Are the Black Friday sales worth the hype?

The vast majority of products on offer for Black Friday 2024 were cheaper or the same price at other times of the year, Which? research has shown. 

We compared 175 home, tech and health appliances on offer on Black Friday 2024 from eight retailers, and found that 100% were cheaper than or the same as their Black Friday price at other times of the year. 

Here, we put the sales frenzy into perspective and reveal how to pick up a genuinely good deal. 

What the Which? research found

We compared the Black Friday deal prices of 175 home, tech and health appliances at eight retailers (Amazon, AO, Argos, Boots, Currys, John Lewis, Richer Sounds and Very) with their prices during the year surrounding the sale, from May 2024 to May 2025. 

As retailers trail offers from earlier in November and well into the weeks following the sale and Cyber Monday, we also reviewed the ‘Black Friday sales period’ price for each product (15 Nov-12 Dec 2024). 

We found:

• 100% of products were cheaper or the same price in the six months either side of the sale day when compared to their Black Friday price. 
• Compared to the ‘sales period’, 83% of products were cheaper or equal in price on at least one occasion during the year, and 42% of products were cheaper at least once. 
• 35% of products were cheaper after the sale period, and 68% were equal in price or cheaper – so waiting until after the event won’t mean you miss out.

Our research shows, once again, that you needn’t rush to buy anything on Black Friday. There were no deals in our analysis that were at their cheapest price of the year on Black Friday 2024. 

• Find out more: use our Black Friday deals hub to find genuine deals picked by experts on products worth buying.

Black Friday 2024's dubious deals

Here are some of the products we found in the Black Friday 2024 sales that were frequently cheaper at other times of the year. 

Samsung Jet Bot Robot Vacuum Cleaner

John Lewis sold this at a bargain price of £299 for 29 days in May/June 2024, compared to £350 on Black Friday. It was advertised as reduced from £500 on the sale day, but had only been that price since the beginning of October (previously it was £399). 

Samsung Series 5 WW90CGC04DTH Washing Machine

This Samsung washing machine was £399 on Black Friday at John Lewis. But it was the same price for 61% of the time in the year surrounding the sale – 108 occasions before the sale day and 115 after. It was also cheaper than its Black Friday price 47 times after the sale, with the lowest price of £369.

Samsung (2024) QE55QN90DATXXU TV

This brilliant TV was £1,039 from AO on Black Friday in 2024, before briefly dropping to £999 the day after the sale. In mid-January 2025, it dropped under £1,000 and stayed there. It was cheaper for 134 days after the sale, and its lowest price was £759.

Sonos Move 2 Smart Speaker With Voice Control

Richer Sounds listed this speaker for £339 on Black Friday. It had been £329 on 19 days in the six months before Black Friday.

Dyson V11 Extra Stick Vacuum Cleaner

£349 on Black Friday 2024 from Very, but the same price on 29 days before the sale and 41 days after the sale (32% of the analysis period).

• Find out more: how to avoid fake Black Friday deals 

Misleading toothbrush deals

You really do need to keep your wits about you on Black Friday, and at other times of the year, too. Our analysis revealed two electric toothbrushes for sale at Boots that were cheaper or the same price as their Black Friday price for more than 96% of the year from May 2024 to May 2025. 

• The Oral B Vitality Pro Electric Toothbrush was advertised on Black Friday as ‘save £25, RRP £50’. But in reality, it had been at the £50 RRP for just 13 days in the six months before. It hadn’t been priced at £50 since 24 September. 
• The Oral-B Junior Kids Electric Toothbrush was advertised as ‘save £35, RRP £70’. It had only been priced at the RRP of £70 for three days in the six months prior. Other than three days, it had always been and stayed at £35.

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How the retailers compare

At John Lewis, 94% of products in our analysis that were on sale during the Black Friday period had been cheaper or the same price at other times of the year, while 56% had been cheaper. 

It was a similar story at Very, where 93% of products were cheaper or the same price compared to the Black Friday period. 

Amazon’s Black Friday deals were cheaper or the same price in 88% of cases, and cheaper in 63% of cases outside of the sales period.

At AO, 85% of products in our analysis were cheaper or the same price, and at Argos, it was 79%.

In contrast, at Richer Sounds, 55% of products were cheaper or the same price at other times of the year. So while you’re not guaranteed to get the lowest ever price on Black Friday, we think you’ve got a good chance of a genuine deal.

