Where are the Black Friday bargains?

Black Friday is on 24 November this year (2023) and it will be harder than ever to find any real bargains.

Which? revealed today that only 2% of discounted products are cheapest on Black Friday. Researching last year’s Black Friday deals, it found that ‘deals’ were cheaper or the same price at other times of the year. Only 2% of the products were truly at their best price on Black Friday in 2022.

 Which? analysed the prices of eight major home and tech retailers – Amazon, AO, Argos, Boots, Currys, John Lewis, Richer Sounds and Very. It looked at their prices every day in the six months before and after the sale day (25 November 2022, last year’s Black Friday). Their research shows:

 “Out of 208 products on offer analysed by Which? on Black Friday, only five were at their cheapest on Black Friday itself. A whopping 98 per cent of the products included in Which?‘s analysis were also cheaper, or the same price, in the six months before or in the six months after the big sales day.”

But according to the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising Christmas amidst the Crunch 2 report, published in July 2023, the majority of us will be looking for bargains on Black Friday:

“…over half of UK adults (51%) intending to spend during Black Friday and a third (33%) are looking to spend up to a quarter of their Christmas shopping budget on Black Friday sales.”

It’s concerning that consumers may be misled into making purchases that they cannot afford, believing that they are bargains. Here ten tops top  tips so you don’t get caught out:

Ten top tips for getting real Black Friday bargains

1) Keep asking yourself if it is too good to be true. If it is, then it’s probably not genuine.

2) Use price-tracking tools. Camel Camel Camel, for example, tracks prices on Amazon and will tell you when the item was at its cheapest and show when the price changed and by how much.

3) Sign up to Which? Scam Alerts serviceto keep informed about the latest scams.

4) Do your research. Pricechecker, Pricerunner, PriceSpyand Idealo all compare prices from different sites for the same item, so check them before purchasing anything.

5) Use discount sites. With JamDoughnut you can earn reward points by buying pre-payment gift cards to use online, in-store or on the phone. Take out your cashback after you’ve received £10 worth in points.

With Mad About Money you can get similar discounted vouchers but save before you buy, so the money stays in your pocket.

6) Use cashback sites. The best-known and biggest cashback sites are Topcashback and Quidco as well as Kidstartwhere you can save for your child. Create an account, look up the company from which you wish to buy then register and track your purchase. The time in which you get the cashback amount varies from trader to trader.

Often you will get a higher discount for your first delivery and some offer a gift or further discount for referring a friend.

7) Write down all the things you need to buy. This can include: the people for whom you have to buy presents, possible ideas and a budget. This will help you not go over a budget if you are easily carried away with possible bargains and gives you choices.

8)Check out Which?’s expert pick of deals in its Black Friday Insider’s Guide.

9) Black Friday is usually good for getting the latest technology, but check the release dates for the next model. Will you still want that ‘phone or laptop if the newer version comes out a week later?

10) Many of the items may need additional accessories, such as batteries. Don’t get these at the same time, you will more than likely get these more cheaply when you do research on that at a later date!

Which? comments on the Black Friday findings

Ele Clark, Retail editor at Which?, said:

Our research shows that you don’t need to feel pressured to splash out on Black Friday as it’s rarely the cheapest time to shop.

Retailers are not unaware of the extra pressure on household finances this year and will be keen to use Black Friday to attract shoppers looking to get the most for their money.”

In recent years we have seen Which? identify these false “bargains” and that we are becoming more aware of retailers spreading their discounts across the year. In addition to having to tighten our budgets due to the cost of living crisis, consumers are beginning to become more savvy and look for bargains throughout the whole year.

Further information and help about Black Friday

Make it a happy shopping Black Friday, not a scammy one

Make Light Work of Black Friday – how to get real bargains

10 Top Tips for getting the best from Black Friday

Consumer Champion brings light to Black Friday

Other ways to save money

Various posts on saving money.

Help for complaining effectively

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If you need help with complaining effectively and making sure you are never fobbed off:

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