Most Black Friday “deals” are not the bargains they appear to be, according to Which?
Research by the consumer champion found the vast majority of products advertised with famous name stores in the annual sale, which falls on the last Friday of November, are cheaper at another time of the year.
It accused retailers including Boots, John Lewis and Currys of using “sneaky tactics” to try to get shoppers to part with their cash in what has become the starting point for the festive spending splurge.
The watchdog warned shoppers, who spent an estimated £13.3bn on Black Friday deals in 2023, that the “vast majority” of so-called offers were “misleading”.
Researchers from Which? looked at deals on 227 products in last year’s Black Friday fortnight, between November 20 and December 1.
Alarmingly, they found more than nine out of 10 (92%) of the deals analysed – all from eight of the biggest home and tech retailers – were the same price or cheaper at other times of the year.
For the first time, Which? analysed the credibility of the “was” prices used to justify the claimed savings on offer. And it found that the higher price used as the benchmark for savings on 14 so-called deals had not been charged at all in the previous 12 months.
They included a Remington Shea Soft Hair Dryer at Boots that was £18.99 on Black Friday, claiming to be reduced from £49.99. Yet Which? says the product had never been £49.99 at Boots in the preceding 12 months.
At John Lewis, a Garmin Venu 2S smartwatch was priced at £294, with a claimed saving of £90. But Which? says at no point in the previous 12 months had it been on sale at £384 at John Lewis, and that the highest price during that time was £349.99.
At Richer Sounds, a Toshiba 24WK3C63DB TV was advertised as an “Inflation Busting Mega deal” for £139. But Which? found it had been £139 for 80 days straight beforehand and, prior to that, was £10 less, at £129.
Harry Rose, editor of Which? magazine: “Our investigation is a reminder to shoppers that they should not feel pressured to splash out on Black Friday purchases as those deals are usually repeated – if not beaten – at other times of the year.
“We want retailers to drop the sneaky pricing tactics so consumers are not misled about the deals on offer. When looking to make a purchase, it’s worth comparing the price at multiple retailers and checking the product’s price history using a site such as PriceRunner or CamelCamelCamel – that way you’ll know a good deal when you see one.”
Boots said: “Which? reviewed a very small number of our Black Friday deals from last year and in all cases the items were at a lower price whilst on promotion or when price matched against competitors. We remain committed to offering great prices and value for money for our customers all year round and offer a packed programme of promotions and deals as well as constantly reviewing our pricing to ensure it remains competitive.”
John Lewis said: “In a highly competitive and dynamic market, our customers can find brilliant offers with us all year round. But the recent return of our reimagined Never Knowingly Undersold brand promise – which matches prices with 25 leading retailers – gives customers absolute confidence that they are getting fantastic value.”
Currys said: “We share Which?’s concern about poor Black Friday deals and welcome their efforts to hold the industry to higher standards.
“Today’s report is based on last year’s pricing. We have rigorously reviewed our approach to Black Friday since the publication of their report this time last year and have implemented a minimum standard rule based on a key criteria they outlined. We guarantee that none of our 3,000 plus Black Friday deals will have been cheaper at any point in the last six months.”
A Richer Sounds spokesperson said it made clear anything marked as “Fantastic Black Friday Value” may have been at a lower price previously, adding its “inflation-busting mega deals” were separate to Black Friday.