• Find out more: the best tech and home appliance stores, rated by customers 

Do retailer price promises deliver? 

In 2024, Currys committed to a new minimum standard for its Black Friday deals – directly inspired by our annual investigation – promising that none would have been cheaper in the previous six months.

It kept its promise. Of the products in our analysis, all were at their cheapest price on Black Friday compared to the six months prior. It’s certainly a positive move, helping you to feel that you’re getting a decent deal if you decide to buy on the sale day. 

But you don’t need to rush out to Currys on 28 November, as all of the products were cheaper or the same price as their Black Friday price in the six months after.

However, Currys has said it will go further this year and will guarantee every single one of the thousands of deals in its Black Friday sale is at its lowest ever price at Currys.

Other retailers also have price promises for Black Friday 2025 (which we'll be checking the data for next year, where relevant):

• AO price match – AO will price match against other retailers if you see a cheaper price (including during sales periods) and also offers to refund the difference if you find a lower price within seven days of buying. The AO Black Friday Price Match means that products bought during the Black Friday sale (5 Nov – 2 Dec) will be price matched for seven days after delivery or any time up to midnight on 2 December.
• Argos' Price Guarantee – the retailer promises that products with a price guarantee badge purchased between 31 Oct – 2 Dec will not go lower in price before midnight on 25 December. If they do, Argos will give you a voucher for the difference between what you paid and the lower price.
• Richer Sounds price beat – if you find a genuine, lower price within 14 days of buying from Richer Sounds (even if that price is on its own site), it will beat it by up to £100. This includes web prices, voucher codes, bundle deals, part-exchange/trade-in deals, loyalty clubs, discount schemes or a manufacturer’s own website.
• John Lewis Never Knowingly Undersold – the retailer price matches against 25 other retailers, even when they're running offers. If you find a cheaper price within seven days of buying a product, it will refund you the difference. 

Find out more: the best Currys Black Friday deals 2025 – checked by Which? experts

How did people shop on Black Friday 2024?

Our survey of 2,000 people found that one in three people bought something in last year’s Black Friday sale. 

Most bought clothes, shoes or accessories (48%), followed by tech (38%) and health and beauty products (33%). 

A quarter told us that they felt they’d saved between £50 and £100 by shopping on Black Friday 2024. One in five felt they'd saved between £101 and £250. A particularly sales savvy 6% told us they'd saved between £501 and £1,000.

This data is from a nationally representative survey of 2,000 UK members of the general public conducted between 12 and 15 September 2025. Fieldwork was carried out online by Deltapoll.

Can AI help you find a deal?

In our survey, 6% of people said they’d used AI tools to save money while shopping. 

One respondent told us they use a paid-for AI account, and when buying an item such as a new fridge, they ask it to find one with the right dimensions, the highest and lowest ever prices and where it’s currently available. 

Others said they use it to find deal codes for a particular shop, or to compare prices between retailers for a particular product.

• Find out more: how to avoid AI scams 

How to get the best deal on Black Friday

You don't need to shop on Black Friday itself to get a good deal on a product, but we also know that it's a good time to shop for Christmas presents or for the latest kitchen gadget to help you prepare the festive feast. 

If you plan to shop during the sales, then follow our tips below.

• Create a wish list – some retailers, for example, Amazon and John Lewis, will let you set up a wish list for all the things you want to buy. This makes it easier to notice when their prices drop. You can then easily click into your list to see what’s on offer. It may help you stick to buying what you want, too, rather than getting distracted by flashing red offer signs.
• Sign up for newsletters – be the first to hear about discounts from retailers you like to shop with. You can also keep an eye out for extra reductions on your wish-listed items, those that you’ve left in your basket or even those you’ve clicked on. You can also sign up to the free Which? deals newsletter for the latest offers our experts have spotted
• Do your own price tracking – sites such as PriceRunner and camelcamelcamel (for Amazon only) show price history, so you can check whether the price of a product is competitive. If you do this ahead of the sale day, you’ll know the price you’re looking for and what a good price is.
• Use loyalty schemes – several big retailers have loyalty schemes with tailored pricing for members, including AO, Boots and Superdrug. Sign up before the sales period to make sure you can access the deals. It’s also worth checking how many points you’ve built up on your existing loyalty memberships, and when they expire. They can be a useful way to save a bit extra on those big Christmas list items. 
• Watch out for fakes – if a particular product is sought-after by shoppers, then counterfeiters looking to capitalise on that may not be far behind. In recent investigations, Which? uncovered counterfeit electricals, clothing, toys and cosmetics for sale on online marketplaces. Be wary of any deal that's simply too good to be true, and check who is selling and shipping a product.
• Use Which? to find genuine deals – our experts spend hours trawling through deals to hand-pick the best ones on offer, using detailed price tracking history and our expert market knowledge to bring you genuine bargains on products worth buying. Visit our Black Friday deals hub for more

