Martin Lewis' Black Friday special
It's Black Friday, the day after US Thanksgiving, when traditionally stores there begin the Christmas push.
To kick-start it retailers offer short-lived codes and discounts, and - like Halloween - this trend is moving across the pond. Martin Lewis is here to explain what it is, what people should do about it, and what the top five retailers people should keep an eye out for.
What is Black Friday?
It’s the first Friday after Thanksgiving in the US that kick-starts the Christmas season. To celebrate many American stores offer lots of heavily discounted one-day deals, but usually it’s only on one or two big star products. However, in the recent years – a bit like Halloween – it’s started to move across the Atlantic and this year we’re expecting it to be bigger than ever across the UK. Alongside Cyber Monday (next Monday) we’re expecting to see deals come through all weekend.
Where am I likely to find these deals?
Certainly at the bigger American retailers – Apple, Amazon, Asda (owned by Walmart). But increasingly UK retailers are getting involved, the supermarkets, the electrical stores, even Johnson’s the drycleaners has Black Friday deals this year. While there will be a few codes, these tend not to be cross store promotions, they’re more likely to be a few single items heavily reduced.
How do I know if the Black Friday price is any good?
Check elsewhere first, don’t assume just because it’s discounted that it’s right for you. Use a shopbot, a shopping comparison site – like Pricegrabber,Pricerunner and Kelkoo. These will give you the prices that a range of online retailers are selling it for.
So I should be out there today buying as much as I can?
No! Don’t let Black Friday drive your shopping habits, just because it’s discounted doesn’t mean it’s right for you. The best thing is to have a list of what you want and see if anyone is discounting it at a good price, not just to be drawn on impulse.
Most importantly ask yourself: will I use it? Is it worth it? Have I checked it’s cheaper anywhere else? If the answer’s no: don’t buy it.
What are your top picks of the deals?
Many Black Friday discounts are kept secret until the day, so here’s a selection of things available right now – some are Black Friday deals and some are just good deals on this week.
Selfridges 20% off code and voucherFrom today (Thursday) until Sunday 30 Nov, enter the code SELF14 online at Selfridges to get 20% off fashion, homewares or accessories or 10% off beauty, fragrance, watches, wine, tech and toys. Or print this Selfridges voucher or show it on your smartphone.
River Island 20% offI’m hearing – though unconfirmed the fashion retailer will be offering 20% off everything online from 11am-3pm on Friday with code TREAT28.
Kindle dealSainsbury’s will start discounting products from tomorrow, including up to 60% off gadgets. This includes a £40 4GB WiFi Kindle Touch (normally £60). Stock is limited and Sainsbury’s says ‘once it’s gone, it’s gone’. It is available in larger stores. The cheapest elsewhere is £59, so it’s a good deal.
Body Shop bundle £30Tomorrow (Friday) The Body Shop will release its Black Friday bundle to the public. It’s £30 and contains eight products including body butter, shower gel and mascara. If bought separately these would cost £76.50.
·20,000 ‘free’ MegaBus seats (50p booking fee)Budget coach travel provider MegaBus is offering 20,000 'free' one-way tickets on nearly all of its routes in England, Scotland, Wales and Europe for travel between Monday 12 January and Thursday 12 February.
Bookings must be made at least seven days in advance and you can book up to 60 days in advance. It's valid on Mon-Thu trips only and you'll just need to pay a 50p booking fee per transaction, not per ticket. MegaBus covers most of Great Britain and parts of Europe, including Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam and Luxembourg.
While 20,000 sounds a lot, they can still take some finding and it's mostly a case of trial and error as they're scattered across many routes. Megabus says the tickets are released in tranches on its website every day (except Fri-Sun) until Thu 12 Feb, so if you can't find a 'free' ticket one day, don't give up, as one might appear later in the promo.
Remember, deals can change quickly, even while I’m on the programme. So always double-check the terms and conditions before spending. Plus, while I hope these deals will save you cash, don’t spend if you can’t afford it, don’t need it, or won’t use it.