Shoppers searching for Black Friday bargains are being warned that most deals do not offer genuine discounts, according to consumer group Which?. Analysis of more than 200 offers last Black Friday found 98% were cheaper or the same price at other times in the year.
The warning comes as the number of people hitting UK shops this Black Friday is forecast to be 12.8% higher than 2021, according to retail experts Springboard. Many are under extra pressure to make savings as the cost of living rises.
Which? analysed 214 Black Friday deals last year at seven major home and tech retailers: Amazon, AO, Argos, Currys, John Lewis, Richer Sounds and Very. It looked at their prices every day in the six months before and after the sale day on 26 November 2021. Out of the deals analysed, 86% were cheaper or the same as their Black Friday price in the six months before the sales event. None were cheaper on Black Friday alone.
Which? found that some retailers temporarily raised prices of goods just before Black Friday, so they would seem discounted by the time the sales day arrived. It named Amazon and Very as 'the worst retailers overall for dubious discounts', finding more than 70% of products included in its analysis were cheaper at other times of the year compared to their Black Friday price.
Amazon said it offered low prices all year round as well as a number of seasonal deals events. Argos said its Black Friday deals were 'no exception' to its 'great prices' throughout the year, while AO told Which? its Black Friday deals were 'but one part of the many deals' they offered throughout the year.
Which? retail editor Reena Sewraz said finding a good deal on Black Friday was like looking for a needle in a haystack. She added: '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.'
