9 in 10 Black Friday ‘deals’ cheaper or same price at other times, Which? finds

The vast majority of Black Friday ‘deals’ are cheaper or the same price at other times of the year, according to new Which? research.

Black Friday has become a hype-driven sales extravaganza lasting for two weeks, or even longer at some retailers. Shoppers splurged an estimated £13.3 billion in 2023.

Which? looked at deals on 227 products in last year’s Black Friday fortnight between 20 November and 1 December. Nine in 10 (92%) of the deals analysed – all from eight of the biggest home and tech retailers – were the same price or cheaper at other times of the year. 

For the first time, the consumer association also examined one of key elements of Black Friday sales pricing – the credibility of the “was” price used to illustrate the scale of the supposed saving. Which? found that for six in 10 deals, the higher price had been in place less than half the time the product was available in the year before the promotion – suggesting it was common for the product to be discounted. 

Shockingly, Which? found 14 ‘deals’ where the higher price had not been charged once at that retailer in the previous 12 months. 

In one of the worst examples Which? found, a Remington Shea Soft Hair Dryer at Boots was £18.99 on Black Friday, claiming to be reduced from £49.99 –  a huge 62 per cent off. But in reality, it had never been £49.99 at Boots in the preceding 12 months.

At John Lewis, the Garmin Venu 2S smartwatch was priced at £294, with a claimed saving of £90. But at no point in the previous 12 months had it been on sale at £384 at John Lewis. The highest price during that period was £349.99. The price also did not revert to £384 in the six months after Black Friday.

Which? has carried out this research for a number of years and this was the first time that every single one of the deals was available for the same or less than their price on Black Friday itself (24 November) at other times of the year. Around four in 10 of the deals were cheaper at other times. 

At John Lewis, Which? found a Sage Nespresso Creatista Pro coffee machine that appeared to be a great deal at £499.95, down from £699.95. But it was cheaper than this for 32 days in the six months before Black Friday, including just £479.95 four months earlier. 

At Richer Sounds, a Toshiba 24WK3C63DB TV was advertised as an ‘Inflation Busting Mega deal’ for £139. In fact, it had been £139 for 80 days straight before Black Friday. Before that it was £10 less, at £129. At no point in the six months before Black Friday was it more than £139.

At Boots, the ORAL-B iO4Electric Toothbrush (and case) was £89 with a claimed previous price of £240. But it had been £240 for just one day in the previous 12 months. Otherwise, the highest price was £95.

At Curry’s, the Hisense 43-inch Smart 4K TV with Amazon Alexa was £249 on Black Friday, reduced from £429. But just 15 days after Black Friday it was reduced yet further, to £229. In fact it never went back up above its Black Friday price in the entire six months afterwards.

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 is worth shoppers taking the time to decide which products they are interested in and do some research into any deals before parting with their cash.

Which? is calling on retailers to clean up their act on pricing, including only quoting savings against the most recent previous price and for time-limited offers, the offer must be in place for a shorter period of time than the higher price was available. Retailers should also publish the dates the higher price applied to and be able to show that it is representative of the pricing history.

Says Harry Rose, Editor of Which? Magazine:

“Our investigation is a reminder to shoppers that they should not feel pressured to splash out on Black Friday purchases as those deals are usually repeated – if not beaten – at other times of the year.

“We want retailers to drop the sneaky pricing tactics so consumers are not misled about the deals on offer.

“When looking to make a purchase, it’s worth comparing the price at multiple retailers and checking the product’s price history using a site such as PriceRunner or CamelCamelCamel – that way you’ll know a good deal when you see one.”

Right of Replies

An Amazon spokesperson said: “We offer our customers great value all year round through price-matching to ensure our prices are as low or lower than other retailers, and fantastic seasonal deal events like Black Friday. Independent analysts Profitero reviewed over 9,000 products in 2023 and found that Amazon’s year-round prices are 14% lower than other online retailers in the UK on average, while Which? analysed fewer than 40 products. To help customers find the best deals we provide clear pricing on product pages that show how much of a discount they’re getting compared to the recommended retail price, with the specific products highlighted by Which? all validated against external competitors.”

An Argos spokesperson says, “Which?’s research simply shows that customers who shop the hundreds of Black Friday deals at Argos will not see these products for a lower price before Christmas. Our customers are savvy shoppers, who understand it’s not unusual for retailers to include items in future promotions, like the January sales.”

A spokesperson for Boots said: “Black Friday is a great time to pick up some of our best deals and in 2023 Boots offered discounts on over 21,000 products across the Black Friday period. Being part of that promotional programme does not exclude those lines from being on offer at other times throughout the year. Which? reviewed a very small number of our Black Friday deals from last year and in all cases, the items were at a lower price whilst on promotion or when price matched against competitors.”

A Currys spokesperson said: “In 2024, we are proud that Currys is the first major retailer to commit to a minimum standard for all our 3,000+ Black Friday deals, ensuring not one has been cheaper in the last six months. Our new minimum standard is directly inspired by an analytical lens used by Which? previously, and one we’ve fully embraced in 2024, as we believe it is an important and easily understandable marker of how special a deal is. 

“On top of that, over half of our 2024 Black Friday deals will be at a price lower than we’ve ever offered before, something we flag on our website to maximise transparency for shoppers. This, combined with our 7-day price match promise and flexible payment options over the Black Friday event, means we believe there is no better time to bag a tech bargain, online or instore.” 

A John Lewis spokesperson said: “In a highly competitive and dynamic market, our customers can find brilliant offers with us all year round. But the recent return of our reimagined Never Knowingly Undersold brand promise – which matches prices with 25 leading retailers – gives customers absolute confidence that they are getting fantastic value.”

A Richer Sounds spokesperson said Black Friday had evolved into a month-long promotion for many retailers. He said Richer Sounds made clear anything marked as ‘Fantastic Black Friday Value’ may have been at a lower price previously, but still represented fantastic value, adding ‘Inflation-busting mega deals’ were separate to Black Friday.