Imported fad? All hype? We’ve found that Black Friday isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. What do you think of the annual sales ‘event’?
25/11/2020: Black Friday from home
This year many more of us will be shopping from the comfort of our own sofas this Black Friday, but what does that mean for the sales?
Before lockdowns in England and Wales, accounting firm PWC estimated spending was actually going to increase by 8% this year – from £7.8bn to £8.4bn. But because of the lockdown 2.0 it now expects spending to fall to £6.2bn – a 20% decline vs last year.
It can be tempting to scour the sales for a bargain, but we’ve found time and time again that you can get the same deal – or an even better one – at another time of year.
If you decide to spend this year rember deals that look too good to be true often are, so don’t fall for time-limited offers.
Looking for something in particular? Make sure you do your research first – that way you’ll know a genuine bargain when you see one.
27/11/2019: What do you think of Black Friday?
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been completely swamped by Black Friday offers in the last few weeks. It’s extraordinary the extent to which the new discounting event has caught on in recent years.
In case you didn’t know, the day itself is this Friday 29 November.
It’s estimated that UK consumers will spend something in the region of £8 billion in the eight days around Black Friday this year – with more than £1.5 billion of that being spent on the day itself.
To put that figure into perspective, if you spent £1 every second it would take 11.5 days to spend £1million. It would take almost 32 years to spend £1billion.
Will you be joining the spending frenzy? If so, you’ll want to read this before hitting those sales.
Cheaper at other times of the year
We tracked the prices of 83 must-have products in the Black Friday sales in 2018, including soundbars, speakers, coffee machines and TVs.
Only four of those products were actually cheapest on Black Friday compared with other times of the year.
95% of Black Friday ‘deals’ cheaper or the same price after the sales
We even found an Indesit tumble dryer on sale at Currys PC World that had been ‘marked down’ for Black Friday 2018 to the low, low price of £199. Just a fortnight before, it had cost £20 less than that.
Is Black Friday all hype? Our findings would certainly suggest so.
How to find a bargain
That being said, there are genuine bargains to be found for those who are willing to do a little research. As the old adage goes, failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
.@thatadamfrench shares his top tips on how to dodge the dud #BlackFriday deals and shop like a pro → https://t.co/VA8CFS6GlZ pic.twitter.com/1BQdvxHThx
— Which? (@WhichUK) November 26, 2019
We’re urging shoppers not to feel pressured by the hype around Black Friday. Instead do some research; draw up a shortlist of the products you want or need and the prices you’re happy to pay.
If it’s something you want, at a good price, then it’s a good deal.
And we can help. For those who are going to hit the sales (despite our findings!), we’ve pulled together everything you could possibly want to know to ensure you make the most of the sale.
Our experts have also handpicked some of the best deals we can find.
How do you feel about Black Friday? Are you fed up with it? Could we do without it?
Whether you’re hitting the ‘sales’ or not, let us know your thoughts.
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