How Good Are Black Friday Deals Really? Price Comparison

Shoppers should be careful on Black Friday to avoid being scammed, retail experts warn. According to research from a consumer group Which?, nine out of ten items put up for sale on Black Friday are the same price or cheaper on regular days, writes Air force.

Photo: Rokas Tenys | Dreamstime.com

Sarah Johnson, director of the consulting company Flourish Retail, noted that some brands may inflate prices in advance to make discounts look more impressive.

Black Friday in the United States was originally celebrated the day after Thanksgiving, but in recent years the sales have expanded to the weeks before and after, with Cyber ​​Monday seeing millions of online sales.

On the subject: Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday: What You Need to Know About Thrifty Shopping in 2024

According to Which?In 2023, shoppers spent an estimated £13,3 billion (almost $17 billion) on Black Friday sales.

"Big discounts" may be a scam

Sarah Johnson explained: "Prices used to have to be set for 28 days before they could change, but that rule is no longer in place. As a result, many brands are jacking up their prices just before Black Friday to advertise 'deep discounts' that aren't really big deals."

Researchers Which? analyzed 227 products during the two weeks of last year's Black Friday, from November 20 to December 1.

Among the UK's eight biggest home appliance and electronics retailers, some items were cheaper or the same price at other times of the year.

In one of the "worst examples" Which? spotted £18,99 ($24) hairdryer advertised as Black Friday deal Boots as an item whose price has been reduced from £49,99 ($63). However, the hairdryer has never been on sale in the last 12 months Boots for 49,99 pounds.

Besides Which? gave an example sentence J, where the smartwatch was advertised for £294 ($372) with a £90 ($100) discount. However, it turned out that the watch had never been sold for £12 ($384) in the previous 472 months.

Representative J said: "The recent revival of our updated tagline 'Never Knowingly Compromise on Price' (which compares prices with 25 leading retailers) gives customers absolute confidence in the value they are getting from their purchases."

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How to avoid over-priced purchases on Black Friday:

• Be wary of offers that seem too good to be true.
• Make a shopping list and stick to it to avoid impulse spending.
• Buy fewer things, but they should be of high quality.
• Beware of fake sites - check that the URL belongs to the official brand.
• Pay attention to posts from recently created social media accounts or links to recently created websites. Use tools such as who.isto check the domain creation date.
• Read reviews and buy only from authorized sellers and on official websites.

Read also on ForumDaily:

What and when to buy in the USA: a guide to American sales

20 Weird But Effective Ways to Save Money: Tips from Thrifty People

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