Only 2% of discounted products are cheapest on Black Friday, Which? finds
|
Only 2% of discounted products are cheapest on Black Friday, Which?
finds as it reveals most ‘deals’ should be taken with a pinch of
salt The vast majority of Black Friday ‘deals’ are cheaper or the
same price at other times of the year, according to new Which?
research, which found only two per cent of products on offer are at
their best price on the day of the sales extravaganza. With Black
Friday now only a few days away and Christmas around the corner,
the...Request free trial
Only 2% of discounted products are cheapest on Black Friday, Which? finds as it reveals most ‘deals’ should be taken with a pinch of salt The vast majority of Black Friday ‘deals’ are cheaper or the same price at other times of the year, according to new Which? research, which found only two per cent of products on offer are at their best price on the day of the sales extravaganza. With Black Friday now only a few days away and Christmas around the corner, the consumer champion is warning shoppers to be cautious about offers and do some research before making any big purchases. Which? analysed 208 Black Friday deals last year at eight major home and tech retailers – Amazon, AO, Argos, Boots, Currys, John Lewis, Richer Sounds and Very – looking at their prices every day in the six months before and after the sale day (25 November 2022). 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. Black Friday sales often begin earlier in November and continue after the sale day itself, so Which? also extended the sales period to include 18 November until 2 December, catching Cyber Monday, and still found that 86 per cent of products were the same price or cheaper at other times of the year. 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. At Amazon, the Garmin Lily Sports Edition smart watch was discounted from £199 to £149 but Which? found it had been cheaper on 58 days before Black Friday including £114.99 during the Amazon Prime Day sale, when the retailer often offers significant discounts. At Richer Sounds, the Bowers and Wilkins 603 S2 Anniversary Edition floor standing speakers went from £1,599 to £1,299 on Black Friday, but they’d been £1,299 since October and were only £1,199 for 23 days in May and June. The price then dropped on 8 December to £1,249 showing that customers who are willing to hold out until after Black Friday might find a bigger discount only a few weeks later. Overall, at Argos, three quarters (75%) of products that were on offer on Black Friday and included in Which?'s analysis were actually cheaper at other times of the year compared to their price on Black Friday. This was the highest proportion of any of the retailers Which? looked at. The vast majority of products at Argos were TVs, which typically drop in price after new models are launched in the spring. One TV was £120 cheaper than the Black Friday price the following March. Argos told Which? that only one product in its analysis was a Black Friday deal, while the others were part of other promotional offers. However Which? found many of the Argos products included in the analysis had ‘Black Friday’ included in the online URL and were included in a section of the retailer’s website called ‘Black Friday deals and hot products’. Amazon had the second-highest percentage (69%) of products that were cheaper than their Black Friday price at other times of the year. Amazon also has its own sale day event – Amazon Prime Day – with often deep discounts. Amazon told Which? it aims to offer great value throughout the year, through price-matching and seasonal deal events. At Very (54%), AO (59%) and Richer Sounds (47%) Which? found around half the products, or more, were cheaper in the six months before or after Black Friday. Retailers rarely make direct claims that they are offering the very best price on Black Friday, but shoppers could be forgiven for believing this is when the best discounts of the year are available, given the massive fanfare and marketing around the sales period. While there are some genuine deals to be had, Which? is urging shoppers not to feel pressured into making purchases. Instead, it’s worth taking the time to do some research before parting with any cash to make sure a product is good quality and on sale at a price that genuinely offers value for money. Ele 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.” ENDS Notes to editors:
Research Which? analysed the prices of 208 tech, home and personal care products at Amazon, AO, Argos, Boots, Currys, John Lewis, Richer Sounds and Very that were on offer on Black Friday last year, compared to their prices in the six months before and after.
How to get the best deal
Rights of Reply: 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.” AO stated that Which?'s findings didn't represent the value that their Black Friday promotions provide. Argos told Which? that only one of the products was a Black Friday deal with all other products being part of its everyday competitive pricing and standard promotional offers. 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.’ Which? put its findings to Currys, but it did not respond. 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." A spokesperson for Richer Sounds said: “We try hard to be 100% transparent with our customers, so they can make informed buying decisions.” A spokesperson for Very commented: “We offer great value on a range of products across all categories throughout the year, including via regular promotional events. Black Friday is one of these events and we know our customers value the deals at this time of year.” |