EE creates shoppers’ sanctuary for Black Friday deal seekers

• New research from EE reveals two fifths (40 percent) of shoppers admit the in-store shopping experience can feel stressful during Black Friday, with missing a bargain almost as worrying as being late to a friend’s wedding (16 percent)
• To help Black Friday bargain hunters find their calm, EE is creating a seasonal sale sanctuary in its UK-first Digital Spa, in Westfield London, White City
• The Digital Spa experience, situated in EE’s Studio store, includes an immersive sensory room and guided meditations designed to promote digital wellbeing, and offer some respite from the annual retail bonanza
• Shopping expert and consumer psychologist, Kate Nightingale, offers tips on how to spot and avoid ‘Black Friday Burnout’
• Shoppers can book a free 30-minute session in the Digital Spa HERE.

EE is taking the stress out of the seasonal sales this year, following new research* that found two fifths (40 percent) of Brits will experience ‘Black Friday Burnout’ – stress as a result of shopping the sales – over the coming week. The EE Studio in Westfield London, White City, will host a dedicated shoppers’ sanctuary giving shoppers in the capital a moment to relax and recharge in the UK’s first Digital Spa, while consumer psychologist and shopping expert, Kate Nightingale, helps bargain hunters across the country to find their calm on the biggest shopping day of the year.

It comes as new research by EE reveals that 28 million people** (53 percent) plan to bag a bargain this Black Friday, with well over half of shoppers (57 percent) looking to spend up to 10 hours looking for deals this week. It’s the younger generation who are particularly deal savvy with four fifths (80 percent) of Brits aged 25-34 planning to get involved.

With almost a third (30 percent) of Brits having already prepared their shopping list a week before, it’s clear the Black Friday hype is real. Of the shoppers surveyed, one in five (21 percent) often stay up late or get up early to check for the best deals online, while a further fifth (17 percent) say they are tempted to take the day off work. This rises to four in ten (40 percent) and three in ten (32 percent) respectively for 25-34 year olds. One in six Brits (14 percent) even admitted they’d go as far as missing a friend’s birthday to browse the sales.

And it’s the thrill of a bargain that many are chasing with two in five (44 percent) getting a kick out of finding the best deals, and a fifth (21 percent) enjoying getting competitive with other shoppers for the best deals. Over a quarter (26 percent) plan to do most of their Christmas shopping during Black Friday, while a third (29 percent) even stock up on gifts for the year ahead.

However, as exciting and rewarding as the seasonal sales can be, two fifths (40 percent) of shoppers admit that the in-store Black Friday shopping experience can feel stressful at times, with missing a deal almost as worrying as being late to a friend’s wedding (16 percent) or being told off at a parents evening (15 percent).

When asked about the most taxing elements of seasonal sales, shoppers cited long queues (23 percent) and overcrowding in busy shops (22 percent) as some of those that most inhibit their Black Friday experience.

To help Brits get the most out of their shopping experience this Black Friday, EE is creating a shoppers’ sanctuary in its UK-first Digital Spa, giving deal seekers a moment to relax and re-charge in between the sales. Situated in the EE Studio store in Westfield London, White City, the Digital Spa features guided meditations and an immersive sensory room, giving shoppers in the capital a moment of serenity in amongst the Black Friday storm.

For those deal seekers outside of the capital, EE has teamed up with shopping expert and consumer psychologist, Kate Nightingale, to create a guide to avoiding ‘Black Friday Burnout’, so they too can snap up the best deals in a safe and stress-free way.

Kate Nightingale, Shopping Expert and Consumer Psychologist, says: “Catching that perfect Black Friday deal not only releases dopamine, the reward neurotransmitter responsible for that lovely sense of pleasure, but also increases the sense of control, which is crucial to wellbeing and a feeling of safety. The excitement of striking multiple bargains during Black Friday can actually cloud your judgement, and enhance product valuations, so it’s important to approach shopping mindfully. It’s wonderful to see EE inviting customers to slow down and find their inner voice, not just on Black Friday but throughout the year in its Digital Spa”.

Asif Aziz OBE, Retail Director at EE, says: “We know how important Black Friday is to our customers and so we want to help make this easier. As part of our ambition to be the UK’s most personal, customer-focused brand, we have designed the Digital Spa in our Studio store to give shoppers a moment to relax and recharge and get the most out of their shopping experience all year round. Our research shows that shoppers prefer a relaxing environment and so we hope that together with Kate’s advice, we can help them to find their calm this Black Friday.”

EE has also teamed up with Calm, the mental health brand with the #1 app for meditation, sleep and relaxation, to offer EE consumer SIM-only and pay monthly mobile customers a 1-month free trial of Calm.

EE’s Digital Spa is available to shoppers in the EE Studio all year round. Book a free 30-minute session in the EE Studio Digital Spa HERE.

*Research commissioned by EE and conducted by Opinion Matters among 2,000 UK consumers (18+), nationally representative on age, gender and region in November 2023. Opinion Matters abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct which is based on the ESOMAR principles and are members of The British Polling Council.  

** 28,375,907 = 53,188,204 (ONS 2021 mid-year UK 18+ population) x 53.35 percent