Glasgow Fort is expecting more than 75,000 bargain hunters to take advantage of the deals on offer as Black Friday returns.

The shopping and leisure centre will open from 8am to midnight to cope with demand, and staffing hours have been increased by 50% on the day.

It is expected the park will be twice as busy as a normal Friday and, with many deals set to continue throughout the weekend, centre bosses expect 180,000 shoppers over the three days.

Phil Goodman, Centre Manager at Glasgow Fort, said: “We have always been known for our late night shopping so we knew we had to do something big for Black Friday as it has become our busiest day of the year. Extending our opening hours from 8am right through until midnight gives everyone the chance to take advantage of the great deals that will be on offer without having to rush.

“We expect to be busy throughout the day and this is why we have extended the trading hours to give customers more time to shop. Staffing hours have been increased by 50% to cope with the demand and we are sure there is going to be a fantastic atmosphere as our customers kick off the Christmas shopping season.”

The US phenomenon has grown in scale in recent years and Glasgow Fort is expecting footfall for the date to be up 67% on 2013’s figures and 20% on last year.

Glasgow Fort has enjoyed a strong year with the addition of a major development which includes a flagship Marks & Spencer store.

With almost 100 outlets, Glasgow Fort is an award-winning shopping experience with 1900 free parking spaces. Situated just off junction 10 of the M8, it is home to leading shopping brands including Marks & Spencer, TopShop, Zara, River Island, H&M, Next and Schuh. There is also a Vue cinema and an array of eateries including Nando’s, TGI Friday and Wagamama.