The UK’s biggest department store chain, John Lewis, has said that online sales of consumer electronics led to an 18.4% rise in sales following the increasing popularity of so-called Black Friday deals in the UK.

The group said that weekly sales rose £147 million, with an increase of almost 36% in online sales.

"Any doubt over whether UK consumers are interested in Black Friday has been cast aside as record sales were notched up online and via mobile devices for John Lewis," online director Mark Lewis said in a statement on Sunday.

However, with today predicted to be the UK’s biggest internet shopping day, these figures could well be eclipsed.