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The real best time to buy Black Friday staples

Shoppers walk past a Black Friday sales board. (Alexey Ivanov/SOPA Images/Sipa USA)
Shoppers walk past a Black Friday sales board. (Alexey Ivanov/SOPA Images/Sipa USA)

Black Friday is just around the corner, on 27 November, but it may not necessarily be the best day for shoppers to get good bargains, research suggests.

Last year, some of the more popular products were actually cheaper on different days throughout the year – meaning shoppers could have saved money by not getting caught up in the sales whirlwind, data from comparison site idealo shows.

The iPhone XR was cheapest on 22 November, while the iPhone 11 model was at its lowest price on 11 December last year – so this year’s Black Friday may not necessarily be the best time to buy the latest iPhone SE model.

As for gaming consoles, later is usually better. On average, the cheapest day to buy these big-ticket items in 2019 was 19 December. More specifically, a PlayStation 4 Pro was most affordable on 12 December, while a Nintendo Switch was cheapest on 20 December.

However, those looking to buy an Xbox may be best off moving fast, as they were at their cheapest on 17 October last year.

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Accessories are also usually best bought early. Last year, a PlayStation Move motion controller was at its cheapest between 18 and 29 October, while a Nintendo Switch joy con was at its cheapest on 11 November, the data shows.

When it comes to games, Call of Duty Modern Warfare was best bought any time from 27 November to 5 December, and FIFA 20 was at its lowest price on 1 December.

Meanwhile, those wanting to try their hand at Mario Kart 8 may want to wait until just a few days before Christmas to make their purchase, as last year it was at its most affordable on 21 December.

Cameras are also best bought earlier, whether it is the Kidizoom Duo 5.0 Camera, which was cheapest between 8 and 11 November, last year, or the popular Instax Mini 9, which was cheapest on 15 November, the data shows.

Music lovers may want to grab speakers early, as a Google Home Mini and Echo Dot 3rd Gen were both cheapest on 22 November, last year.

READ MORE: Black Friday 2020: Everything You Need To Know

However, they may benefit from purchasing headphones and earbuds later, as a pair of Bose QuietComfort 35 II wireless headphones were cheapest on 29 November, and a pair of Airpods were cheapest on 11 December.

“Black Friday is undoubtedly a great time to snap up a deal, however, it’s not the only time prices can drop,” said idealo’s Katy Phillips.

“There are several reasons why prices can fluctuate all year round, with many retailers using artificial intelligence and algorithms to dynamically adjust prices according to consumer demand, competitor prices, and even the weather.

“Many shoppers fall for the hype around Black Friday and are seduced by the big-ticket deals, however our advice is to stay savvy all year round and continually compare prices to unearth even bigger bargains.”

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