Amazon Black Friday deals for bargain hunters

Amazon UK's annual week of Black Friday Deals, which kicked off yesterday is offering discounts on gadgets and gizmos, books, shoes jewellery and a host of other products.

The five-day spree has some gems including over 60 per cent off book collections, a six month subscription to Lovefilm for £17.50 instead of £59.94 and Paintshop Pro at nearly half price.

Why it is called Black Friday is anyone's guess but according to Amazon it could be because traditionally it was the start of a profitable period for US retailers, "who moved into the black after running at a loss for the previous nine months.

"Others believe it comes from a description by the police, when rampant bargain-hunters would cause havoc on the streets."

To bag a bargain the shopper chooses from the Lightning Deal promotions where a discount is offered on a limited quantity of an item for a limited time. A customer can claim a particular deal once only.