Yahoo Finance Black Friday: Best and worst places to buy tech and home appliances
For many shoppers, Black Friday kicks off the zenith of the festive shopping season. But knowing where to shop can get you better value for money.
Consumer group Which? conducted a survey to find out the best and worst places to shop for tech and home appliances on Black Friday, which falls on 24 November this year.
Best places to buy tech and home appliances
Richer Sounds has been named the best tech store according to a survey by consumer group Which?. The home entertainment retailer scored 95% overall, with customers praising the "quality products at keen prices”.
Apple (AAPL) came in as the second best place to buy your tech this Black Friday, with the tech company receiving a customer score of 87%. However it only achieved three stars when it came to value for money. One shopper summed it up, saying: “Expensive but quality”.
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When it comes to home appliances, Euronics led the ranking, with an 88% customer score. Earning five stars for customer service and product quality, shoppers also rated the store highly for range, after sales and value for money which all got four stars.
One shopper said: “Very helpful local retailer who can source a large range of products from Euronics at short notice. Very competitive prices. Great service.”
John Lewis came in third for both tech (86%) and home appliances (85%). Shoppers particularly liked the quality of the items it sells and its customer service.
Worst places to buy tech and home appliances
But what about the retailers that customers were far from impressed by?
B&M (BME.L) finished at the bottom of the table for home appliances, with Home Bargains just above it. B&M didn’t manage to get more than two stars in any category, according to Which?.
One unhappy B&M customer said: “Poorly designed appliance — no on/off switch; has to be plugged/unplugged”.
DIY giant B&Q (68%) was also towards the bottom of Which?’s ranking for home appliances, with Tesco (TSCO.L), Sainsbury’s (SBRY.L) and Asda (all 70%) not far behind.
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When it comes to tech, The Range (68% customer score) was at the bottom of the table alongside three supermarkets, Sainsbury’s (68% customer score), George at Asda and Tesco (both 69% customer score) not far behind. All four retailers performed poorly for customer service although all got three stars each when it came to value for money. All but Tesco scored poorly for product quality.
“With Black Friday and Christmas fast approaching, shoppers may be looking to get a speedy new laptop or shiny kitchen appliance — but we’ve found some retailers simply aren’t up to scratch when it comes to quality or customer service,” Ele Clark, Which? retail editor, said.
“Our research shows that shoppers wanting help with big purchases are best off sticking to specialist retailers, where customer care and technical expertise are a priority.”
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