Are Black Friday Deals Really Cheaper? How to Check for Price Inflation

When it comes to Black Friday, price inflation happens when a retailer raises prices before the event and drops them on the day to make the “discounted” prices seem better. But don’t worry—there are ways to spot price inflation

Does Black Friday Really Have Cheaper Deals?

Many of us think that the deals we see on Black Friday are the pinnacle of discounts compared to others throughout the year. However, a study by KnownHost, a web hosting provider that looked at 65 products, found that 29% of products saw an increase in price in the days leading up to Black Friday. The average price hike was $51 before the prices were slashed and offered as a “discount.”

While these findings by KnownHost are concerning, the same study also highlighted that 42% of Black Friday deals were genuine. That means Black Friday does have some cheaper deals. You only need to do a little research to avoid products with inflated prices.

How to Check for Price Inflation

Let’s look at some effective strategies to get ahead of inflated pricing on Black Friday.

Track Historical Pricing

If the price of a product was hiked right before Black Friday, price trackers are the best way to find out. These tools monitor the price of a product over time and provide you with a chart that shows pricing trends. Not only can this highlight suspicious increases, but it can also tell you whether the discount you’re looking at is real.

There are many price-checking websites and extensions you can use. The most popular ones are CamelCamelCamel, Keepa, Honey, and Slick Deals.

Compare Discounts Across Retailers

You shouldn’t rely on a single store to get the best Black Friday deals. You can search for the product across multiple websites to see how it is priced elsewhere. This way, you can understand its true market value and if it was inflated right before Black Friday.

You can also use a shopping search engine like Google Shopping to compare prices across various websites with a single search.

Check the Product’s MSRP

Another way to check for price inflation is to visit the manufacturer’s website and look at the MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price). Is the price of the Black Friday deal higher than the MSRP? If so, that is an indication of price inflation.

Review the Bundles Carefully

Bundled products are also part of Black Friday deals. It’s hard to use historical pricing and site comparison websites to check for price inflation on bundles since they’re a unique combination of items. In this case, you can manually review the bundled items and see if there is price inflation due to unnecessary items.

For instance, a TV bundle might include a $1,000 TV with “free” HDMI cables and a wall mount for $1,200. However, when checking individually, the TV costs $900. So if all you need is the TV, you’re better off buying it by itself.

Read Forums and Review Sites

I’ve frequently seen discussions on Reddit where users share product reviews and ask where items were purchased. Often, the original poster shares an Amazon link, only to have another user point out that the same or similar product is available for less elsewhere for less.

This highlights the value of third-party forums and review sites—they provide additional insights into a product’s price, which can help you identify price inflation. However, be cautious with Amazon and eBay reviews, particularly during Black Friday, as these platforms can be flooded with fake user reviews.

Price inflation shouldn’t be your only concern on Black Friday. Cybercriminals often use this shopping event to steal personal information and scam people. You can protect yourself by learning some essential Black Friday safety tips.