Monday 17 November at 1:01pm
Black Friday month is here, but are the deals and discounts really be as good as they first appear? If you’re wondering which supposed price cuts are genuine bargains, our consumer expert Grace Forell has scoured the Black Friday sales to help you sort the absolute best buys from the items best left behind.
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BLACK FRIDAY MONTH:
Black Friday used to be a single day (usually the last Friday in November) but now the sales event lasts for weeks – and sometimes even a whole month.
WHY SHOULD YOU BUY NOW?:
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If you spot a good Black Friday deal now, you should snap it up rather than waiting and risking it going out of stock.
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It’s a good idea to browse the sales this week, do some research, set price alerts and tick off a few Christmas gifts if you do spot genuine deals.
AVOID IMPULSE BUYING:
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Like any Black Friday purchase, stick to products that you’ve genuinely wanted for a while and have done your own research on. Know which specs and sizes you’re looking for and don’t be tempted to impulse buy.
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If something new does grab your attention, give it some time and see how you feel next week as it’s not likely to be something you urgently need.
WHAT SORTS OF DEALS SHOULD YOU LOOK OUT FOR?:
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Black Friday is particularly good for tech and large appliances.
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You can also get good deals on flights and subscriptions for example Sky and Virgin Media bundles.
WHAT PRODUCTS SHOULD YOU AVOID?:
WHAT ARE THE NEW TRENDS THIS YEAR?:
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In terms of trends, you can expect to see more Black Friday sales on social media this year – on Instagram and TikTok shop for example.
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Brands are likely to use livestreams, messaging platforms and influencer campaigns to enter our orbits.
ARE BUNDLES WORTH BUYING?:
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Bundles are definitely something to look for this year. Retailers aren’t just slashing the price of individual products, they’re trying to tempt us into making a purchase by throwing in a ‘freebie’.
WHAT ABOUT HEALTH AND BEAUTY?:
Tom Ford Black Orchid is on offer at Harvey Nichols for £72 (Was £120).
Oral-B Genius Toothbrush, £49.99 at Tesco (Was £300)
PRICE COMPARISON TOOLS:
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Use a price comparison tool (e.g Google Shopping, Pricespy, or Klarna) to see the price history of the product you’re looking at, and in doing so putting the ‘sale’ price into context.
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This will also help you to see which retailers are selling it for the lowest price.
RETAIL AND ‘WAS’ PRICES:
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Take RRPs or ‘was’ prices with a pinch of salt. Using price history tools will help you do this.
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Just because a website says ‘was £150, now £100’ that doesn’t mean it was £150 recently, or that other retailers weren’t already selling at a lower price.
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RRPs are just a manufacturer recommendation, rather than the actual real life value of an item.
ALWAYS LOOK AT THE WHOLE PRICE:
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Don’t just look at the item price, look at the purchase as a whole. Are there delivery costs? Extra fees for warranties or accessories you’ll need to buy?
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This could push up the price considerably, so look at the whole picture when comparing deals.
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Even the best price will be a waste of money if you don’t ultimately use the product. Only buy things you genuinely need or will really love.
WHAT ARE THE BEST DEALS AVAILABLE TO BUY RIGHT NOW?:
Clinique Fan Favourites Skincare & Makeup Gift Set, £50 (Was £100)
Ickle Bubba Stomp Luxe 12 Piece Travel System, £449.99 (Was £640)
Dyson V15 Detect Absolute + Cordless Vacuum, £449.99 (Was £649)
Samsung Galaxy S25 5G Dual + eSIM 256GB, £545.99 (Was £600)
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