Most Black Friday '˜deals' cheaper during year

Nearly nine out of ten of last years Black Friday deals were cheaper or the same price at other times of the year, an investigation has revealed. Picture: John Devlin

Consumer watchdog Which? tracked the prices of 94 popular products, including TVs, cameras and fitness trackers, which were on offer over Black Friday

2017, from six months before until six months afterwards. It found that a total of 87 per cent of products - including TVs, cameras and activity trackers - were cheaper at other times of the year, which it says bring into question the true value of Black Friday.

The investigation analysed deals at retailers Currys PC World, Amazon, John Lewis and Argos and found that almost half of products on offer were sold for less in the six months following Black Friday.

Meanwhile, when looking at the two-week period surrounding Black Friday itself, Which? found that just over three-quarters of products were cheaper or the same price at other times in the year, and 74 per cent could be picked up for the same price or less in the six months after.

Alex Neill, Which? managing director of Home Products and Services, said: “The results of our investigation will disappoint many who are expecting nothing but bargains this Black Friday.

“While retailers are bombarding us with promises of great discounts and time-limited sales, it’s clear that not all deals are as good as they might appear. To bag a bargain, do your research and don’t get carried away by the hype when shopping in the upcoming sales.”

The investigation looked at 59 deals at Currys PC World, 18 deals from Amazon, 14 deals at John Lewis and three from Argos. A spokesman for Amazon said: “We offer many thousands of incredible deals around Black Friday representing millions of pounds of savings for our customers across a vast selection of products.”

An Argos spokesman said: “During Black Friday our customers benefit from a huge range of deals on a wide range of products, all at the same time. This does not exclude these products from other promotions.”

Currys PC World aid: “While our prices – like all retailers – can fluctuate throughout the year, we’re proud to offer our Price Promise across our entire range – and this covers the Black Friday trading period.”

A John Lewis spokeswoman said that prices are matched throughout the year as part of its Never Knowingly Undersold commitment, meaning that when competitors run promotions prices are lowered to match, and that the Black Friday period is no different.