A three-day warning has been issued to Black Friday shoppers - amid warnings just one in 50 Black Friday deals are at their cheapest price on the day of the shopping bonanza. A study from Which? analysed a range of offers on 25 November 2022 ahead of this year's shopping event.
The consumer group found that only two per cent were not available at the same price or cheaper within six months either side of the date. Which? analysed 208 deals last year at eight major home and tech retailers including Amazon, Argos, John Lewis, Boots and Currys.
Out of 208 products, only five were at their cheapest on Black Friday itself and 98 per cent of them were cheaper, or the same price, in the surrounding 12 months. Ele Clark, retail editor at Which? Retail said that customers should not feel “pressured to splash out on Black Friday."
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In one of the worst examples Which? found, Apple Airpods (2nd generation) headphones at both Argos and Currys were discounted from £139 to £119. However these products were cheaper than their Black Friday price every day between 25 May and 9 September where the price varied between £99 and £109. The price only increased in September to £139 then dropped to £119 in Black Friday week.
Ms Clark said "it’s rarely the cheapest time to shop”. She added that while there are “bargains to be had” consumers should do their own research. Ms Clark, Which? Retail editor 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. While they’re rare, there are some genuine bargains to be had - just make sure you do your research and don’t panic buy. It's worth comparing the price at multiple retailers and checking the product’s price history using a site such as PriceRunner or PriceSpy - that way you’ll know a good deal when you see one.”
An Amazon spokesperson said: “We seek to offer our customers great value throughout the year, both through price-matching to ensure our prices are as low or lower than other retailers and with fantastic seasonal deal events that saved our customers hundreds of millions of pounds on Holiday deals last year.”
A Boots spokesperson said: ‘Black Friday is a brilliant time to pick up some of our very best deals. Last year, we started promotions early, with discounts running throughout the whole of November. We always aim for our Black Friday deals to be our very lowest prices – last year we had over 18,000 deals on offer.
“Of the small number of deals reviewed by Which? these were only lower prices during a promotional period - namely our January sale, when we often offer big discounts on clearance items. We also offer a price match promise on our range of electrical beauty products.’
A John Lewis spokesperson said: “Our customers can get great offers with us all year round, and while some of these prices were impacted by our retired Never Knowingly Undersold policy - we’re focused on great quality and value, having invested significantly to keep prices down in-shops and online."
