Nine in 10 (92%) Black Friday “deals” are actually the same price or cheaper in the six months ahead of the big event, according to a new investigation.
The consumer watchdog Which? analysed 201 of last year’s Black Friday deals at six major retailers – Amazon, AO, Argos, Currys, John Lewis and Richer Sounds – looking at their prices every day during the six months before and after Black Friday, as well as on the day itself.
A huge 184 of the products – which included popular items such as washing machines, soundbars and TVs – were the same price or cheaper at other points in the year. Only 17 of the “deals” did not fall into this category.
Clearly, if you’re planning to make some purchases this week to save money ahead of Christmas, it’s important to have your wits about you. Here are six dos and don’ts that’ll help you spot when a Black Friday deal is actually worth it.
Do ✅
Use price comparison sites – Look at the price of products you have in mind before Black Friday, using sites such as the independent price comparison service PriceRunner, which compares prices and offers from 3,100 retailers. This should help make sure you really are getting a good deal. If you’re using Amazon, Camel Camel Camel tracks price history charts and alerts you when prices drop.
Find out about offers in advance – Sign up to your favourite retailers’ newsletters for tips, or check their social media pages ahead of the sales for any clues or hints to what will be on offer. Then you can work out in advance how much you’ll be saving. Making a plan will prevent you from overspending.
Compare prices online and in stores – Even when you’re shopping at the same retailer, prices can vary online and in-store, according to NetVoucherCodes.co.uk. Before the day arrives, check both to see which brings up the best offer. It may take some time, but the savings will make it worth your while.
Don’t ❌
Fall for cyber scams – Security firm McAfee has warned that Black Friday can cause spikes in cyber crime. If you receive a WhatsApp message or email claiming to offer a deal from your favourite retailer, check the sender details and go straight to the source to buy purchases to avoid scammers.
Trust fake reviews online – Which?‘s investigations have revealed that some shoppers are being misled by fake online product reviews. “If multiple reviews are similar, the seller might have given fake reviewers a template to use,” Which? advises. “It’s also helpful to check reviewers’ other reviews, to see if they rate everything five stars. If they do, it’s possible they’re doing it as a job.”
Impulse buy or panic – Ultimately, the only way to avoid duff deals is to stay calm and try not to get carried away. Work out what you need or want to buy and how much you’re prepared to spend before you start shopping – then stick to it. Don’t panic or worry about missing out on a good offer, Which?’s research suggests you could be better off waiting until after Black Friday anyway.
What do the retailers say?
In response to the Which? investigation, Amazon said: “Our Black Friday Sale is about thousands of deals on a huge selection of products from every category across the site, at a time of year when we know saving money is important to our customers. And the best thing about shopping online is that customers can easily compare prices, allowing them to make an informed purchase decision.”
AO.com said: “Customers can get deals all year round at AO and Black Friday is the biggest opportunity to get genuine, great value deals alongside our year-round price match guarantee.”
Argos said: “We’re committed to offering our customers a wide range of products at great prices throughout the year and our Black Friday deals are no exception.”
Currys said: “In 2020 over 98% of our Black Friday promoted products were equal to or at their cheapest price from the previous 6 months and 54% of our products were at their lowest ever price. Black Friday represents one of the best times for customers to shop with us over the year.”
John Lewis said: “As a participating retailer in Black Friday, we offer fantastic deals across technology, home, beauty and fashion - these are just some of the many promotions our customers can take advantage of throughout the year.”
Richer Sounds said: ”Prices fluctuate pretty wildly in our industry, both up and down for all sorts of reasons, but primarily availability from suppliers and the prices we have to pay to our suppliers. So, this can mean that products (annoyingly for all) may be sold in the following Black Friday promotion at prices that are higher than during the preceding year but rest assured that all the deals that we sell are at the keenest prices possible at the time of the Black Friday ‘event’.”