Just one in 20 Black Friday deals genuine, Which? says

The consumer group price checked 83 items on sale during the promotional period last year and found that almost all of them were available either for the same price or cheaper at other times of the year.

It warned consumers that the annual shopping event was “all hype” with “few genuine discounts” on offer for shoppers.

Which? analysed the price of products during the six months before and after last year’s Black Friday and found that just four of the 83 products surveyed were cheaper on Black Friday than at any other time of the year.

The group called out a number of examples of apparently disingenuous deals, including a Samsung soundbar that was for sale at Currys PC World for £299 during Black Friday 2018. But research found that the price dropped to £250 the following month and was priced at £279.97 at least 13 times during the next six months.

John Lewis is said to have offered a De’Longhi coffee machine for £399 during the Black Friday period, but that was discounted to £368 on at least 35 different occasions during the next six months.

And Amazon allegedly advertised its second generation Echo smart device as being 39% cheaper on Black Friday last year, which had actually been available at a cheaper price 13 times prior to that weekend.

In total, six in 10 items were found to be cheaper on at least one day during the six months prior to Black Friday, while three-quarters were cheaper after the promotional extravaganza.

Which? said there was no evidence that retailers were breaking sales laws, but said consumers were being confused by offers.

The group’s head of home products and services Natalie Hitchins said: “We have repeatedly shown that ‘deals’ touted by retailers on Black Friday are not as good as they seem. Time-limited sales can be a good opportunity to bag a bargain, but don’t fall for the pressure tactics around Black Friday.

“Our investigation indicates that this popular shopping event is all hype and there are few genuine discounts.”

Responding to the Which? findings, Currys PC World said: “Our customers tell us that they appreciate the increased choice during Black Friday where we have the most deals on at once. When we launched our Black Friday event last year 40% of those products were the lowest price they had ever been.”

A John Lewis spokeswoman said that many of its price fluctuations were a result of its “never knowingly undersold” promise, which means it price matches high street competitors all-year round.

The spokeswoman added: “We offer our customers the best value on the high street all year round, including during the Black Friday period.”

Amazon said the claim from Which? about the price of its Echo device was “false” and insisted: “Customers were not able to buy the Echo (2nd gen) device cheaper before Black Friday 2018.”

A spokeswoman for the etailer added: “We seek to offer our customers great value thanks to low prices all year round as well as a number of fantastic seasonal deals events.”