SHOPPERS failed to flock to Swindon shops this morning as Black Friday - now in its third year - proved a bit of a let down.

A handful of shoppers were waiting for the doors to open at Game in the town centre but other big-name stores includeding Debenhams and Argos were off to an even quieter start.  

Across the UK retailers made cut-price deals available online from midnight and many shops changed their opening hours to offer customers more time to snap up discounted stock, ranging from televisions to toothbrushes.

But there were no signs of the huge crowds which gathered last year, or the scuffles which broke out as customers fought over big-ticket items.

It is still expected that customers could spend their way to the UK's first £1 billion in online shopping day today.

Tesco, which opened many of its stores at 5am, had installed queuing systems and assured shoppers there would be enough security and stock following scuffles over limited numbers of items last year.

Ebay is expecting nine million Britons to visit its website today while Argos, Currys PC World and AO.com are all offering hundreds of pounds off selected items.

John Lewis has promised to honour its Never Knowingly Undersold pledge and match competitors' prices.

Amazon.co.uk is offering its Fire tablet for £34.99, £15 cheaper than the regular price, as well as deals on televisions, video game consoles and Star Wars toys and £650 off a Gibson electric guitar, while those in the market for fine jewellery can snap up a white gold and diamond tennis bracelet for £3,500 off the regular price of £8,995.

Last year, Black Friday overtook Cyber Monday for the first time as Amazon.co.uk's busiest day, when it sold more than 5.5 million items at a rate of 64 per second.

But things got off to a slow start on Oxford Street this morning, where midnight came and went without any hint of last year's consumer chaos.

The Boots flagship store on Sedley Place was one of a handful of shops which opened extra early, advertising deals on huge posters by the shop entrance.

But the doors flung open to two waiting journalists and no customers.

This Is Wiltshire:

  • A quiet start at BHS in Swindon this morning. Picture by Thomas Kelsey

Elsewhere Norfolk Police were on site at Blue Boar Tesco in Norwich in case of trouble, but the queue of around 18 people moved slowly and politely through the doors as they opened up.

The scene at Surrey Quays Tesco was more calm than last year, when police were called to reports of arguments breaking out.

Around 30 people waited in the queue before making their way into the store as security guards looked on.

Entrance to Tesco's Western Avenue store in Cardiff was limited to 10 people at a time, as people waited in the rain and shoppers at Tesco Extra in Cradley Heath, West Midlands, saw no repeat of last year's chaotic scenes after being issued with tickets to enter the Black Friday section of the store.

Only around 40 people arrived at the shop before its 5am opening and the queue for items was estimated to be around a tenth as big as last year.

Elsewhere moderate crowds queued outside some Tesco Extra stores, some being offered mince pies as they waited in the rain and cold.

As the shutters were raised and doors unlocked shoppers were seen walking calmly into the stores, while others waited their turn as security staff limited the number heading in at any one time.

Last year's scenes of bargain-hunters wrestling over cut-price televisions were not repeated in the early hours, but the shoppers who did turn up were seen loading up their trollies with high-value items including TVs, coffee machines and hoovers.

In the run-up to this year's event police warned shops to ensure they have carefully thought-out security plans in place for the sales following chaos at a number of stores across the UK last year when huge crowds grappled for cut-price televisions and other big-ticket items.

The 100-strong queue at Tesco Extra in Kingston Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, were assured the store had plenty of stock, as the shutters were raised at 5am.

Shoppers who got to Cardiff's Western Avenue Tesco store early included one dressed as a chicken, and another who left disappointed after being told she could not purchase the basic items - a cucumber and a loaf of bread - she had turned up to buy.

One man said his wife told him not to come back without new TV with him, while three students said they planned to carry their newly bought TV on the 30-minute journey home.

Bleary-eyed Black Friday bargain hunters braved the cold at the Tesco Extra store in Burnley, Lancashire, which last year saw scenes of chaos as shoppers grappled with each other for electrical items at bargain prices. 

This year saw a more civilised situation as shoppers were given team talks before entering the store - the dos and don'ts being "no abuse or violence" and "enjoy yourselves".

One shopper in the Burnley store described last year as "chaos", recalling how one woman allegedly even placed her baby on a TV so that no-one else could get their hands on it.

Another shopper said she and her partner planned to head to Argos following her shop in Tesco, having ordered a Playstation and four games online for £300. She estimated she had saved between £1,500 and £2,000 in the hours leading up to and during Black Friday.

She said: "I haven't been to sleep, I've been up all night shopping."

Another said he was coming to see "what the fuss was about".

He added: "I'm here for whatever catches my eye and if the price is right.

"My sister said that last year people were standing on each other. Some people got what they wanted, others got what they didn't want - a black eye."

Experian-IMRG believes internet spending today will hit £1.07bn, a 32% increase on last year's £810m - the first time that online retail sales in the UK will surpass £1bn in one day.

The Centre for Retail Research expects a slightly more modest £966m online but predicts total Black Friday sales including at bricks and mortar stores will reach £1.39bn, with shopping over the entire weekend - culminating in Cyber Monday - to hit £3.49bn.

Visa Europe predicts that shoppers will spend £721m online on its cards today, up from £616m last year.

However, consumer advocates warned that shoppers should exercise caution amid the rush for bargains.

Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, has warned that most Black Friday deals "aren't special" and advised shoppers to cross-check deals with items they actually need.

"Above all, remember: if you don't want something, don't need it or can't afford it, then don't buy it," he said.