Amazon has launched its Black Friday sales event today with deals across all categories, less than two weeks after its delayed Prime Day sales event.

Amazon is stealing a march on Black Friday trading by launching offers across all its product categories including toys, mobile phones, beauty and its own-brand devices today.

The retailer is also offering lightning deals and deal-of-the-day offers from now until November 27.

The move by Amazon follows its delayed Prime Day event earlier this month, which has taken place in the summer in previous years but was pushed back in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Amazon has launched its ‘Early Black Friday deals’ range, which will run until November 19, with the tagline ‘Shop early. Relax later’ in a bid to coax early spend from shoppers and offset a surge in orders in the run-up to Christmas.

Retailers and couriers are gearing up for strain on their supply chains over the festive period as shoppers forego in-store shopping to buy their gifts online instead. 

Marks & Spencer is hiring 500 extra seasonal staff in online distribution in expectation of high Christmas demand as Covid restrictions continue.

Royal Mail has plans to hire up to 33,000 temporary staff between October and January in a bid to cope with a surge in online orders during the festive period.