Australia’s online mega sale Click Frenzy is returning tonight, hoping to ‘stop the nation’ and be clear of last year’s glitches.

The first Click Frenzy event, in November 2012, was branded an “epic fail” after the website crashed and hundreds of disgruntled bargain hunters took to social media to vent their frustrations.

But this year, retailers are banking on a smoother sale night – and Click Frenzy’s organisers are promising an improved platform that can handle enormous amounts of online traffic.

Co-founder Grant Arnott said: “Customers can feel comfortable knowing the site’s technicalities have been improved since the infamous crash in 2012. Pre-subscribers also have an opportunity to avoid the cyberspace stampede with the early bird access.”

He added: “We’re absolutely going to show shoppers what Australian online shopping is all about. The deals are amazing, and after last year everyone knows what to expect and, most importantly, what Aussie shoppers expect – amazing prices, a great website and quality customer service, including fast delivery.”

Click Frenzy 2012 saw nearly two million queries in the first minute, 1.6 million unique visits to the site, and 22 million page views in 24 hours. The most searched-for items were iPads, cameras and televisions and the most searched-for brands were Myer, Apple, Bonds and Lego.

This year, more than 300 retailers are taking part, with more than 500 brands.