Black Friday Exclusives: Are They Really New Deals?

Most Black Friday exclusives are not new deals. They are often the same prices offered at other times of the year. An exclusive here means a price advertised as available only for the Black Friday period.

This article explains what price tracking shows and how to judge a tag before you buy.

Verification note: Program terms and availability can change. This page was checked against linked sources on November 03, 2026.

What year-long tracking found

Researchers followed 175 home, tech and health products for a year. Most cost the same or less outside the four-week sales period. Which?

reports 83% were the same price or cheaper elsewhere, with none cheapest on Black Friday itself, in its year-long price tracking. The pattern shows up in single items too. A Samsung Jet Bot vacuum listed at £350 on Black Friday had sold for £299 for 29 days in May-June 2024, according to [the same Which?

price investigation](https://www.which.co.uk/policy-and-insight/article/dont-believe-the-hype-most-black-friday-deals-the-same-price-or-cheaper-at-other-times-of-the-year-which-finds-a3TbD5x5KADs). That history matters for shoppers. An event label does not prove the price is low for the year.

Why the discount label can mislead

A crossed-out former price can create a false sense of saving. Under the pricing guides, a former-price comparison is legitimate only if the item was offered at that price regularly for a reasonably substantial period, as explained by the Federal Trade Commission in its guides against deceptive pricing. An inflated prior price makes the advertised bargain false.

Readers can watch for short-lived highs before the event.

• Note the was-price and its dates, not only the discount percent
• Save the item page or receipt detail for later comparison
• Set a target price based on past months, not the event banner

When an event price is still real

Some exclusives do line up with yearly lows. In a longer check of 49 products to Oct 2026, 40% were cheapest during Black Friday and Boxing Day while 60% hit their low elsewhere, according to this Consumer NZ festive price review. That split means shoppers face two groups.

A smaller group hits its low during the event. A larger group repeats. The practical point is simple.

Treat each tag as unproven until its history supports it.

How to check before you buy

Start with the price record, not the banner. Look up independent price history for the exact model and seller. Compare like with like across time.

Check size, colour, storage, and seller, since small variants can carry different prices. Then decide whether the current figure beats what you saw before.

• Write down the lowest past price you can verify
• Decide in advance the price that would make you buy
• Skip items that rose just before the event
• Wait if the current price only matches earlier weeks