Black Friday is around the corner, and most consumers would be looking to make some savings on items they’ve been eyeing all year. But, a consumer association, Which? has found that, last year, over 90% of Black Friday deals were the same price or cheaper in the six months before the sales event.
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According to the BBC, the association’s investigations looked at some 200 items from six retailers, including Amazon and John Lewis. The results of the investigations showed that out of that number, 184 items were priced the same or cheaper before Black Friday in 2020.
Which? has therefore told prospective shoppers to ensure the discounts being offered by the retailers are ‘truly genuine’ ahead of Friday’s sales event.
According to Which?, popular items that were the same price or lower before Black Friday included washing machines, soundbars and TVs. The consumer association said:
When looking at prices six months before and after Black Friday 2020, just one of the 201 products was at its cheapest price on Black Friday alone.
Its retail editor, Ele Clark, said it was important shoppers did research before diving into the sales.
Take time to identify the products you really want and check that the 'deal' you're seeing represents a genuine saving.
Scam Alert!
In response to the findings of the Which? investigations, Amazon said its goal was to
offer our customers great value thanks to low prices all year round... (customers could) easily compare prices, allowing them to make an informed purchase decision.
Trading standards has also warned that a sweet deal may not be what it seems. Shoppers are also advised to be on the lookout for scammers. Katherine Hart, lead officer at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said:
It seems that the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales events get bigger every year, and many bargains can be found; however, we all must remain vigilant and practise shopping safety.
