In brief: Black Friday falls on 27 November this year, and many offers are already running throughout the preceding week. During these days, temptation is high, and much of what is bought at a discount soon ends up in a cupboard. If you use the week to buy things that last, you need a list and five questions beforehand. Here they are, along with a look at how to spot a genuine discount.
Beforehand: the list
The best protection against impulse purchases comes before the first advert appears. Go through your kitchen, living room and bedroom and write down what is missing or needs replacing: the blunt knife, the scratched frying pan, the lamp that never quite fitted. If it is not on the list, you do not need it this week.
Five questions to ask before every purchase
1. Would you buy it at full price?
A discount is not a reason to buy something, but at most a reason to buy it now. If the answer is no, the offer is not a bargain but an expense.
2. What is it made from?
Materials determine how long something lasts. An enamel pot has no coating that can wear away, because the glass layer fuses with the steel in the kiln. A forged knife from Solingen can be sharpened again and again over many years. With lamps, it is worth looking at the frame and shade: wood, bamboo and metal age differently from thin plastic.
3. Can it be maintained and repaired?
Ask about spare parts, guarantees and care instructions. Brabantia states that it offers guarantees of up to ten years and keeps spare parts available for twenty years, according to its own information. Lamps with a common fitting such as E27 can continue to be used with any compatible bulb. If the manufacturer provides this kind of information, it is a good sign.
4. Who made it?
A brand with a name, location and history stands behind its products. Güde has been forging in Solingen for more than a hundred years, Riess has been producing enamelware in Ybbsitz in Lower Austria for over a hundred years, and KoMo makes its appliances in a workshop in Tyrol. If you cannot find out who made a product, you also do not know who will help you if there is a problem.
5. