Another year brings yet another Black Friday, where shoppers will head out (or, more realistically, online) in search of the best deals shops can offer.

But do people still care?

Originally, Black Friday came about after US businesses would spend 11 months of the year losing money (‘in the red’) before finally making profit thanks to a huge shopping surge the day after Thanksgiving – putting them ‘in the black’.

The over-the-top American event came to the UK a few years ago and brought with it scenes of chaos. One vivid image is people fighting over TVs at a local Tesco.

However, it would now seem that the people of Swindon have grown cold of the massive shopping event.

One shopper, Janine Pipe from Bridlewood in North Swindon, said: “If you are looking for something specific as a Christmas present, then obviously it can mean you could potentially get an amazing deal.

“But often, as with the Boxing Day sales, companies are trying to sell off stuff that isn’t selling so well and that thing you are looking for isn’t included in the deal.

“I’m not against American traditions, but it only exists as it’s the big sale after Thanksgiving. It doesn’t really make sense in the UK.

“I can see its benefits for some people who rely on these deals in order to be able to afford presents. However I definitely think it is over-hyped and encourages people to panic buy stuff they perhaps wouldn’t have considered if it wasn’t a ‘great deal’."

When asked if she would be taking part in this year's event, Janine said: “I’ve done the majority or my Christmas shopping and I don’t feel in a fiscal position to splurge on things I don’t really need.

“However, my husband recently got an amazing deal with Sky that he had been looking out for, so he was extremely pleased with himself.”

Another shopper who doesn’t see the appeal of Black Friday is Amanda Wilson from Penhill.

She said: “It’s just something engineered to encourage us to buy things that were overpriced to begin with.

“I mean, if they can afford to reduce them by that much, then they were too high before they dropped the prices.

“It’s nonsense brought in to get us to spend money we don’t have on overpriced things we don’t need.

“It’s an American habit that should have stayed there.”

Amanda believes that, despite its initial popularity, the event is losing its appeal.

She added: “The hype is declining as people become aware of the sales tactics being used.

“Some shops want to distance themselves from these tactics and with the instances of violence and rioting, I think consumers and shops realise it’s not worth it.

“I think consumers initially saw the possibility of securing a bargain but now realise it’s not that at all."

Amanda made it clear she would not be taking part in the event, saying: “I don’t need one day to search for a bargain. I shop around and take my time purchasing.

“For that reason I will not be pressurised into making a Black Friday purchase.”

The story was the same for Victoria Crook from Redhouse, who agrees Black Friday is an American tradition that shouldn’t be in the UK.

She said: “It’s pointless mainly. It’s an American holiday so it’s only relevant to them. It’s just a marketing ploy adopted by us to increase sales.

“The reductions over in the States on Black Friday compared to the ones over here are astonishing. Here you’re lucky to get anything over 10 per cent off.”

However, Victoria doesn’t believe it should be stopped entirely. She added: “Personally I don’t think they should call it Black Friday. Because it’s not even held on a Friday anymore, it’s the whole week before. If retailers want to have sales that coincide with America then fair enough, but at least be original and call it something else.”