As Black Friday approaches, UK shoppers are facing a familiar dilemma: should they grab the discounts now or wait for the traditional Boxing Day sales? According to exclusive research conducted for The Independent, the answer is clear for bargain hunters.
More than half (52 per cent) of expert-approved products were cheaper during the Black Friday sales than in the Boxing Day promotions, based on price tracking data from 2024. The findings challenge the conventional wisdom that post-Christmas sales offer the deepest discounts.
Tech and Gaming: Black Friday Dominates
The research examined 50 popular products across three categories, with technology showing the strongest Black Friday advantage. Over half (52 per cent) of gadgets including laptops, tablets and gaming consoles were cheaper during the November sales event.
One striking example was the Ring doorbell, which sold for £54 at B&Q on Black Friday compared to £67.99 during Boxing Day sales - a significant saving for early shoppers. Other notable tech deals included the Nintendo Switch OLED, PS5 slim standard, and Sony WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds.
Alex Lee, senior tech critic, explained why Black Friday typically outperforms for technology purchases. "After tracking prices over the years, I've seen how prices plummet during Black Friday, then shoot up the closer you get to the festivities," he said. "Once Boxing Day rolls around, it's not tech that's being discounted - it's clothes. Unlike fashion, tech doesn't go out of style."
Beauty and Household Bargains
The pattern continued in the beauty category, where 54 per cent of products were cheaper on Black Friday. The Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood flawless filter demonstrated this trend dramatically, costing 33 per cent less during the November sales.
Lucy Smith, beauty writer, shared her strategy for maximising savings. "In my experience, beauty gift sets are where the best offers sit. Once you factor in an additional Black Friday or Boxing Day saving, you've often racked up a discount of 40-60 per cent." She recommended looking to brands like Clinique, Estée Lauder and Olaplex for the most compelling deals.
Household items told a slightly different story, with 45 per cent cheaper on Black Friday but the majority maintaining the same price across both sales periods. The Hotel Chocolat velvetiser exemplified the potential savings, dropping to £74.99 on Black Friday before rising to £94.80 by 20 December.
How to Verify Genuine Deals
With consumer scepticism growing - a YouGov poll found more than a third of UK shoppers are less interested in Black Friday than two or three years ago - verifying discounts has never been more important.
The research methodology used publicly available price tracking tools that any consumer can access. Websites like PriceRunner, PriceSpy and camelcamelcamel allow shoppers to check price histories and compare retailers.
For example, while Amazon might advertise a Kindle Paperwhite at £124.99 claiming the RRP is £159.99, price tracking revealed Very offered the same product marginally cheaper. This highlights the importance of shopping around rather than assuming one retailer has the best price.
The data confirms that while not every Black Friday deal represents genuine value, the November sales event generally offers better prices than Boxing Day for most popular products, particularly in technology and beauty categories.
