Eager Black Friday shoppers are rushing into stores around the world to snap up bargains as the festive shopping season begins.
The shopping frenzy, which originates in the United States where it marks the day after Thanksgiving, has taken off in Europe where customers browsed the aisles in Britain, France and Germany this morning.
Some shoppers began their bargain hunting early, including in Brazil where customers were seen rushing to get their hands on Samsung ultra high-definition TVs.
There were also frenzied scenes in South Africa where some shoppers had to take refuge from a doorway bundle, and in Uganda where one woman was seemingly taken away on a stretcher.
However, there has also been opposition to the spread of the shopping spree, including in France where activists blocked an Amazon warehouse south of Paris yesterday and lawmakers are considering a ban.
Amazon workers are on strike in Germany and a protest declaring that ‘consumerism equals climate crisis’ was hung up in Madrid.
Black Friday scramble: Shoppers in Sao Paulo, Brazil, pick up ultra high-definition TVs at a supermarket last night as they hunted for bargain deals on Black Friday
Customers browse racks of handbags at Macys department store in New York last night as the Black Friday frenzy began
The Black Friday craze has also made it to Germany, where people are seen shopping at electronics retailer Media Markt near the Alexanderplatz in Berlin this morning
Large items are packed into shopping trolleys at a store in Englos, northern France as eager shoppers welcome Black Friday
Shoppers wait to enter Macys department store in New York City yesterday, as the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States gives way to the Black Friday shopping scramble
There were frenzied scenes in South Africa where some shoppers had to take refuge from a doorway bundle
Protest: There was some opposition to Black Friday today, including in Spain where this Greenpeace banner reading ‘consumerism = climate crisis’ was hung in Madrid
The Black Friday advertising push has also extended beyond the one day to Cyber Monday and a so-called ‘Black Week’ in several countries.
In the Czech Republic, one electronics chain encourages shoppers to ‘Make Black Friday Great Again,’ in an advert featuring Donald Trump’s distinctive red cap.
However in Italy Black Friday falls outside the season’s strictly defined schedule for when the winter shop sales can be held.
In France, a ‘Block Friday’ protest sprung up in Paris where a manifesto says: ‘The planet burns, oceans die, and we still want to consume, consume, and therefore produce, produce – until we eradicate all living things? We will not betray our children for a 30% discount!’.
Russia’s consumer watchdog also issued a long statement with tips on how to avoid getting fooled, like checking whether prices were raised before Friday to make deals look good or whether delivery costs are inflated.
People scramble to get their hands on ultra high-definition TVs at a shop in Sao Paulo as Black Friday hits Brazil
A picture shows a sign for Black Friday sales in a shop in Caen
A shopper is seen at Auchan store in France this morning with posters advertising some of the Black Friday deals on offer
Confetti falls over customers and staff at a supermarket in Sao Paulo where people scramble to buy high-definition TVs
People shop during Black Friday deals at consumer electronics retailer Media Markt in Berlin on Friday morning
Shoppers reach for television sets in Brazil, where Black Friday advertising was plastered across this store in Sao Paulo
People buy televisions at a supermarket in Sao Paulo last night as the Black Friday shopping scramble begins in Brazil
Macys in New York opened its doors at 5pm on Thanksgiving yesterday for thousands of Black Friday shoppers
People hold high-definition TV sets at a store in Sao Paulo yesterday as the Black Friday bargain hunt got underway
A Media Markt store in the centre of Berlin is decked out with Black Friday advertising, including on a row of televisions
The tills at this supermarket in Sao Paulo are emblazoned with the words ‘Black Friday’ to encourage bargain hunters
American shoppers started Black Friday early yesterday, seen here carrying electrical goods at a Best Buy store in Chicago
A shopper in France inspects a sign saying that 20 per cent reductions are now 50 pper cent reductions for Black Friday
People scramble for discounted televisions at a store in Sao Paulo, some customers taking pictures of the bundle
On a mission: Shoppers hold Macys carrier bags as they walk through Manhattan yesterday on a hunt for Christmas deals
Some Los Angeles residents decided to leave their turkeys in the oven and instead headed over to nearby malls to cash in on Black Friday sales
This customer couldn’t contain his excitement over purchasing a brand new 4K TV on Black Friday at a Walmart Bentonville, Arkansas
Aisles of electronic goods are laid out ready for customers in a Black Friday sale near the Alexanderplatz in Berlin today
Shoppers in Los Angeles, California pictured at Aeropostale on Thanksgiving evening for a night of shopping
Shoppers wait to enter Macys department store ahead of its opening at 5pm on Thanksgiving in the United States yesterday