OiYOiStudent guide
Is Black Friday really cheapest?
Black Friday in late November and Boxing Day on 26 December are wall-to-wall "lowest price of the year" ads. Which? checks every year and the verdict barely changes: most Black Friday prices aren't the lowest. If you want something, look at its price history first.
- How long
- Add what you want to a price tracker a few weeks ahead; a quick look on Black Friday is all it takes
- What you need
- None
- What you get
- You don't fall for "buy today or miss out"
What Which? found (two checks)
- Black Friday 2024: 175 products across eight retailers, 100% were the same price or cheaper at another point in the year (published November 2025).
- Black Friday 2022: 208 products across seven retailers, 98% weren't at their lowest price of the year, and 45% were clearly cheaper at other times (published November 2023).
- Which?'s advice, in a nutshell: if you weren't planning to buy it anyway, it isn't a deal, it's an impulse buy.
What to do
- A few weeks ahead, add what you want to a price tracker (Which? names PriceRunner; for Amazon, use camelcamelcamel) and look at the last few months' curve.
- On Black Friday, check against that curve: buy if it's genuinely at its historic low, otherwise wait – January and the end of term are often cheaper.
- Pay for big items by credit card: over £100 you're covered by Section 75, see "Booking travel? How you pay decides if you get it back".
- The savings on food and everyday stuff are elsewhere: "Supermarket tiers: where to buy what" and "Student discounts: sign up and save".
Where people trip up
- Trusting the crossed-out "was" price: it may only have been on for a few days.
- Buying extra to hit a "spend X, save Y" offer: you didn't need the extra thing.
- Forgetting the 14-day cooling-off period for online shopping: you can change your mind, see "14 days to change your mind, 30 if it's faulty".
Official pages
Checked against official pages on 9 Sep 2026.
Not official advice. Rules change, so always check the official page.