Shopping gurus predict a boom around this year’s Black Friday as families feeling the squeeze search for the best pre-Christmas bargains.
Spending is expected to total £9 billion, according to research by Vouchercodes. How good are these bargains?
Consumer watchdog Which? published alarming research yesterday. Yesterday, Which? the consumer watchdog published shocking research revealing that only one of ten deals last year represented a real saving.
Paddington Bear Soft Toy: Original price: Hamleys. £30 Black Friday 2020: £18 — the price it stayed at until New Year. Price today: £20.99
Researchers analysed deals across six retailers — Amazon, AO, Argos, Currys, John Lewis and Richer Sounds — and found some 184 of the 201 products price tracked were the same price, or even cheaper, in the six months prior to Black Friday.
But that doesn’t mean shoppers should feel they have already missed out on a bargain.
Today’s Mail Investigation reveals the events that took place after Black Friday in 2013. This proves yet again how rare and genuine deals are.
Mail tracked prices and discounted products for the last twelve months. These included tech, TVs, and computers. Also toys, popular beauty items and gadgets for the kitchen.
Kenwood kMix mixer
Argos Original Price: £429.99
Black Friday 2020 £299.99,
Boxing Day: Lowest Price £199.99
Prices today £399.99
Lenovo smart clock
Original price (ao.com). £80
Black Friday 2020 £34
Prices today £29
Out of 27 items that we monitored, only half proved to be as affordable or less expensive at other times.
For example, a Kenwood Mixer sold by Argos was reduced to £299.99 on Black Friday in 2020. But had shoppers waited until the Boxing Day sale, they could have saved themselves a further £100.
Meanwhile at John Lewis, a coffee machine offered for £299 on Black Friday fell to £249 in the run-up to Christmas.
Microsoft Surface Pro 7
John Lewis Original Price £899
Black Friday 2020 £659, where it remained up to Christmas
Prices today £929
A further eight items, although cheapest on Black Friday, were heavily discounted in the Christmas sale period — proving yet again that the vast majority of deals are not as good as they appear to be.
Which? study warns shoppers to take ‘time-limited’ Black Friday offers with a pinch of salt.
‘We’ve found time and again that the vast majority of deals advertised on Black Friday are not as good as the marketing hype would suggest and many are likely to be on sale at the same price or less at other times of the year,’ says Lisa Barber, editor of home products and services at Which?.
She cautions against impulse shopping and urges people to conduct research via price-tracking web sites to discover real bargains.
Ossie Bayram, of price monitoring website PriceSpy, adds: ‘This year, retailers are especially keen to have a good Black Friday and Christmas period, following the past 18 months.
We’ve seen 13 per cent of prices increase earlier this month in the build-up to Black Friday, which have now started to drop.
This might give an illusion of discounts for Black Friday, but in reality, these prices are often the same, if not higher than months prior.’
Here’s a look at the Black Friday Investigation results. . .
Deals that weren’t one day wonders:
Race car
Original price £35
Black Friday 2020 £24.50
The lowest price in January 2021 £17.50
Prices today £17.50 (sold out).
The black Friday price on shopdisney.co.uk was the same as the Christmas period, but it dropped further in the New Years.
Sylvanian house
Original price £70
Black Friday 2020 £55.99
The lowest price on Cyber Monday £48.99
Prices today £35 The price of the Sylvanian Families Terrace House gift set from John Lewis was lowest on Cyber Monday through to Christmas, after which it rose to the pre-sale price.
Apollo Roxie Bike
Original price £115
Black Friday 2020 £90
Black Friday 2020: Lowest Price £90
Prices today £120
Halfords’ lowest price was on Black Friday, and it remained at £90 until Christmas Day, before returning to its pre-sale price.
Cinderella carriage
Disney Original Price: £60
Black Friday 2020 £48
January 2021: Lowest price £30
Prices Today £35.99
Shopdisney.co.uk’s Black Friday sale for the New Year saw the price drop even further.
Xiaomi scooter
Original price £499
Black Friday 2020 £399
The lowest price (New Year). £399
Prices today £349 A spokesman says: ‘If the price of a Black Friday product is reduced during event period, shoppers will get the difference back on an e-giftcard.’
Babyliss Curl Secret
Original price £119.99
Black Friday 2020 £58
Black Friday and December 21, 2020: Lowest price £58
Prices today £74.99
A Boots spokesman says: ‘We offer a price match promise on our electrical beauty products.’
The Ultimate Ears Boom 3
Original price £129.99
Black Friday 2020 £99.99
Lowest price (Xmas Eve 2020): £99
Prices today £129.99
A Christmas Eve offer at John Lewis was the best – by pennies — now back at its pre-sale price.
Sage Duo coffee maker
Original price £379
Black Friday 2020 £299
Lowest price (Xmas 2020): £249
Prices today £298.96
A John Lewis spokesman says: ‘In our Never Knowingly Undersold price promise, we match High Street competitors and monitor prices all year round.’
Slow cooker Lakeland
Original price £59.99
Black Friday 2020 £39.99 until Christmas Lowest price (Black Friday until Christmas): £39.99
Prices today £64.99
A Lakeland spokesman says: ‘Lakeland aim to provide excellent, genuine value for money all year round.’
Xmas discount almost as good
Robotic wall-climbing vehicle
Original price £30
Black Friday 2020 £15
Prices today £17.09
Hamleys prices dipped to £18 for Christmas and have stayed lower than the pre-sale price since this summer.
Fire TV Stick
Original price £49.99
Black Friday 2020 £29.99
Prices today £49.99
Amazon’s Black Friday discount was just £10 cheaper than at Christmas (£39.99).
Nescafe Machine
Original price £58
Black Friday 2020 £29
Prices today £58
Tesco’s Black Friday deal was best but nearly matched at Christmas (£34).
Ring video doorbell 3
Original price £179
Black Friday 2020 £119
Prices today £159
Amazon’s Black Friday price beats the rest, but the £139 Christmas price tag was still cheap.
Photo printer
Original price £109.99
Black Friday 2020 £79.99
Prices today £109.99
Black Friday had the lowest price for currys. co.uk and it was only £89 over Christmas and into New Year.
Shark vacuum
Original price £249
Black Friday 2020 £139.99
Lowest price (Nov 2021): £134.25
Prices today £179.99
An Amazon spokesman says: ‘Prices fluctuate
Tefal steam iron
Original price £139.99
Black Friday 2020 £69.99
Prices today £139.99
Black Friday just beats the Christmas sale price of £79.99 at Robert Dyas — which was also a good price drop.
Beats headphones
Original price £189.95
Black Friday 2020 £149.95
Prices today £299.95
The Black Friday price of these Studio 3 wireless headphones from Argos was the best, but a sale price of £169.95 ran into New Year.
Black Friday was the best
Gtech Vacuum Cleaner
Original price £199.99
Lowest price (Black Friday 2020): £129.99
Lakeland
AquaPlay MegaBridge
Original price £65.99
Black Friday 2020: Lowest Price £51.99
John Lewis
Garmin Smartwatch
Original price £199.99
Black Friday 2020: Lowest Price £149
Amazon
Sony DAB car stereo
Original price £399
Black Friday 2020: Lowest Price £279
Halfords
Kindle Kids edition
Original price £99.99
Black Friday 2020: Lowest Price £59.99
Amazon
Sonos Move smart speaker
Original price £399
Black Friday 2020: Lowest Price £199
sonos.com