5 Things Not To Buy This Black Friday, Expert Reveals

Consumer champion Which? has revealed that 99.5% of Black Friday deals are cheaper or the same price at other times of the year.

Following this news, experts are urging consumers to stay savvy with their shopping during this year’s sales and to not get blindsighted when they see a ‘good deal’.

Nick Drewe, money-saving expert at online discounts platform WeThrift, has made a list of five items NOT to purchase this Black Friday.

Perhaps consider leaving these items in the basket...

Washing machines

Last year’s Black Friday sales have taught us to avoid purchasing washing machines. According to Which?’s research, the Zanussi freestanding washing machine from John Lewis was on sale for £309 in the 2020 Black Friday sale. However, this product was cheaper on 136 other days in the same year, and was even priced at £249 five months before Black Friday.

Similarly, another one of John Lewis’ Zanussi washing machines, which was priced at £320, was actually cheaper 28 days before Black Friday (and was even £299 earlier that year).

Cordless phones

Cordless phones also suffered some terrible deals in last year’s Black Friday sales. As spotted by the Which? investigation, Curry’s BT XD56 cordless phone was advertised at £39.99, but this price was cheaper or the same price 249 other days that year.

The Curry’s Black Friday deal on the Panasonic KX-TG6622EB Cordless Phone also suffered from the same blow. Priced at £44.99, this product was either cheaper or the same price 223 other times that year.

Furniture

Fantastic furniture sales exist all year round and not just on Black Friday. In fact, the best time to buy furniture is actually in summer. During this time, sales for indoor pieces seem to decrease, prompting retailers to sell furniture for heavily discounted prices.

Also, as house-buying season commences, springtime sales are great if you want to get the best deals on indoor furniture.

Gym memberships

Quite a lot of gyms are offering Black Friday deals on their memberships, but you’d be most likely to get a better deal on these in December going into early January.

As we fall into the New Year, many gyms tend to compete with each other when it comes to filling up with members. That said, you are likely to benefit from reduced enrollment, free months or general discounts on gym amenities during this time of year.

Fitness equipment

Consumer reports reveal that the prices of home treadmills and ellipticals tend to reduce post-festive season to match everyone’s fitness-based resolutions.

With this in mind, January was proven to be the best time of year to buy fitness equipment, as opposed to Black Friday.

The importance of researching product price histories

Nick Drewe added:
“The findings of Which?’s investigation into last year’s Black Friday deals are very eye-opening and reinforce the need for consumers to check the price history of a product before they make a purchase in a sale.

“Thankfully, there are website tools which can help you do this. For example, CamelCamelCamel will let you check how much Amazon products have been sold for previously. Similarly, if you want wider retail coverage, PriceRunner is also a fantastic tool.”

https://www.wethrift.com/