And remember, if you weren't planning to buy it then it's not a deal, it's an impulse buy. 

• Find out more: even more shopping tips for Black Friday

What the retailers told us

Amazon said: 'We offer customers great value all year round through everyday price-matching that ensures our prices are as low or lower than other relevant retailers on products sold by Amazon, as well as through fantastic seasonal deal events like Black Friday. While Which? analysed just 24 products, Amazon's Black Friday event offered hundreds of thousands of deals to customers in the UK. Additionally, a report in 2024 by Independent analysts Profitero, reviewed over 9,000 products and found that Amazon's year-round prices are on average 15% lower than other online retailers in the UK. Customers can shop with confidence at Amazon, where they'll find everyday low prices across a wide selection of products, all with the fast and convenient delivery they expect.'

AO said: 'Customers know that Black Friday is now at least a month-long promotion and isn’t a single day. It’s still a brilliant time to buy and gives customers the opportunity to snap up a deal ahead of Christmas. That shouldn’t mean we can't offer strong value year-round too – as these findings show, there are great deals to be had at other times too. We welcome scrutiny that helps customers make informed choices, and our focus remains the same, delivering great value every day of the year, not just on Black Friday.'

Argos said: 'We believe our customers should not feel pressured into a time-sensitive purchase and Which?'s report shows our Black Friday Price Promise in action. Last year, we offered Black Friday badged deals from 1 November and assured customers that these products were their lowest price for the last six months and would not be available for less before 25 December.'

Boots said: 'We know that our customers enjoy making genuine savings on their shopping at Boots, whether that is through our Black Friday deals or our packed programme of promotions that run all year round. In 2024, we offered discounts on over 20,000 products across the Black Friday period. Being part of that promotional programme does not preclude those lines from being on offer at other times throughout the year, as we strive to deliver great value for money for our customers every day.'

Currys said: 'We’re proud to be recognised for our Black Friday pricing transparency and share Which?’s commitment in holding the industry to a higher standard. Restoring consumer confidence has been a key focus for us and it’s disappointing to see that others in the industry are still falling short. More work needs to be done in ensuring customers get the best, most trusted Black Friday deals on the high street. For 2025, we’re making Black Friday special again, by leading the charge and promising something no other major tech retailer has offered before: "Our Lowest Ever Price" Black Friday event will guarantee that every Black Friday deal will be at its lowest ever price – customers will never have seen it cheaper at Currys.'

John Lewis said: 'Our customers can find brilliant deals with us all year round, but our Black Friday event brings together a unique breadth and volume of offers that can’t be found at any other time of year – and is especially popular as customers prepare for Christmas. And with our Never Knowingly Undersold brand promise – which matches prices with 25 leading retailers – customers can have absolute confidence that they are getting fantastic value.'

The Very Group commented: 'We’re committed to delivering great value across our department store all year round. Promotions are important to our customers and Black Friday is just one of the many key calendar moments when we showcase some of our best deals.'

Richer Sounds said: 'Last year (as in previous years), to be transparent with our customers, we had a disclaimer on our website from early November until the close of our Black Friday promotion to say that anything marked as ‘Fantastic Black Friday Value’ may have been at a lower price, previously, but we were happy it still represented fantastic value. Where we marked up items as ‘our lowest price ever!’ they meant just that – we’d never sold an item for less. The market may move after Black Friday and if this is the case, we will always look to pass any extra savings on to our customers. Supplier-led promotional periods happen throughout the year, but we’re confident that given the market conditions which influence retail prices, Black Friday remains the best time for consumers to pick up a bargain.'

This story first appeared in the December edition of Which?

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