Black Friday has grown from a single day into weeks of promotions, which makes it easy to feel like you have to buy something the moment you see a discount. A little planning ahead of time helps you focus on the deals that are genuinely worth having, rather than reacting to every offer that appears.

Make a list before the sales start

Deciding in advance what you actually want to buy, and roughly what a fair price looks like, makes it much easier to spot a genuine deal once the sales begin. It also helps you avoid impulse purchases driven by a big discount percentage on something you were not planning to buy.

Watch prices in the run-up

Some retailers raise prices shortly before a sale so the eventual discount looks larger. Where possible, keep an eye on the price of items on your list in the weeks beforehand, so you can judge whether a Black Friday price is a genuine reduction or simply a return to the normal price.

Expect early access and staggered offers

Many retailers now spread their best offers across several weeks rather than a single day, with some deals appearing early and others held back for the final days. It is worth checking back regularly in the run-up to Black Friday rather than assuming every deal will appear on the day itself.

Combine deals with discount codes carefully

During major sales periods, retailers sometimes restrict which codes can be combined with an existing discount. Check the terms of any additional code before checkout, and compare the final price with delivery included, rather than judging an offer by the headline percentage alone.

CheckoutDeals brings together deals and discount codes from a wide range of UK retailers, making it easier to compare offers throughout the Black Friday period rather than checking each store individually.