{"id":68841,"date":"2023-11-24T21:12:11","date_gmt":"2023-11-24T21:12:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rapidcelnews.com\/?p=68841"},"modified":"2023-11-24T21:12:11","modified_gmt":"2023-11-24T21:12:11","slug":"warning-to-shoppers-to-take-black-friday-deals-with-a-pinch-of-salt-and-the-rule-everyone-needs-to-follow-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rapidcelnews.com\/lifestyle\/warning-to-shoppers-to-take-black-friday-deals-with-a-pinch-of-salt-and-the-rule-everyone-needs-to-follow-the-sun\/","title":{"rendered":"Warning to shoppers to take Black Friday deals with a \u2018pinch of salt\u2019 – and the rule everyone needs to follow | The Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"

BLACK Friday is just days away, but shoppers are being warned to take the offers "with a pinch of salt" as you might not get the best price.<\/p>\n

Just 2% of discounted Black Friday deals were at their cheapest price on the day of the sales event last year, according to Which?.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The consumer group warned that the vast majority of deals were cheaper, or the same price, at other times.<\/p>\n

This year, Black Friday will take place on November 24, followed by Cyber Monday on November 27, though many deals have already started early.<\/p>\n

Which? analysed 208\u00a0Black\u00a0Friday\u00a0deals last year at eight major home and technology retailers \u2013 Amazon, AO, Argos, Boots, Currys, John Lewis, Richer Sounds and Very \u2013 looking at their prices every day in the six months before and after the sale day on November 25.<\/p>\n

It found just five of the deals were at their cheapest on\u00a0Black\u00a0Friday\u00a0itself.<\/p>\n

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Black\u00a0Friday\u00a0sales often begin earlier in November and continue after the sale day itself, so Which? also extended the sales period to include November 18 until December 2, taking in Cyber Monday.<\/p>\n

It still found that 86% of products were the same price or cheaper at other times of the year.<\/p>\n

Cyber Monday is a day when retailers slash their prices online for a final 24 hours.<\/p>\n

In one example, Apple Airpods 2nd generation headphones at both Argos and Currys were discounted from \u00a3139 to \u00a3119 but were cheaper than their\u00a0Black\u00a0Friday\u00a0price every day between May 25 and September 9, when the price varied between \u00a399 and \u00a3109.<\/p>\n

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The price only increased in September to \u00a3139 then dropped to \u00a3119 in\u00a0Black\u00a0Friday\u00a0week.<\/p>\n

At Amazon, the Garmin Lily Sports Edition smart watch was discounted from \u00a3199 to \u00a3149, but Which? found it had been cheaper on 58 days before\u00a0Black\u00a0Friday, including at \u00a3114.99 during the Amazon Prime Day sale, when the retailer often offers significant discounts.<\/p>\n

At Argos, three quarters (75%) of products that were on offer on\u00a0Black\u00a0Friday\u00a0and included in Which?\u2019s analysis were cheaper at other times of the year \u2013 the highest proportion for any of the retailers included in the study.<\/p>\n

The vast majority of products at Argos were TVs, which typically drop in price after new models are launched in the spring.<\/p>\n

One TV was \u00a3120 cheaper than the\u00a0Black\u00a0Friday\u00a0price the following March.<\/p>\n

Argos told Which? that only one product in its analysis was a\u00a0Black\u00a0Friday\u00a0deal.<\/p>\n

But the watchdog found many of the Argos products included in its analysis had Black\u00a0Friday included in the online URL and were included in a section of the retailer\u2019s website called "Black\u00a0Friday\u00a0deals and hot products".<\/p>\n

Amazon had the second-highest percentage (69%) of products that were cheaper than their\u00a0Black\u00a0Friday\u00a0price at other times of the year.<\/p>\n

Amazon also has its own sale day event \u2013 Amazon Prime Day.<\/p>\n

At Very, AO and Richer Sounds, Which? found around half the products were cheaper in the six months before or after\u00a0Black\u00a0Friday.<\/p>\n

Retailers rarely make direct claims that they are offering the very best price on\u00a0Black\u00a0Friday, but Which? said \u201cshoppers 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\u201d.<\/p>\n

Which? urged shoppers not to feel pressured into making purchases on\u00a0Black\u00a0Friday\u00a0but to take time to make sure a product was good quality and on sale at a price that genuinely offered value for money.<\/p>\n

Ele Clark, Which? retail editor, said: \u201cRetailers are not unaware of the extra pressure on household finances this year and will be keen to use\u00a0Black\u00a0Friday\u00a0to attract shoppers looking to get the most for their money.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile they\u2019re rare, there are some genuine bargains to be had \u2013 just make sure you do your research and don\u2019t panic buy. "<\/p>\n

Ele added that checking a product's price history is key to knowing whether something is a good deal or not.<\/p>\n

Sites such as PriceRunner or PriceSpy help you to compare the price at multiple retailers as well as it's history.<\/p>\n

An Amazon spokesman said: \u201cWhich? has looked at fewer than 30 products in their analysis.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur 2023\u00a0Black\u00a0Friday\u00a0Sale will offer hundreds and thousands of deals to customers, including our lowest prices of the year on a range of top brands including Ninja, Braun, ghd, and our own Amazon devices.\u201d<\/p>\n

While an Argos spokeswoman said the retailer offers "hundreds of great value deals across a wide range or products each year."<\/p>\n

While an AO spokeswoman said Which's research "doesn\u2019t represent the value that\u00a0Black\u00a0Friday\u2019s\u00a0promotional period delivers for hard-pressed households to reduce the cost of Christmas."<\/p>\n

How do I find the best Black Friday deals?<\/h2>\n

Black Friday\u00a0was originally the annual US-only shopping date that coincided with Thanksgiving celebrations.<\/p>\n

Fast-forward to 2023, and it is now a global affair that sees tens of thousands of brands and retailers taking part.<\/p>\n

But there are plenty of scams to keep a watchful eye out for.<\/p>\n

Also, even if it seems like a huge deal, you should check what the price of the item was a few weeks before to be sure.<\/p>\n

During the sales, online shoppers can maximise their savings by signing up to a cashback site.<\/p>\n

Sites like\u00a0TopCashback.co.uk\u00a0are free to join and offer money back on purchases made at hundreds of retailers, across all categories.<\/p>\n

Also knowing exactly what you want to buy and doing a bit of research beforehand can also make all the difference.<\/p>\n

Here are some shopping tips to help you nab the biggest discounts come November 24.<\/p>\n