Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Aug 04, 2025

Black Friday: Nine out of 10 deals are the same price or cheaper earlier in the year, investigation says

Black Friday: Nine out of 10 deals are the same price or cheaper earlier in the year, investigation says

Black Friday has become known as a day for big shopping bargains but an investigation has found that shoppers could be better off buying on almost any other day of the year.
Nine out of 10 Black Friday deals are the same price or cheaper in the six months before the day, according to an investigation.

The consumer group Which? looked at 201 of last year's Black Friday deals at six retailers - Amazon, AO, Argos, Currys, John Lewis, and Richer Sounds.

They recorded the prices every day in the six months before and after Black Friday, and on the day itself.

They found that 184 products - 92% - were the same price or cheaper in the six months before the day, while 98.5% were cheaper or the same price at some point in the six months afterwards.

Among the items were:

• A Zanussi ZWF81441W washing machine at John Lewis - £309 on Black Friday but £249 five months earlier and £289 within a month after the day

• A Bush BRC100DHEB 100cm dual fuel range cooker from Argos - £449.99 on Black Friday but the same price 66 times before then and 19 times after

The investigation also found that many shoppers do not research the products they are going to buy before they head to the shops.

This included a third of those buying baby and child products, 26% buying home appliances, and 22% buying tech products.

Ele Clark, Which? retail editor, said: "Take time to identify the products you really want and check that the 'deal' you're seeing represents a genuine saving.

"That way, you can beat the hype and be confident that you'll emerge from the Black Friday sales with quality products that will last for years to come - and all for a bargain price."

Black Friday is on the first Friday after US Thanksgiving - 26 November this year - and is known for scenes of chaos in American shops as people fight for bargains.

The retailers responded:

• Amazon: "We seek to offer our customers great value thanks to low prices all year round as well as a number of fantastic seasonal deals events.

"Our Black Friday sale is about thousands of deals on a huge selection of products from every category across the site, at a time of year when we know saving money is important to our customers. And the best thing about shopping online is that customers can easily compare prices, allowing them to make an informed purchase decision."

• AO: "Customers can get deals all year round at AO and Black Friday is the biggest opportunity to get genuine, great-value deals alongside our year-round price match guarantee."

• Argos: "We're committed to offering our customers a wide range of products at great prices throughout the year and our Black Friday deals are no exception."

• Currys: "In 2020 over 98% of our Black Friday promoted products were equal to or at their cheapest price from the previous six months and 54% of our products were at their lowest ever price.

"Black Friday represents one of the best times for customers to shop with us over the year. With our unique price promise, we won't be beaten on price. Full stop. This applies even during the Black Friday period."

• John Lewis: "As a participating retailer in Black Friday, we offer fantastic deals across technology, home, beauty and fashion - these are just some of the many promotions our customers can take advantage of throughout the year."

• Richer Sounds: "Prices fluctuate pretty wildly in our industry, both up and down for all sorts of reasons, but primarily availability from suppliers and the prices we have to pay to our suppliers.

"So, this can mean that products (annoyingly for all) may be sold in the following Black Friday promotion at prices that are higher than during the preceding year but rest assured that all the deals that we sell are at the keenest prices possible at the time of the Black Friday 'event' (which, please note, starts several days before the day itself)."
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
×