Eight in 10 products on offer over the Black Friday period are not on sale at their best price, according to Which?, with the consumer group finding that shoppers could get the same or even better deal at other time of the year.
Which? compared prices on 175 home, tech and health appliances across eight major retailers – Amazon (AMZN), AO (AO.L), Argos, Boots, Currys (CURY.L), John Lewis, Richer Sounds and Very. Which? tracked prices for a full year around the 2024 Black Friday sales period, from May 2024 to May 2025.
Its research found that 83% of products were equal in price or cheaper on at least one occasion outside of the four-week Black Friday sales period in the analysis.
In fact, Which? said its research showed some retailers consistently offer prices during Black Friday that are not as good as they seem.
Reena Sewraz, retail editor at Which?, 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,” she said. “Our advice is simple: take your time, don’t be fooled by clever marketing and do your research.”
Which? said that John Lewis was among the retailers found to be offering deals that were not at their best price in the Black Friday sales. It found that 94% of John Lewis products included in the research were on offer at the same price or cheaper at other times of the year, when compared to the Black Friday period. More than half (56%) were on offer at a lower cost.
For example, Which? said that Samsung (005930.KS) Jet Bot Robot Vacuum Cleaner was on offer from John Lewis at £350 on Black Friday last year, but had been on sale at £299 for 29 days in May and June 2024. It was then offer for £399 for 35 days in August to September, before jumping to £500 during the first week of October.
Another example Which? highlighted was the Samsung Series 5 WW90CGC04DTH Freestanding Ecobubble washing machine, which was on offer from John Lewis for £399 last Black Friday. However, the consumer group said that this product had been on sale at the same price or cheaper on 108 occasions prior to the sale day and 115 afterwards, representing 61% of the analysis period. Which? said it was cheaper than on Black Friday 47 times after the sale, with a lowest price of £369.
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In response to Which?’s study, a spokesperson for 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.”
At Very, Which? found that 93% of deals were the same price or cheaper outside of the Black Friday sales period. For example, the research showed that the Dyson V11 Extra Stick Vacuum Cleaner was on sale from Very at £349 during the Black Friday period, but was on offer at same price on 29 days before that and and on 41 days afterwards.
A spokesperson from The Very Group said: “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.
As for AO, the research found that 85% of Black Friday deals on offer during the four week sales period were at the same price or lower at other times of the year.
For instance, Which? found that a Samsung television set (2024) QE55QN90DATXXU TV was on offer from AO for £1,039 on Black Friday, but then briefly dropped in price to £999 the day after the sale. In mid-January, Which? said that the TV then fell to under £1,000 and stayed there, adding that it was cheaper than the Black Friday price for 134 days in the six-month period afterwards, with the lowest price £759.
An AO spokesperson said: “Customers know that Black Friday is now at least a month-long promotion and isn’t a single day.”
However, they added that shouldn’t mean the retailer “can’t offer strong value year-round too” but welcomed “scrutiny that helps customers make informed choices”.
On the day of Black Friday itself – the last Friday of November – Which? found that last year there were no deals that were at their cheapest compared to the rest of year surrounding the sale.
At Currys, Which? said that the electronics retailer kept its promise that no sale products would have been cheaper in the six months prior to Black Friday. However, it did find that some products were on offer for the same price in the period before Black Friday and at a lower cost afterwards.
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.”
At Argos, which also has a price promise, Which? found that 79% of deals over the Black Friday sales period included in its analysis were cheaper or the same price than at other times of the year.
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An Argos spokesperson said that the retailer believed “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,” they said.
Meanwhile, Which? found that Amazon’s Black Friday deals were the same price or cheaper in 88% of cases.
An Amazon spokesperson said that while Which? analysed “just 24 products, Amazon’s Black Friday event offered hundreds of thousands of deals to customers in the UK”.
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At Boots, Which? said that the Oral B Vitality Pro Electric Toothbrush was advertised as “save £25, RRP [recommended retail price] £50”, but that the product was on offer for the same price or cheaper for more than 96% of the year. It said that the £50 RRP was only in place for 13 days in the six months prior to the sale.
A Boots spokesperson said: “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.”
Home entertainment retailer Richer Sounds had the best performance in the study, with just 55% of analysed products on offer over the Black Friday period found to be cheaper or the same price at other times of the year.
“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,” said a Richer Sounds spokesperson.
“Where we marked up items as ‘our lowest price ever!’ they meant just that – we’d never sold an item for less.”
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