Black Friday is still the best day to score a deal, especially with Christmas just around the corner. Our top 13 money-saving tips will help you make the most of Black Friday 2023.
Black Friday will see thousands of online and high-street retailers participate in the sale on 24th November. Forty-five million people will be shopping on Black Friday Weekend, despite the cost-living crisis putting pressure on our bank accounts. The annual Shopping for Christmas Report with GlobalData shows that Black Friday sales are expected to exceed £3bn this year, with online retailers racking up just under £1.87bn. Our research also shows that two-fifths (39%) of Brits’ will buy something on Black Friday Weekend, and another two-fifths plan to spend more than last year (41.1%).
Clothing and footwear are expected to be the most in-demand items of the year, closely followed by electricals. People take advantage of significant discounts to stockpile big-ticket items and Christmas gifts.
Getting The Best Out Of The Black Friday Deals
These top tips help you find the best Black Friday deals this Cyber Weekend.
Do Your Shopping Prep
Sign up for email notifications and follow brands on social media. If you are sure you will purchase a particular item from a site, you should create an account. You can save payment details in advance to make it super easy on the day. Increased web traffic makes you want to rush to your next purchase. You should also know the cost of the items you wish to before Black Friday to determine if the advertised price is fair.
Start Browsing Black Friday & Cyber Monday 2023 From 1st November
Black Friday online deals are usually available at midnight. However, some shops may offer early discounts up to a week before Black Friday. It’s worth looking out for Cyber Monday and Black Friday deals during the week leading up to Black Friday so you can grab a bargain early. Remember that the best deals, especially for big-ticket items, will be gone quickly, so get in on the action if you plan to hit the high street.
Bookmark The Products You Like
If speed is essential, this is the way to go. If you shop online, bookmarking your favorite brands and websites will help you get the items that you desire faster and for a lower price.
Avoid Flash Sales And Lightning Deals
These are in-demand, limited-stock items that retailers offer for sale to lure you in. If you are savvy, you can save significant money on high-priced items if you pay attention when they happen. Argos, John Lewis and Amazon are the retailers to watch. They usually have them all day.
Register For The Newsletters
A dedicated team of deal-hunters gathers all the best Black Friday deals from retailers as soon as they are announced.
Advertisements Can Help Businesses Target You
It pays to research items you want to purchase in the weeks before Black Friday. You can spend hours searching online for the item or leave it in your checkout basket, and businesses will target you with digital ads across social media. These deals are the best and most relevant to you on any given day.
Keep Christmas In Your Mind When You Shop
You can buy the essentials. Christmas is coming up quickly, so shop now for all your Christmas decorations and presents at great prices.
Combine Your Discounts And Offers
You can get 15% extra off if you are a VIP member. Black Friday deals and VIP discounts can get you up to 35% off. Also, check out if they offer rewards for your favourite brands. You can often combine our tips with discounts and sales codes to get a free coupon on your purchase.
Observe The Retailers That “Don’t Do Black Friday”
Incognito Black Friday retailers are to be avoided. These shops claim they don’t have Black Friday but offer a Christmas Comes Early Sale on the same day.
Keep An Eye On Black Friday Hashtags
You don’t have time to prepare and sign up for email notifications, so search #BlackFridayUK and #BlackFridayUK hashtags on Instagram and Twitter. These hashtags will be shared by stores and shoppers on Black Friday, giving you an easy way to save.
Visit The Black Friday Pages
Superdrug and Argos have their Black Friday pages that show what’s up and when. You can budget your spending and get the best deals by knowing what to expect.
Check Delivery Cost Before Buying
Signing up for Black Friday delivery deals may be worthwhile if you often shop at a particular retailer. Although delivery times can be longer, you will not have to pay an extra charge. Most delivery deals also come with additional benefits.
