There are just 33 days until Christmas and the countdown is officially ON. It also means many Brits will be busy buying gifts this weekend, with Black Friday coinciding with payday for a lot of people.
Retailers up and down the country have launched huge sales ahead of the global shopping event, but November 25 may not necessarily be the best date to part with your cash as experts have revealed the best time to buy presents to bag the biggest savings.
And by being savvy, money-saving shoppers could save up to £169 on popular products but picking them up on a specific day.
READ MORE: Beauty advent calendars from River Island, Revolution and Boots reduced for Black Friday
Whether it’s a VR headset for the gamers or a new coffee machine for the wannabe baristas, expert analysts at one of Europe’s leading price comparison sites idealo.co.uk have used price history data to predict the best dates to buy products across popular gifting categories in 2022 that could save shoppers hundreds of pounds.
That’s not to say that this year the dates will remain exactly the same, but they might be helpful in determining whether to shop now, or wait to see if products are reduced further. Though if there’s something that’s at the top of your shopping list on offer this week, you may not want to delay in clicking ‘buy now’ - because there’s a good chance they’ll sell out.
Video games, home appliances and fitness tech amongst the gifting categories with the biggest price drops, and research suggests that buying a PS5 game just two days before Christmas could result in a price decrease of 25 per cent.
That’s not to say there aren’t already some great deals out there. For example, Currys has the PlayStation 5 Marvel's Spider-Man game for £21.99 , down from £44.99.
Waiting until November 27 to pick up a new TV could save you up to £168.82, costing just £982 as opposed to buying in October where prices could reach over £1,150.
This week Sky launched their Black Friday deals early and has lowered the price of its popular Sky Glass streaming televisions to just £11. The 43-inch Glass TV is now at its lowest price ever of £11 . That's a monthly cost for the TV based on a contract taken out with Sky but the price has never been that low, the lowest monthly price since its launch has been £13 a month.
For those looking to fulfil a new year’s resolution to become fitter, trainers and smartwatches can be bought on November 27 for around £36.31 less than if purchased in October or December.
Further savings can be made on both men’s and women’s fragrances with price reductions of up to 21 per cent across brands such as Armani and Chanel if also bought in November, specifically around November 24.
As part of its biggest ever Black Friday sale, Boots has reduced YSL Black Opium from £68 to £34 - a huge saving. The offer is available online only until November 30 but given its popularity, the perfume is bound to sell out quickly.
Beauty Advent calendars are also cheaper to by this week, averaging at £32.14 instead of £36.21 in October, likely with December 1 creeping close. Beauty advent calendars from River Island, Revolution and Boots have all been reduced for Black Friday.
The River Island advent calendar, promises £290 worth of beauty goodies for the reduced price of £79 - but ahead of Black Friday, it’s been slashed to just £35. The Makeup Revolution You Are The Revolution 25 Day Advent Calendar 2022 is also down to £35 from £45, while Boots’ Macmillan charity calendar can save shoppers a further £50, down to £38 from £88.
Those gifting mobile phones this Christmas are likely to find the best deals on November 28, but one offer is practically unbeatable . Vodafone, Three and O2 all offer iPhone 14 contracts with upfront fees ranging from £30 to £70 for the latest iPhone but mobiles.co.uk has launched its Black Friday deals early and is selling the phone for free with a £47 a month contract.
The deal, for a Vodafone iPhone 14 comes with no upfront cost, which undercuts the prices available direct on the Vodafone website. The contract includes unlimited minutes and texts, as well as 250GB of data. You can get the deal here.
Our shopping expert Stacey Dutton said ‘buying a Nespresso Coffee Machine for Black Friday 2022 can save you hundreds of pounds'. Idealo say the best time to buy is December 12, but no matter the size of the saving on the initial purchase, it’s the money you’ll save in the long run that counts.
Stacey added: “I’ve used my Nespresso Vertuo Magimix every single day for over a year now and it’s the best purchase I’ve ever made. As someone who used to spend a fortune on takeaway coffees, I’d urge every coffee lover to look into buying one of Nespresso’s machines.”
Katy Phillips, senior brand and communications manager at idealo said: “It’s interesting to see that for many categories, the key to success when landing a bargain is holding out until November and December when buying gifts.
“Don’t forget that comparing prices across a range of products can truly help you find a better deal too. At a time where saving money is paramount for some, being able to check multiple retailer costs at once can prove a hugely helpful resource.”
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