Consumer NZ's 3-month study finds many products were cheaper before Black Friday

Gemma Rasmussen, head of research and advocacy at Consumer NZ is disappointed, but not surprised, by the dud 'deals' her team tracked as part of its Black Friday price tracking.

Consumer tracked the prices of 10 products at four major retailers over the past 14 weeks. Rasmussen says that for half of the products, shoppers could have found the same or lower prices at some point in the last 3 months than they can today.

"Retailers know how to tap into the excitement of Black Friday sales and are masters of marketing. Based on our findings at these four stores, Black Friday feels a bit underwhelming."

Briscoes

Rasmussen says four of the products tracked at Briscoes were cheaper at some stage during the last 14 weeks than they are today.

"Where we did see a genuine Black Friday deal, the saving was just a matter of cents.

The Kenwood Chef mixer is priced at $490.00 today, but it was cheaper on Thursday 20 November, at $449.99. A Breville four‑slice toaster is priced at $125.99 today, yet shoppers could have bought it for $105.00 in September.

A Breville coffee machine is available today for $349.00, which is the cheapest we have seen it at Briscoes since we started tracking, but it's only 97 cents cheaper than it was in mid‑September.

Noel Leeming

At Noel Leeming, four products offered a genuine Black Friday deal, and three products were more expensive than they had been previously.

"You might think the 'now $50' promotional label on a Russell Hobbs kettle is a good Black Friday price – but you could have snagged it for $19 in September.

"The Russell Hobbs air fryer is priced 'now $159' this Black Friday but could have been purchased for $147 in early November.

"While the Breville Toastset Toaster was $109 in September and $158 in October, today it's $209.99 (not on special).

Farmers

Only three of the products Consumer tracked at Farmers were priced more competitively during the Black Friday sale than at any point in the past 14 weeks.

"In fact," says Rasmussen, "four products we tracked at Farmers are more expensive in the Black Friday sales.

"The Nutribullet is $99.99 today, but it was listed as a 'special offer' at $69.99 in September and $74.99 in October. The Russell Hobbs Satisfry is $169.99 today, but it was $159.99 in October.

However, a Dyson stick vacuum offered an excellent opportunity for saving, being priced at $1,199 over the past 3 months but is $599 today.

Harvey Norman

Some of the products Consumer tracked at Harvey Norman offered significant savings over the past 2 weeks. However, while some products were just a dollar or two cheaper than they had been, the Russell Hobbs Satisfry was $51 more expensive than it had been in September.

"Harvey Norman does have one phenomenal saving – the Dyson Cyclone stick vacuum that has been $1,199 for the majority of the time we've been price tracking. Yesterday, it was $699; today, it's $599. It's heartening to see there are deals to be had, but as always, do your research.

We recently called out Harvey Norman for its constant promotional pricing labels. We've noted Harvey Norman has a tendency to label products with sales language that creates the impression it's offering a special or good deal when that's not necessarily always true.

Deals to be had, but you need to hunt

Rasmusen says there are genuine deals out there, but you have to look carefully.

"Don't be swayed by phrases like 'hot deal', 'massive stock sell‑out' and 'great price'. The proof is in the pricing. Across all the products Consumer tracked, there is only one item cheaper today than yesterday that seems to be a genuinely good bargain – a Dyson stick vacuum on sale at Harvey Norman and Farmers today for $599. Over the past 3 months, that product has been priced at $1,199 for every week at Farmers and for nine out of fourteen weeks at Harvey Norman."

Consumer tips for gaming Black Friday

Have a list of needs and wants to keep yourself focused on what you really should be looking to buy.Use websites like PriceSpy and PriceMe to search for a product. These websites provide historical pricing information, helping you understand if the 'deal' really is a deal.Ignore promotional language and scarcity cues like 'only two left'. If you miss out on something today, our research indicates another sale will be just around the corner.