Black Friday might be an American invention, but brands and shoppers alike have fully embraced it. This year Black Friday sales officially kick-off on the 29th of November and will run until Monday (Cyber Monday). However, if you are wondering if you should hold off pressing buy until a better deal on Boxing day our advice would be to buy now.
Black Friday deals are usually stronger than those found in pre-Christmas or Boxing Day sales. The reason is that Black Friday has become the biggest sale event of the year in the UK in which nearly every retailer participates. You'll find many retailers offering site-wide discounts on new releases and bestsellers, The White Company deals are a perfect example of this, offering 20% off across the site.
In contrast, while you can find some serious bargains on Boxing Day they are usually focused on shifting surplus stock so they won't extend to new season products or bestsellers.
In an ITV Money Saving Expert Christmas Special, finance expert Martin Lewis proved this point by revealing that his team had found out of 50 popular items 70% of them were cheaper on Black Friday and 12% were cheaper in the pre-Christmas and Boxing Dale sales.
Nick Grey, founder and CEO at Gtechagrees saying: ‘Black Friday is now easily the biggest sale day of the year. With sales up to five times those of the traditional Boxing Day or January sales, it is definitely the one where the biggest savings are offered.’
Black Friday vs Boxing Day
Brett Janes, e-commerce expert at Salience Search Marketing reports that ‘based on 2021 shopping data, Boxing Day is now 25% smaller than Black Friday in terms of how many people visit online stores that day.’
'Black Friday is more associated with tech, and Boxing Day with home and fashion, but there are always exceptions.' Therefore, although data shows us that Black Friday's deals are the hot topic, it all boils down to what exactly it is you're after discounts on.
If you are looking to get your hands on the best sofa you might be better snagging a deal on boxing day, while Black Friday will likely be the best time to pick up the best air fryer.
Are there still deals on Boxing Day?
Like we said there are still some deals to be had on Boxing day, and it's when you are actually likely to find some serious steals on items they're hoping to shift before the Spring and Summer collections land in store.
It is also worth noting that some powerhouses on the UK furniture scene do still avoid partaking in the Black Friday sales. For example, Next famously holds it's biggest sale event of the year on Boxing Day.
Shoppers, be warned though as in the past, Black Friday sales were often disputed as a con as 'retailers double the price of products in the days prior to Black Friday, only to then offer a 50% discount during the event,' alerts Gilson Pereira, marking director at Zendbox. However, the simple solution to combat this is to do your research prior to ensure you're bagging a genuine, irresistible deal.
Ultimately, 'anyone looking to bag a deal this holiday season is to shop early,' advises John Upton, head of merchandising at OnBuy. With cost of living worries at the forefront of many's minds, taking advantage of the incredible deal you've been eyeing is never a bad idea.
