LAST year there were scenes of chaos across the country as bargain hunters descended on shops to take advantage of the Black Friday offers.

Warrington was no exception with many shops in the town reporting a surge in sales.

This year, many shops were prepped and ready for the same Black Friday madness.

But it seems that the hype surrounding Black Friday has failed to entice shoppers to set their alarms for an early-morning shopping spree.

Despite some shops opening one hour early in the Golden Square shopping centre only a handful of shoppers could be seen at around 9am to hunt down a cut-price deal.

Sab Sandher, supervisor at Funky Dory shoe shop, said she could not believe how quiet it is in comparison to last year.

She said: “Last year I remember pulling up in the car park to start work and it was already full and the traffic was really heavy.

“We decided to open early today but it has been really quiet. I’m not sure why that is.”

Helen Baldwin, store manager at The Officers Club clothes store, said: “There has not been an early morning rush like last year but we are expecting it to get busier throughout the day as it is pay day for a lot of people.”

Supermarket chain Asda, which started Black Friday promotions in the UK in 2013, and Primark have decided not to take part this year.

David Blair, of global brand consultancy Fitch, said the fact Asda had pulled out of Black Friday in the UK suggested its US parent company, WalMart, did not think Black Friday had a future in the UK.

Do you agree or have you managed to bag a bargain on Black Friday? Let us know by tweeting @warringtonnews.

GOLDEN Square bosses say there has been a steady flow of customers throughout the day.

Ian Cox, Golden Square director, said: “This year many of our stores have spread their Black Friday sales over the week and some have made it a weekend event.

“That appears to have helped reduce the rush - it’s been a steady flow of shoppers since we opened.

“We’ve opened early and stayed open later to help shoppers find the best deals, plus we’ve offered free parking all day.

“It’s really helped that Black Friday spending has been more spread out.

“However, we will undoubtedly see an increase in trade on last year over the period of the week. I think shoppers are taking real advantage of the longer sale period.”