Trade unions and workers' groups are organizing protests to align with the shopping period spanning Black Friday to Cyber Monday.

So how do small retailers fare in a market where one company alone - Amazon - must take on an extra 2,000 staff across the north-west of England just to deal with demand? Afflecks retailer Megan Price says small independent sellers see a dip in trade as they "just cannot compete".

About a decade ago, Black Friday in America was about long lines, fist fights and stampedes over steep discounts on high-demand items such as flat screen TVs, laptops, toys, etc. Consumers would arrive at stores at the crack of dawn to get their hands on products selling for a generous 50% to 60% off,