Black Friday Deals UK 2025: Are the Big Discounts Genuine?

You’ve seen the flashing “was £200, now £100” labels and countdown timers, but how many Black Friday deals in the UK actually save you money? This guide cuts through the marketing noise to show you where the genuine savings hide, using data from MoneySavingExpert and PriceRunner.

Black Friday 2025 (traditional): November 28 ·
Amazon Black Friday Week 2025: November 20 – December 1 ·
TK Maxx everyday discount claim: Up to 60% off

Key Black Friday dates and deal examples from MoneySavingExpert:

When is Black Friday and Why Does the UK Have It?

What is the origin of Black Friday?

• Black Friday falls on the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States, traditionally the start of the Christmas shopping season (Wikipedia – online encyclopedia).
• The term originally described financial crises in the 19th century; its modern shopping meaning emerged in Philadelphia during the 1950s (Wikipedia).
• In the US, it remains a major retail event with millions of shoppers each year.

How did Black Friday become popular in the UK?

• UK retailers like Amazon, Argos, and Asda launched major Black Friday sales in 2013, copying the US model (The Telegraph – UK news outlet).
• In 2014, physical store chaos — including scuffles and crowd issues — pushed retailers to focus on online deals.
• Black Friday is not a public holiday in the UK; it is entirely a retail invention.

The implication: Black Friday’s UK roots are only about a decade old, and it still adapts each year to local shopping habits.

Are Black Friday Deals Worth It in the UK?

What does the data say about Black Friday discounts?

• MoneySavingExpert’s 2025 deals page lists genuine bargains: a Baileys one-litre bottle at £10 was “the cheapest we’ve seen for a one-litre bottle” (MoneySavingExpert – UK consumer finance site).
• Sky TV and 500Mb broadband at £33 per month is described as “the cheapest ever Sky deal at that speed” (MoneySavingExpert).
• PriceRunner warns shoppers that being “on sale” does not automatically mean a good deal — check price history first (PriceRunner – price comparison platform).

The catch: A few headline deals are genuinely excellent, but the majority require careful vetting — and most shoppers don’t have time to check every price history.

Do Prices Actually Go Down on Black Friday?

How to check if a Black Friday deal is real

• MoneySavingExpert recommends tracking price history with CamelCamelCamel for Amazon and PriceSpy for multiple retailers (MoneySavingExpert).
• PriceRunner’s price history tool shows whether a sale price is genuinely the lowest ever or if the retailer raised the list price before discounting (PriceRunner).
• Always check the “was/now” pricing: if the previous price was only set a week earlier, it may be a marketing trick.

What this means: The easiest way to avoid fake deals is to compare current prices across stores and check historical lows — tools like PriceRunner do it in seconds (PriceRunner).

The pattern: Using price history tools is the only reliable way to verify a deal.

Which Has Bigger Discounts, Black Friday or Cyber Monday?

What is Cyber Monday?

• Cyber Monday falls on the Monday after Thanksgiving and focuses on online-exclusive deals (Wikipedia – online encyclopedia).
• It was originally aimed at workplace shoppers using office computers, but now it’s a major e-commerce event.

Which day offers deeper discounts?

• Black Friday often has larger discounts on big-ticket items like TVs, laptops, and appliances.
• Cyber Monday tends to focus on clothing, accessories, and smaller electronics.
• The Telegraph’s team evaluated hundreds of offers and found that both days offer genuine savings, but Black Friday is stronger for high-value items (The Telegraph).

Here is how discounts typically compare between the two events:

The trade-off: If you’re after a big-screen TV or a laptop, shop Black Friday. For clothing and accessories, Cyber Monday may offer more — but both weeks deserve a look.

Why Is Black Friday Not as Big Anymore?

What is the biggest sale in the UK?

• Black Friday remains one of the biggest UK sales, but it faces competition from Boxing Day sales, January sales, and mid-season events.
• MoneySavingExpert’s Black Friday page is consistently one of its most visited, indicating strong interest (MoneySavingExpert).

Why are some shoppers less enthusiastic?

• PriceRunner notes that “something being ‘on sale’ does not necessarily mean it is a real bargain” — shoppers have become more skeptical (PriceRunner).
• Deal fatigue is real: with sales happening year-round (Prime Day, Black Friday Week, Boxing Day), consumers are less excited about any single event.
• Many retailers now spread deals across “Black Week” or even “Black November,” diluting the urgency.

The pattern: Black Friday isn’t dying — it’s fragmenting. Savvy shoppers who compare prices year-round can still find genuine bargains, but the days of “one day, one event” are long gone.

For UK shoppers, the choice is clear: use price history tools before buying, or risk paying more than necessary. The happiest shoppers are those who compare prices across stores and check historical lows — and those who know when to walk away. For the savvy buyer, Black Friday still delivers genuine savings on select items. For the impulse shopper, it’s often a trap. The smart money? Wait for the price history, not the countdown timer.