Black Friday
WalletHub
Americans are obsessed with deals, especially when it comes to Black Friday. For years, people have camped outside their favorite stores after a big Thanksgiving feast or forced themselves awake in the early morning to browse the virtual shopping aisles. The truth is that many of us find pleasure in buying merchandise at the deepest discounts and knowing we beat our fellow sale-addicted shoppers to the punch.
Black Friday shopping was disrupted quite a bit by the COVID-19 pandemic last year, with in-person sales down 37% from 2019. This year, merchants will be once again open to crowds, though many of the 100 million Americans who shopped online last year may choose to do so again.
While Black Friday is traditionally associated with the best prices relative to the rest of the year, we should pause from our spending and ask how good of a deal we are really getting. As it turns out, 23% of items will offer no savings compared to their pre-Black Friday prices this year. According to WalletHub’s holiday shopping survey, 27% of American consumers are planning to spend less during the 2021 holiday season relative to 2020.
To separate myth from fact, WalletHub compared pre- and actual Black Friday prices for a broad selection of items. Using the price difference of each item, we isolated the offers that are truly worth the hassle of participating in America’s biggest shopping craze.
Top 10 Deals (Additional Discount for Waiting Until Black Friday)
| 1. Dell XPS 15 Laptop ($1,024) | 6. Marcy MD-5191 Smith Cage Home Gym ($1,051) |
| 2. LG Double Wall Oven with Microwave ($1,999) | 7. Firman Gasoline Powered Inverter Generator ($446) |
| 3. iBUYPOWER Gaming Desktop Trace 5 MR ($384) | 8. Abbyson Holloway Leather Armchair ($332) |
| 4. Lowrance Hook2 12″ Fishfinder ($450) | 9. ProForm Carbon T7 Treadmill ($350) |
| 5. EGO POWER+ 56 Volt Snow Thrower ($1,100) | 10. Osaki OS-Pro Yamato Massage Chair ($2,000) |
| Top 3 Product Categories | Worst 3 Product Categories |
| 1. Consumer Packaged Goods (45%) | 7. Consumer Electronics (25%) |
| 2. Apparel & Accessories (40%) | 8. Furniture (25%) |
| 3. Toys (34%) | 9. Computers & Phones (20%) |
