Shutterstock / Jason Winter©Black Friday, this year taking place on November 29, is an annual event when retailers all over the world supposedly offer large discounts, and shopping frenzies ensue. But are there bargains to be had, or does it pay to be cautious?
The history of Black Friday
The term originated in the US, initially used to describe the increase in high street bargain hunting the day after Thanksgiving. Over many years, retailers began to entice more and more customers with bigger and better deals.
Although plenty of shops in the UK tried to emulate the success of the US event, it wasn’t until online shopping became more popular that Black Friday really took off.
And boy, did it take off.
Thanks to the wide variety of products available, and the convenience of “one-click” ordering, surges in traffic have often crashed websites — including giants like Amazon!
Black Friday 2024
According to the PwC, this year, shoppers are expected to spend almost £7.1bn over the Black Friday weekend. While many are buying gifts for friends and family for Christmas, up to two thirds of shoppers also plan to buy for themselves, with tech, fashion and beauty products top of the most-wanted list.
This certainly sounds like good news for retailers, but what about consumers?
Is Black Friday what is seems?
Well, the answer is… it depends where you look.
A previous study by consumer watchdog Which? has revealed that more than 90% of Black Friday deals were the same price or cheaper in the six months before the sales event.
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute is keen to make sure shoppers avoid scams. For example, they pointed out that some outlets may raise their prices before Black Friday, just to lower them again to give the impression there’s a bargain to be had.
So it’s more important than ever to do a little research before you log on or hit the streets for some in-person shopping.
Make sure you know what you want, and where to get it — and verify if it’s good value by price checking it against other stores and previous prices you have seen. Otherwise, you could find yourself well out of pocket.
The good news is, with Black Friday now lasting for four days (or even longer), there’s plenty of time to shop around!
Click here to read our tips on staying safe when buying online.
“The People’s Friend” Black Friday deal is offering 10 issues of the “Friend” for only £10, plus a free copy of “The Friendship Book”. Check out our Black Friday deal here!