Amazon Prime offers unlimited One-Day Delivery and Same-Day Delivery and 2-Hour Delivery with Prime Now (in selected residential postcodes), Unlimited streaming of movies, TV shows and Prime Originals, and access to more than two million songs, which are always ad-free on Amazon Music. ASOS Premier costs only £11.95 per year. It offers unlimited Next-Day Delivery and Nominated Delivery for orders above £10. Standard delivery is available with no minimum order amount for the entire year.
Check Out The Travel Deals & Discounts
Black Friday deals are available on all websites, including tech, homeware and beauty. This is often overlooked, but if you are looking for discounts on flights from the UK, the USA, Southeast Asia, mainland Europe, and other bucket-list destinations, check out Expedia and British Airways. Many deals throughout the weekend will end on Cyber Monday.
Who will participate in Black Friday 2022
Nearly every store participates in Black Friday sales. This year is no exception. However, few large brands can refuse to participate in the bargain bonanza. In 2013, ASDA Supermarkets was the first to embrace Black Friday. After its generous discounts caused violence among shoppers looking for the best deals, the national chain decided to end all Black Friday sales in 2015. ASDA has loosened its stance slightly over the years with some Black Friday discounts in the 2021 sales… but it is not back to 2013 levels.
M&S (Marks & Spencer), another supermarket brand, does not participate in Black Friday sales. The brand offers a variety of deals during Christmas shopping, but this has little to do with Black Friday.
Stay Away From Black Friday Scams
Black Friday is an excellent opportunity to grab massive discounts. It shouldn’t surprise that hackers and scammers are also taking advantage of this sale to trick more people. Here are some tips to help you avoid the most common Black Friday scams.
1. Suspicious Links
It could be an email, text, or online advertisement. If it doesn’t look legitimate, do not click on it. You can verify the legitimacy of an email or text message by clicking on the contact information. If the sender’s email address or phone number doesn’t match that of the company, it is likely to be fake.
2. Fraudulent Verification Code
Hackers use this scam to bypass a two-factor authentication system designed to protect your data. They may pretend to be your bank or company you have recently bought from and claim that you must confirm a verification code to complete a purchase. The scammers will likely have your username and password but will require verification to gain access to more of your data.
3. Billing Scams
Scammers may send you a message pretending to be from a company you purchased from. They will tell you that your payment has yet to be received and that you must update your payment information immediately. You might be tempted to give up on the deal if they send you a message claiming urgency. You should not be confronted with such a message. It is best to call the company directly to ensure your information isn’t being sent to anyone.
4. Browser Extensions
Many “money-saving” browser extensions appear around Black Friday. Some of these extensions may be legitimate, but scammers have created others to steal your data. Avoid installing browser extensions that affect finances during this time of the year. The best Black Friday savings can be found directly through company websites. Do your research before installing extensions. Trustpilot and other sites can help you identify suspicious names.
5. Unfamiliar Websites
While getting distracted by Black Friday deals is easy, verifying where your order is coming from is essential. Many scammers create fake websites that claim to sell products at an “amazing” rate, but in reality, they use the opportunity to steal your bank details and data. TrustPilot can be used to verify that a seller is legitimate before you purchase anything from them. However, it’s better to avoid unknown sellers, especially during this time of the year.
Get Amazon Prime Membership (Free Trial Also Works)
You must be a Prime Member to receive the best Black Friday deals on Amazon. Amazon Prime membership is a scheme that provides a host of benefits to customers who shop on Amazon UK. Prime members get exclusive 30-minute access to all Lightning Deals (timely discounts that roll out during Black Friday), so they can grab these deals before the rest.
Prime members get next-day delivery for no additional cost (and same-day delivery in certain parts of the US), so you can grab your new item before anyone else! If you plan to shop in the Amazon Black Friday sale, you must be a Prime member.
Prime membership costs PS8.99 monthly, but Amazon offers a 30-day free trial that unlocks all benefits. It’s worth checking if your Prime membership is still available. Amazon offers a free 30-day trial that allows you to try the Prime service approximately once a year.