Black Friday shoppers are being urged to think twice before splurging their cash as new research reveals not all items were cheaper last year.
Data from comparison website PriceSpy shows some popular products were up to 86% more expensive on Black Friday in 2021, compared to just weeks earlier.
For example, a pair of Nike Air Force shoes were found to cost £26.95 on November 1, before shooting up to £145 on November 26, the date Black Friday fell on last year.
During the same timeframe, a Panasonic microwave jumped from £95 to £159, while a BaByliss hair wand increased from £49.99 to £65.
PriceSpy claims a fifth (22%) of products were more expensive on Black Friday last year, with computer components seeing the biggest increase (42%) followed by board games and Lego (28%).
However, that doesn't mean you can't still nab a deal.
On average over the last three Black Fridays, over four in 10 (42%) products were cheaper compared to the start of November.
Liisa Matinvesi-Bassett, UK country manager at PriceSpy, said: “Despite disingenuous deals, for those wanting to snap up bargains in the run up to Christmas, Black Friday is the best day of the year to do so.
“As long as shoppers keep their wits about them by checking the price history of a product, as well as comparing prices in real time, they can indeed get some great offers on the day.”
Black Friday falls on November 25 this year, followed by Cyber Monday on November 28.
Black Friday 'deals' that weren't actually cheaper in 2021
PriceSpy used data from over 700,000 indexed products from 6,000 shops to find products that you could get cheaper before Black Friday in 2021.
Of course, that doesn't mean prices will definitely follow the same trend this year - the most important thing is to check before you spend.
It is ultimately down to each individual shop to decide the price of any item they sell.
The manufacturer will provide a recommended retail price (RRP) but this is only a guideline.
Apple AirPods (3rd Gen)
- Price on November 1 - £135; Price on Black Friday - £145; Price difference - £10 / 7%
BaByliss Pro Titanium Expression Waving Wand 34mm
- Price on November 1 - £49.99; Price on Black Friday - £65; Price difference - £15.01 / 30%
Cybex Priam Pushchair
- Price on November 1 - £699; Price on Black Friday - £749; Price difference - £50 / 7%
Dyson V15 Detect Absolute Cordless
- Price on November 1 - £499.59; Price on Black Friday - £559; Price difference - £59.41 / 12%
Lavazza Deséa
- Price on November 1 - £125; Price on Black Friday - £129; Price difference - £4 / 3%
Michael Kors Sexy Amber EDP 100ml
- Price on November 1 - £44.28; Price on Black Friday - £54.28; Price difference - £10 / 23%
Nike Air Force 1 '07 LV8 (Men's)
- Price on November 1 - £26.95; Price on Black Friday - £50; Price difference - £23.05 / 86%
Panasonic NN-SF464M Microwave
- Price on November 1 - £95; Price on Black Friday - £159; Price difference - £64 / 67%
Pie Face Board Game
- Price on November 1 - £13.95; Price on Black Friday - £15.99; Price difference - £2.04 / 15%
Samsung Galaxy S9 4GB RAM 64GB
- Price on November 1 - £135; Price on Black Friday - £147.31; Price difference - £12.31 / 9%
How to make sure you actually get a good deal
The most important thing is to compare prices to make sure you're not paying over the odds.
Remember, just because something is in the sale, it doesn't actually mean it is a good deal.
Use the Price Spy website to track costs from thousands of different retailers, including Argos, Amazon, eBay and the supermarkets.
Idealo is another website that lets you compare prices, or CamelCamelCamel is recommended if you’re shopping on Amazon.
