industries are busy offering deals and promotions today. And of course travel has also not been shy about capitalising on the opportunity.

There can be no missing the fact though that the very concept of Black Friday is irksome to many. Not least because it is another US custom that seems to have found its way into the British consciousness, without having any real link to our culture.

In fact there have been a number of notable campaigns against Black Friday this year.  Some print coverage in the lead-up was sarcastic in tone, and the whole concept of discount sales events appear to have a serious image problem in the UK. Questions have even been raised as to the legitimacy of some of the deals on offer.

The travel industry works hard however to ensure that any promotions made are clear, and it takes its obligations to both agents and consumers very seriously.  The sheer scale of Black Friday’s great offers means that these are planned up to 12 months in advance to maximise the value and service for customers. That demands significant planning for a very fluid trading environment across hundreds of offers.

Here at Funway, it’s a great time for holidaymakers arriving in the US, with savings available on almost everything.

Shopping ranks among the top activities for tourists who visit the States, especially for those from the UK.  Demand for US city breaks around this time of year is always high, especially to key shopping areas such as New York, Los Angeles and Boston.

But whatever your travel preference, it really is the prime time to bag a holiday discount. Travel offers are available, typically unseen at any other time of year and 2016’s Black Friday looks set to be bigger than ever before.

For those not wanting to hide away from the queues… then ready, steady, shop!