Shoppers who are looking to snag a bargain this Black Friday are being warned to take their time before buying - as not all "deals" are actually good value.
New research from consumer expert Which? found that only one in seven Black Friday deals offer a genuine discount. In fact, findings show that the majority of promotions are cheaper or the same price months before the sale day.
With the mammoth event less than 72 hours away, Which? is urging customers to carefully consider whether items are worth buying and that the "discounted" price offers an actual deal.
The consumer champion analysed 214 Black Friday deals last year at seven major home and tech retailers – Amazon, AO, Argos, Currys, John Lewis, Richer Sounds and Very – looking at their prices every day in the six months before and after the sale day.
While some worthwhile deals were found, "genuine" discounts were few and far between, with Amazon and Very coming out on top for the most dubious offers. For both the tech and fashion retailers, 70 per cent of their products were cheaper at other times of year compared to their Black Friday deals.
Out of the deals analysed Which? found 86 per cent were actually cheaper or the same as their Black Friday price in the six months before the sales event. While 98 per cent were cheaper or the same price at other times in the year - none were cheaper on Black Friday alone.
Apart from Currys and Very, who did not respond, the examined retailers said that Black Friday is a key time for deals but is just part of efforts to offer savings through the year.
Therefore, shoppers should take time to do their research before dropping cash to ensure they are bagging high quality products that actually offer value for money. People are also being urged to take advantage of price matching to get the most out of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Reena Sewraz, Which? Retail Editor, said: “Our research shows that finding a good deal on Black Friday is like looking for a needle in a haystack. It’s rarely the cheapest time to shop and you’ll probably find the things you want are the same price or cheaper as we head towards Christmas, the New Year and beyond.
“Retailers are not blind to the extra pressures on people’s finances this year and will be keen to use Black Friday to attract people looking to get the most for their money, so we should still expect some deals. Our advice is to take the time to do some research if you want to find a genuine bargain.”
A marker of the Christmas shopping season, Black Friday sees many shops offer one of highly promoted discounts on products. Originally a US tradition, global retailers like Amazon have brought the sale extravaganza to the UK.
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