Boots, John Lewis and Currys accused of 'misleading' Black Friday shoppers

Which? has said that most Black Friday "deals" may not be the bargains they seem, with research indicating that products are often the same price or cheaper at other times of the year. The consumer group has accused major retailers, including Boots, John Lewis and Currys, of employing "sneaky tactics" to encourage spending during the annual sale, which marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.

Customers have been warned about a "vast majority" of misleading offers after spending an estimated £13.3bn on Black Friday deals in 2023. Which? examined 227 product deals from last year's Black Friday fortnight, from November 20 to December 1, and alarmingly found that 92% were the same price or cheaper at other times of the year.

For the first time, Which? scrutinised the validity of the "was" prices used to advertise savings, discovering that for many so-called deals, the higher benchmark price had not been charged at all in the previous 12 months. An example cited was a Remington Shea Soft Hair Dryer at Boots, priced at £18.99 on Black Friday, purportedly down from £49.99, yet Which? reported it had never been sold at £49.99 at Boots in the preceding 12 months.

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At John Lewis, the Garmin Venu 2S smartwatch was tagged at £294, implying a £90 saving. However, Which? reports that the product had never been sold for £384 previously at John Lewis. The highest price recorded in the last year was actually £349.99.Richer Sounds also came under scrutiny for labelling a Toshiba TV as an "Inflation Busting Mega deal" at £139, but Which? discovered the price remained the same for 80 days before the sale and was even cheaper, at £129, earlier.

Which? magazine's editor, Harry Rose, sid: "Our investigation is a reminder to shoppers that they should not feel pressured to splash out on Black Friday purchases as those deals are usually repeated - if not beaten - at other times of the year.

"We want retailers to drop the sneaky pricing tactics so consumers are not misled about the deals on offer. When looking to make a purchase, it’s worth comparing the price at multiple retailers and checking the product’s price history using a site such as PriceRunner or CamelCamelCamel - that way you’ll know a good deal when you see one."

Boots responded to the findings by saying: "Which? reviewed a very small number of our Black Friday deals from last year and in all cases the items were at a lower price whilst on promotion or when price matched against competitors. We remain committed to offering great prices and value for money for our customers all year round and offer a packed programme of promotions and deals as well as constantly reviewing our pricing to ensure it remains competitive."

John Lewis commented: "In a highly competitive and dynamic market, our customers can find brilliant offers with us all year round. But the recent return of our reimagined Never Knowingly Undersold brand promise - which matches prices with 25 leading retailers - gives customers absolute confidence that they are getting fantastic value."

Currys said: "We share Which?’s concern about poor Black Friday deals and welcome their efforts to hold the industry to higher standards. ”.

"Today’s report is based on last year’s pricing. We have rigorously reviewed our approach to Black Friday since the publication of their report this time last year and have implemented a minimum standard rule based on a key criteria they outlined. We guarantee that none of our 3,000 plus Black Friday deals will have been cheaper at any point in the last six months."

And a spokesperson for Richer Sounds clarified that any items marked as "Fantastic Black Friday Value" may have been priced lower before but stressed its "inflation-busting mega deals" were distinct from Black Friday offers.