Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become two of the biggest shopping days of the year, with 22m people in the UK planning to spend an average of £275 each, according to Finder.
Some big names, such as Amazon and Sky, have already kicked off some of their Black Friday deals, even though it isn’t until November 26, so we’ve gathered some of the best offers launched ahead of the day for you to browse through.
But first a word of warning. Whilst it might be tempting to rush in and snap up so-called Black Friday bargains, consumer champion, Which? found that in 2020, 98% of Black Friday deals were available at the same price or cheaper in the six months following the sale. So while it may seem that retailers are offering once-in-a-lifetime deals, very few of them actually are.
Black Friday shopping tips
Black Friday is cleverly timed just ahead of Christmas, with many shoppers using it as an opportunity to try to get the best deal on their Christmas gifts. Before you spend anything, however, asking yourself a few questions first could save you a lot of money in the long run. If the answer to any of these questions is no, then you might want to think twice about your purchase.
- How much do you want or need this item?
- Will you actually use it?
- Is this purchase worthwhile, or do you think you will only use or wear it once?
- Would you still buy it if it was full price?
If the answer to these questions is yes, and you are certain that the product is for you, then there are some tricks that might help save you even more money:
- Stay focused – make a list, set a budget and stick to it.
- Pick your brands – if you know you love a certain brand or product, then make sure you sign up to their notifications or mailing lists as they will often offer the best deals to their existing customers before others.
- Leave things in your basket – often if you are signed up to certain retailers and you add items to your basket and leave them there, they will send you reminders to check out, sometimes offering an added discount
- Make sure you’re getting the real deal – As one of the biggest shopping days of the year, it’s also one of the biggest days for scammers, selling fake products or stealing your information. Try to only use reputable sites, and if a deal seems too good to be true, then it just might be. An easy way to see if a website is safe to use and will keep your data secure is if it has a green padlock symbol in the address bar and if the URL starts with https, and not http. Have a look at our article Types of scam and how to avoid them for some of the latest scams doing the rounds.
- Browse social media – some retailers may offer exclusive deals through their twitter, facebook or instagram accounts, so before clicking purchase, it could pay to check their feeds.
- Check prices now – retailers change their prices all the time, and Katherine Hart, Lead Officer from Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) said: “Sometimes sellers raise their prices before a sales period to make it look like a great deal is on offer during the sale. Fortunately, there are websites, such as Camel Camel Camel, which tracks the price history of products on Amazon so you can check if you’re getting a good deal.”
Early sales
Some brands are getting a head start on the competition this year and have already launched their Black Friday deals. These include:
- Amazon – In its pre-Black Friday offers, Amazon is offering up to 40% off on a range of products, ranging from tools to computers to beauty products.
- AO – Offering reductions across an array of electrical items, as well as price matching on the products in the sale
- Currys – They have over 1,000 electrical products in their current Black Friday sale, and are also offering price matching across these products
- Boots – Boots is offering discounts on fragrances, makeup, beauty products, electricals and more
- Sky – Are offering deals across their mobile, broadband and new Sky Glass products
- Virgin Media – The deals on offer at Virgin Media cover their broadband products, with possible savings of £342.
Our top picks
Retailers are releasing new deals all the time, and we’ve picked out a few of the biggest and the best ones here. Keep checking back, as we will be updating this throughout the buildup to Black Friday all the way through to Cyber Monday. Bear in mind that some retailers, including Marks & Spencers and Apple, have famously not hosted a Black Friday event over the years, saying that they prefer to provide great value all year round rather than on a particular day.
You should also make sure you check out some of the smaller independent shops in your local area, along with websites such as Etsy UK and notonthehighstreet.com, which offer a platform for small businesses and creatives.
