Don’t believe the hype: Most Black Friday deals the same price or cheaper at other times of the year, Which? finds
Eight in 10 products on offer over the Black Friday sales period are not at their best price, according to new Which? research, which finds shoppers could get the same or even a better deal at other times of the year.
Which? compared prices on 175 home, tech, and health appliances from eight major retailers - Amazon, AO, Argos, Boots, Currys, John Lewis, Richer Sounds, and Very. Prices were tracked for a full year surrounding the 2024 Black Friday sale (May 2024 to May 2025). Overall, the study found that 83 per cent of products were cheaper or equal in price on at least one occasion outside of the four-week Black Friday sales period in Which?’s analysis.
Which?’s research reveals that some retailers consistently offer prices during Black Friday that are not as good as they seem, relying on the 'deal' hype to drive sales. On the day of Black Friday itself, Which? found there were no deals at all that were at their cheapest of the year surrounding the sale, suggesting that shoppers have plenty of time to bag a good deal this year.
Among the retailers offering deals that were not at the best price in the Black Friday sales was John Lewis. Which? found that 94 per cent of the products in the analysis were the same price or cheaper at other times of the year when compared to the Black Friday period. More than half (56%) were cheaper.
One example of a dud deal found at John Lewis in the Which? study was a Samsung Jet Bot Robot Vacuum Cleaner, which was £350 on Black Friday, but had been £299 for 29 days in May and June 2024. It was £399 for 35 days in August to September, before jumping to £500 during the first week of October.
Also at John Lewis, the Samsung Series 5 WW90CGC04DTH Freestanding Ecobubble™ washing machine was £399 on Black Friday, but had been the same price or cheaper on 108 occasions prior to the sale day and 115 after (61% of the analysis period). It was cheaper than its Black Friday price 47 times after the sale with a lowest price of £369.
Another retailer, whose deals should be taken with a pinch of salt, according to Which?’s research, was Very, with 93 per cent of deals the same price or cheaper outside of the Black Friday sales period.
One of the examples Which? researchers found at Very was the Dyson V11 Extra Stick Vacuum Cleaner, which was £349 during the Black Friday period - but it was the same price on 29 days before Black Friday and on 41 days after the sale (32% of the analysis period).
At AO, Which? researchers found that 85 per cent of Black Friday deals offered during the four-week sales period were at the same price or better at other times of the year.
One example at AO was a Samsung television set (2024) QE55QN90DATXXU TV, which was £1039 on Black Friday, but briefly dropped in price to £999 the day after the sale. In mid-January, it dropped under £1,000, and stayed there. In fact, it was cheaper than the Black Friday price for 134 days in the six-month period afterwards, with the lowest price £759.
When Which? looked solely at Black Friday itself, it found none of the deals were at their cheapest only on that day. This suggests shoppers do not need to worry about rushing into buying anything in that 24-hour period as they’d most likely find the same or better deal before the day as well as further down the line.
This was certainly a pattern at Currys, which kept its 2024 promise that no sale products would have been cheaper in the six months prior to Black Friday, however, 84 per cent of the analysed deals were available for the same or a lower price in the six months before and after the Black Friday period.
At Argos, which also has a price promise, Which? found that 79 per cent of deals over the Black Friday sales period that researchers analysed were cheaper or the same price than at other times of the year.
Which? also found that Amazon’s Black Friday deals were cheaper or the same price in 88 per cent of cases, and cheaper in 63 per cent of cases outside of the sales period.
The investigation also uncovered evidence of retailers seeming to use Recommended Retail Prices (RRPs) to make a 'deal' appear more generous.
At Boots Which? found an Oral B Vitality Pro Electric Toothbrush advertised as 'save £25, RRP £50' but the product was cheaper or the same price for more than 96 per cent of the year. The £50 RRP was only in place for 13 days in the six months prior to the sale.
Similarly, also at Boots, the Oral-B Junior Kids Electric Toothbrush was advertised as 'save £35, RRP £70', yet the £70 RRP was only in place for three days in the six months prior, otherwise, it was priced at £35.
In contrast, Richer Sounds had by far the best performance in the analysis, with only 55 per cent of analysed products found to be cheaper or the same price at other times of the year, suggesting a higher likelihood of genuine deals compared to other retailers.
The Which? findings show why shoppers should not feel rushed into buying anything on Black Friday as it’s likely they’ll find they can still get a good deal as we head towards Christmas, and if they are willing to wait, in the January sales.
Reena Sewraz, Which? Retail Editor said:
"Our research exposes the harsh truth: for the majority of shoppers, Black Friday is a false economy. Retailers are relying on hype and urgency to push products that are the same price, or even cheaper, at other times of the year.
“There are good deals to be found but they can be few and far between. Our experts sift through thousands of deals every day during the sales to hand-pick genuine deals on products we think are worth buying. Our advice is simple: take your time, don’t be fooled by clever marketing and do your research.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Which? Black Friday Hub - Free advice on the best deals available as selected by Which? experts
Research:
Overall Which? researchers compared deals on 175 home, tech, and health appliances from eight major retailers (Amazon, AO, Argos, Boots, Currys, John Lewis, Richer Sounds, and Very).
Which? tracked the price history of each product for a full year surrounding the 2024 Black Friday sale—specifically, for six months before and six months after the event (May 2024 to May 2025). The comparison was made against the 'Black Friday sales period' price (November 15 to December 12, 2024).
Overall, the study found that 83% of products were cheaper or equal in price on at least one occasion outside of the four-week Black Friday sales period.
Advice to consumers:
Which? advice on how to get the best deals:
1 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.
2 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.
3 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 the limit is.
4 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.
5 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 is simply too good to be true, and check who is selling and shipping a product.
Rights of reply:
An Amazon spokesperson 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."
An AO spokesperson 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’s 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."
An Argos spokesperson 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 1st November and assured customers that these products were their lowest price for the last six months and would not be available for less before 25th December."
A Boots Spokesperson 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.”
A Curry’s spokesperson 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.”
A John Lewis spokesperson 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.”
A spokesperson from 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.”
A Richer Sounds spokesperson 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.”
About Which?
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