Those who do their Christmas shopping at the last moment may not know it is the worst time!
For the crowd, but especially for the prices.
Certain products, in great demand, see their prices increase, sometimes significantly as December 24 approaches.
But don't panic: there is still time to anticipate, like 66% of parents who, according to a survey carried out by the label "Approved by families", will do their Christmas shopping from All Saints' Day.
Idealo, an online price comparison tool, observed the price movements of four major product categories (games and toys, lifestyle, tech and home) in 2019, during the twelve weeks leading up to Christmas.
As a result, the best time to buy most of these products is between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, two pre-holiday business transactions.
This year, Black Friday will be on November 27, and Cyber Monday on November 30.
Depending on the site, we can find promotions a few days before or now with flash sales organized by many brands (Fnac, CDiscount, Rue du commerce…).
"After these operations, it will be difficult to find more attractive prices," said a spokesperson for Idealo.
Generally speaking, the ideal time to make Christmas presents is “four to six weeks before the holidays”.
So the second half of November.
Big success for "do it yourself" products
But beware of generalities, especially since the particular context of the Covid can move the lines, warns Idealo: "If stores were to close or if people began to massively avoid in-store purchases, we could fear a disruption scenario. stock before the holidays.
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An even more likely scenario for certain products that have been particularly popular with the French since the confinement: homemade items have benefited from a renewed interest in "do it yourself", DIY, cooking ... With an impact, obviously, on the price.
Thus, the Brother FS45 sewing machine, usually sold for around 200 euros, could have been sold for 500 to 600 euros during confinement!
Games and toys remain the products whose price is most subject to variations.
Lego, Playmobil and interactive plush toys like the FurReal Friend are some of the Christmas favorites… and you can feel it as the holiday week approaches, when prices go up 12% on average, according to Idealo.
In 2019, the price of the average basket of games and toys was 66 euros twelve weeks before Christmas, against 61 euros at the time of Cyber Monday, and then back up to Christmas.
And the more time passes after Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the more likely we are to run out of supplies.
On the other hand, prices vary much less for “lifestyle” products, such as perfumes.
“These are products that are bought all year round and there is less concentration of demand on certain products in particular.
Prices even tend to drop a little after Black Friday, ”says the comparator.
Pay attention to delivery times
For tech products, overall, you have to do it in advance, and watch out for Black Friday offers where you will get the best deals, especially for smartphones and audio speakers.
Conversely, for game consoles, the closer we get to the holidays, the more the price increases, Black Friday or not.
For example, last year, the Nintendo Switch sold on average 265 euros before the commercial operation, and 290 euros during… Anticipation is the key word!
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“The same goes for household products, such as kitchen robots and wine cabinets: the best deals are made around seven weeks before Christmas and until Black Friday.
After this time, prices go up.
Thus, in 2019, the Moulinex I-Companion robot was selling on average 645 euros at the time of Black Friday, against 900 euros during Christmas week.
But, for some items, they drop again the week before Christmas.
“You have to be very careful with the delivery time for these products,” warns Idealo.
The online comparator fears an extension of delivery times this year, all categories combined, due to a probable postponement of purchases to the Internet due to the health crisis.
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