Also, make sure to check comparison sites for Black Friday broadband and phone deals as they often have exclusive offers you might not find elsewhere. For example, Vodafone is currently offering their superfast broadband for £20 and you will get a £150 amazon voucher when you sign up for the deal, while Plusnet is offering a £6 sim-only deal that gives you 6GB, Unlimited Mins, Unlimited Texts on a monthly rolling contact. Both of these offers are available through our comparison tools, so have a look at our broadband comparison tool and our mobile comparison tool for even more deals.
If you are concerned about the environmental impact of online shopping this Black Friday, visit your nearest town to shop if you’re able to, or if you are buying online, make the most of click and collect services wherever possible.
Railcards
Trainline is offering deals of up to 50% off of seven types of railcard this Black Friday, which could save you money all year. Find the right railcard for you here.
The White Company
The White Company has launched their “White Weekend” offering up to 20% off of everything, including fragrances, clothing, Christmas items, homewares and more. Browse their offers here.
Coast
Coast has up to 70% off all of their clothing and fashion site-wide. Have a look at their offers here.
Hotel Chocolat
Hotel Chocolat has discounts on a number of bundles, offering savings of up to £24 while stocks last. Have a look at their Black Friday bundles here.
ghd
ghd have up to 20% off of their hair dryers and stylers, plus free heat protect spray with certain purchases. Browse their deals here.
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey is offering 20% off of everything, including their maps, apps, books and GPS devices when you purchase them through their site. Have a look here for their deals.
B&Q
B&Q is offering an array of discounts across selected items including tools, bathroom items, home electricals and security and more. You can see their offers here.
Bloom and Wild
You can get 15% off across a huge number of items on the Bloom and Wild site, including their mini letterbox Christmas trees, advent calendars, letterbox flowers and more. Have a look at their offers here.
WHSmith
WHSmith has deals across a number of products including books, games, art supplies and gaming accessories. Take a look at their offers here.
Waterstones
Waterstones are offering up to half price discounts across selected books and games. Browse their deals here.
John Lewis
John Lewis launched their Black Friday event this weekend, offering discounts on a range of homewares, clothing, electronics, beauty and more. Browse their offers here.
eBay
eBay is offering up to 50% off a huge number of items and brands, including SuperDry, OralB, Shark, DeWalt and More. Have a look at their deals here.
Ninja
Ninja is offering discounts across a range of their kitchen gadgets including air fryers, food processors and more. You can see their offers here.
TUI
TUI is offering up to £200 off of your holiday, when you spend £3000 on departures up till April 2023. Have a look at their discounts here.
Booking.com
You could save up to 30% on accommodation worldwide through Booking.com’s Black Friday deals. Browse their offers here.
Argos
Argos is offering some of its lowest prices ever across a huge number of items and brands. Have a look at their deals here.
Dyson
Dyson has dropped some early deals, offering £100 savings on certain models of their vacuum cleaners. Have a look at their deals here.
La Redoute
La Redoute is offering up to 50% off of everything online, including anything from womenswear to furniture and their Christmas shop. Have a look at their deals here.
Very
Very joins the cohort of early sales, offering an array of deals across all of its product lines. Have a look at their website to see what’s available.
Uniqlo
Uniqlo will be launching their Black Friday event at 6am on Friday November 26, but in the meantime you can sign up for their newsletter so you can be one of the first to hear about their deals as well as getting a voucher for £10 off your first online order.
Joules
Joules has already launched their Black Friday event and has been adding new items frequently. Have a look at their website for their latest offers.
Monica Vinader
Jewellery brand Monica Vinader is offering up to 25% off everything in their sale, plus 50% off in their flash sales if you sign up with them. You can sign up here.
Look Fantastic
Beauty retailer, Look Fantastic, hasn’t launched its Black Friday event yet, but you can sign up to be the first to know on their website. If you sign up before 21st November, you could be in with a chance of winning a Gucci makeup bag and beauty bundle.
Remember…
Here at Rest Less we offer a wide range of discounts on a number of lifestyle products, food and drink packages and more all year round. Have a browse on our discounts page to see what savings you could be making.