Black Friday sparks heated airers shortage as shoppers…

Black Friday sparks heated airers shortage as shoppers snap up gadgets

Black Friday 2022 is, so far, a bit different to previous years' shopping extravaganzas.

While for many the event has previously kick-started Christmas shopping or been a chance to replace hi-tech gadgets, this year rising energy prices and worries about the cost of living have seen some new products top the best-seller lists.

Amazon, Currys, Argos and Dunelm are among the retailers who have already launched their sales and notably with all of them there has been an increased emphasis on money saving products to help combat rising bills.

We've already seen shoppers snapping up two-for-one deals on Oodies, cut price and limited edition air fryers and even £2 electric blankets to help save energy costs on cooking and heating.

But for many people, top of the list of gadgets to help is a heated clothes airer and according to our analysis what that means is the more reasonably priced models are now largely sold out online, with retailers like Dunelm, John Lewis, Lakeland and Aldi all unable to keep up with demand for stock.

Aldi and Lidl both made headlines this month with shoppers flocking to stores and trying online to snap up the latest of the firms' popular heated airer models.

Lidl’s Addis Heated Wing Clothes Airer returned to shelves late last month, but the £44.99 product sold out immediately. There were similar scenes at Aldi, where shoppers flocked to pick up the SpecialBuy Easyhome heated airer. Both it and Aldi's well-reviewed Lakeland dupe is out of stock, but the firm does say on its website that the £39.99 version will be back soon.

But there is a small glimmer of hope - although shoppers may need to act quickly to take advantage of it.

Dunelm has received rave reviews from customers for its heated airer models, with the ECHO's Emily Sleight saying her test 'changed the way I dry washing.'

Last week, Dunelm's complete range of heated airers, costing from £40 to £95, was completely out of stock but for shoppers happy to spend at the higher end of the price bracket and willing to act quickly there has been a limited restock to products.

Dunelm's £95 three-tier heated airer is back in stock online - for now. Shoppers can pick it up here, either for delivery or to click and collect in store but the other five heated airer models sold by the firm remain unavailable, so shoppers keen to get one need to act quickly.

Even for shoppers happy to spend that bit more money, premium products at John Lewis and Lakeland are also for the most part currently unavailable.

For many people, Lakeland's DRYSOON-branded heated airers are considered the original and best but just one of the range is available to buy right now, and even then the firm is warning of delays in despatch because of 'unprecedented demand.'

Shoppers can order a £199 three-tier heated airer today, but there's no guarantees on when it will arrive, with Lakeland warning: "Due to unprecedented demand, delivery of this product is currently taking longer than normal. Please allow up to 14 working days for delivery."

With shortages seemingly increasingly widespread, according to our research options are somewhat limited across all major retailers - depending on exactly where you're willing to travel to.

Argos' website is reporting limited availability of several heated airers although when the ECHO team investigated today we weren't able to find one within 10 miles of Liverpool.

Meanwhile, Manomano.co.uk has a £79 version which has been reduced by 24% for Black Friday, but if you want it delivered you won't be able to get it until next month at the earliest.

Lastly, Amazon, the home of Black Friday for many, has a few heated airer models in stock but prices have risen due to demand with the cheapest coming up at £79.99 and prices rising as high as £189.

Fans of heated airers like how they dry clothes at a relatively cheap running cost when compared to a tumble dryer, or even turning on the heating to get things dried. As it's a gentler way to dry clothes it can also make them last longer than using a tumble dryer.

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