It’s that time of year again and online retailers are preparing for a bumper Black Friday weekend as consumers look for the best discounts ahead of Christmas.  

Lucky for us, money saving expert Martin Lewis was on hand to offer his advice as consumers hunt for the best deals and predicted a Black Friday weekend like no other amid the ongoing lockdown restrictions.  

In the latest addition of his newsletter, the MoneySavingExpert.com founder wrote: “Sadly, this Black Friday the huge majority of UK stores will be shut, so for most it'll be an online fest. And while it can be marketing hype, strong discounts are likely as stores desperately need to shift unsold stock. 

"So if you've planned purchases, this can be the cheapest time before Christmas to buy. Yet while a £50 video game reduced to £25 is a saving if you'd have bought it anyway, it's an extra cost if it was the discount that triggered the desire.” 

The cash-saving guru has put together a handy list of the best deals you can find this Black Friday with many deals already live!

Here are a few of his best finds:

Salisbury Journal: Amazon logo

Amazon

Online retail giant Amazon has launched it's "Black Friday Week" promotion running for 10 days from November 20 and deals will all end on "Cyber Monday" on November 30.

The best deals so far are listed on the MoneySavingExpert website.

  • Amazon Echo Dot (3rd gen)* - £18.99 (was £39.99). Same price at Argos, Currys*. Same price on Prime Day 2020.
  • Babyliss 2398BU Pro Smooth Straightener* - £25.99 (was £65). Next cheapest, £29.99 at Studio.
  • Amazon Echo Dot (4th gen)* - £28.99 (was £49.99). Same price at Argos and Currys*. Cheapest ever price at Amazon.
  • Fire TV stick 4K* - £29.99 (was £49.99). Same price at Argos and Currys*. Same price on Prime Day 2020.
  • GHD Original style professional ceramic hair straighteners* - £80.99 (was £109). Cheaper for £79.99 at Just My Look. The cheapest since Fri Nov 30 2018 when it was £73.99.
  • Ring video doorbell pro* - £149 (RRP £229). Same price at Currys* and Argos. The cheapest since Mon 19 Nov 2018 when it was £139.

Salisbury Journal: Argos

Argos

Argos are offering up to 50% off on a range of goods across tech, household appliances and beauty. 

Retailers like Amazon and Curry's are price matching many of its deals but there are still deals to be found. 

Click and collect is free however it's worth noting standard delivery starts at £3.95 for small items and £6.95 for larger items. 

The best deals so far are listed on the MoneySavingExpert website.

  • Nivea ski lodge Advent calendar* – £19.99 (was £39.99). Next cheapest, £49.95 from Amazon third party sellers.
  • Amazon Echo Dot 4th gen smart speaker* – £28.99 (was £49.99). Same price at Amazon*.
  • Tower T17023 compact air fryer* – £28.99 (no 'was' price shown). Same price at Amazon* but out of stock at time of searching.
  • Samsung Galaxy 42mm smart watch* – £159 (was £259). Same price at Currys* and John Lewis.

Salisbury Journal: Picture: CurrysPicture: Currys

Currys

Currys is offering Black Friday discounts on over a thousand elctrical items from TV to audio and even games consoles. 

The best deals listed on his website so far include:

  • Google Nest Mini (2nd Gen)* – £19 (was £49). Same price at John Lewis and AO*.
  • Sony WF-XB700 wireless bluetooth earbuds* – £59 (was £129). Same price at Amazon* and John Lewis.
  • Nespresso Next coffee machine by Magimix Vertuo* – £74 (was £149). Same price at Amazon*, AO* and John Lewis.
  • Kenwood Kmix KMX760 stand mixer* – £249 (was £549). Next cheapest, £274.99 at Kenwood.
  • Dyson V8 Absolute Extra cordless vacuum* – £299 (was £399). Next cheapest, £299.99 at Very.

Salisbury Journal: Picture: HalfordsPicture: Halfords

Halfords

Halfords are offering up to 44% off selected items until Monday November 30 as part of its Black Friday promotion. 

Some of the best deals are listed on the MoneySavingExpert website.

  • Mobil Sup3000 engine oil, 5L* – £30.80 (was £44). Next cheapest, £38.94 at OnBuy.
  • Halfords advanced 175-piece socket & spanner set* – £150 (was £250). Not available elsewhere.
  • Sony XAV-AX3005DB DAB car stereo* – £279 (was £399). Next cheapest, £370 at OnBuy.

Salisbury Journal: John Lewis staff get 15% bonus after profits boost

John Lewis

High street retailer John Lewis is also getting in on the action, offering discounts on hundreds of products.

The MoneySavingExpert website also explains how John Lewis often includes an extended warranty in the price.

A list of the best deals available at John Lewis includes: 

  • Amazon Echo Dot 3rd generation* - £18.95 (was £39.95) in store – £22.45 delivered if buying online. Next cheapest we found £18.99 at Currys* including free delivery.
  • Bosch TDI9020GB iron*  - £64.99 (was 129.99) in store, free delivery if buying online. Next cheapest we found £65 at AO.com*.
  • Nespresso Vertuo coffee maker* - £74 (was £149) in store, free delivery if buying online. Same price at AO.com*.
  • Le Creuset cast iron casserole soup pot (22cm)* - £102 (was £142.80) in store, free delivery if buying online. 
  • Samsung Galaxy S5e 10.5" tablet 64GB*  - £319 with two-year warranty included (was £429). Same price at Currys* and AO.com*.

Martin Lewis' top tips for extra savings

  • Abandon your basket: Sign in online, add the items to your basket and then walk away. Many retailers will get back in touch to entice you back - often with a discount, voucher code or free delivery.
  • Shop department stores: If you want a discount on a branded item but can't find any codes online, check out department stores. For example, La Redoute is currently offering 40% off online on a number of brands. Martin found a Levis's t-shirt - which is currently £25 on the Levis website - down to £17.50 via La Redoute.
  • Use cashback credit cards: American Express is currently offering 5% cashback up to £125 for the first three months - and you can use it on all your Christmas shopping. But remember to pay it off in full.
  • Don't pay for delivery: Find out what the minimum spend is and if you're a couple of pounds away from it, add something cheap to round it up i.e. wrapping paper. Amazon's SuperSaverDelivery tool actually gives you options on what to buy to round up your spend.