Brit consumers warned over dodgy Black Friday offers as main excessive avenue retailer makes ‘promise’

A major high street retailer has pledged to a new minimum standard where all of its over 3,000 Black Friday Deals meet a key criterion defined by Which?. Currys, promising no Black Friday deal has been cheaper in the last six months, is urging the retail industry to join them to prevent people from abandoning Black Friday due to increasing consumer scepticism.

A whopping 57% of Brits feel sceptical about discounts offered during Black Friday and 65% think it’s a ‘con’. In the Nov 2023 Which? report into Black Friday, retailers were criticised for having lower price points at some point in the six months prior. Responding to these finding, Currys has improved its pricing, ensuring not one Black Friday deal has been cheaper in the last six months.

Black Friday has seen a decline in consumer confidence over the years. A whopping 57% of consumers are sceptical about the discounts offered during this period, according to research commissioned by Currys, the UK’s largest tech retailer.

The study reveals that 46% of the public have noticed items being cheaper outside of Black Friday, leading to a lack of trust in the event. This cynicism is likely reinforced by a report published by Which? in November 2023, which found many Black Friday deals from major UK retailers were cheaper six months either side of the event.

Despite Currys having a relatively low number of products falling into this category, the findings were still alarming and highlighted why consumers are feeling so cynical. In response, Currys has implemented a minimum standard rule that no Black Friday deal will have been cheaper at any point in the last six months.

Moreover, most of its deals are even lower than they’ve been in the past six months. Teaming up with consumer champion Angellica Bell, Currys is urging the UK retail industry to adopt the same minimum standard and Save Black Friday.

Ed Connolly, Chief Commercial Officer at Currys, has announced a new initiative in response to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. He said: “With the cost-of-living crisis still biting for families up and down the UK, we’re proud to be the first major retailer to commit to a minimum standard for Black Friday deals. We’ll be applying this rule to all of our 3,000+ fantastic deals on the biggest tech brands over the next five weeks. We believe, without industry wide commitment to a transparent, minimum standard, there is a risk that trust erodes further and Black Friday will simply fizzle away.”

To ensure customers can shop with confidence, Currys lists the price a product was before it went on sale, along with the dates it was at its previous price, both in-store and online.

All products also come with the Currys Price Promise, which offers a price match against any other UK retailer, online or in store, if customers find it cheaper elsewhere. A price match can be claimed by customers as they purchase, or even if they up to seven days later. Terms and Conditions apply, please see here.

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