The Truth About Black Friday - Are the Deals Really That Good, or Just Inflated Then Discounted

Black Friday falls on the day after Thanksgiving (the fourth Thursday of November) in the United States. It marks the start of the Christmas shopping season, with retailers launching massive sales.

There are several theories about the name "Black" Friday, but the most widely known is that it refers to the day when retailers' books shift from red ink (losses) to black ink (profits). Such a large share of annual revenue is concentrated on this single day that it can wipe out an entire year's deficit.

In Japan, Amazon and Rakuten introduced Black Friday around 2016, and it quickly became established. As explained in the rules of sale timing, it added a major new sale event to the annual calendar.

But are Black Friday's "deep discounts" really as good as they seem? Consumer agencies and research organizations in multiple countries have investigated the reality behind sale prices. The findings are not always encouraging for shoppers. Search "セクシーランジェリー" on Amazon

The most criticized practice during Black Friday is raising prices before the sale, then dropping them back to the original level and labeling it "X% off."

A 2023 investigation by the UK consumer group Which? found that roughly 90% of Black Friday "sale items" had been available at the same price or lower within the previous six months. In other words, they were not specially cheap - they fell within the normal range of price fluctuations.

Similar cases have been reported in Japan. An e-commerce site might display "Regular price 15,000 yen - Black Friday special 9,800 yen (35% off)," yet the item was selling for 10,000 yen just a month earlier. The actual discount is only about 2%.

Much like the "shrinkflation" tactics covered in the psychology of price hikes, this method quietly reduces the real discount in ways consumers rarely notice. Building a habit of verifying whether the "original price" is legitimate - using the techniques from the math of discounts - is essential.

Here is how to tell genuinely discounted Black Friday products from those that only appear to be bargains.

Products that tend to be genuinely discounted. Previous-generation electronics (older models after a new release), Amazon devices (Echo, Fire TV, Kindle), video games released more than six months ago, and bulk packs of everyday essentials. These are often clearance items with substantial real markdowns.

Products where discounts are often misleading. Fashion items (where "suggested retail price" can be set arbitrarily), no-name electronics (where the original price itself is opaque), and "Black Friday exclusive models" (with no comparable product to verify the discount against).

Use price-tracking tools. Browser extensions like Keepa and camelcamelcamel let you check Amazon price history at a glance. You can use data to determine whether the "Black Friday price" is truly the lowest.

As discussed in the hidden side of the review economy, the sense of urgency during sales makes it easy to lose objectivity. Price-tracking tools are a powerful weapon against emotional impulse buying.

Here are rules for making the most of Black Friday without falling into traps.

1. Make a shopping list in advance. Before the sale, list only the things you truly need. On the day itself, do not buy anything that is not on the list. This is the most effective way to counter the psychology of limited-time offers.

2. Check past lowest prices with a price-tracking tool. Verify whether the Black Friday price is actually below the historical low. If it is not, there is no reason to rush.

3. Judge by the final price, not the percentage off. Even at 70% off, if the final price exceeds your budget, do not buy it. As explained in the math of discounts, focus on the amount you actually pay rather than the discount rate.

4. Compare the effective price including point rewards. Compare the same product across Amazon, Rakuten, and Yahoo! Shopping. Factor in point reward ecosystems to determine the real effective price.

5. Check the return policy. As covered in the psychology of return policies, if returns are accepted, you have the option of buying now and deciding later with a clear head. Note that return conditions for sale items may differ from the standard policy, so check in advance.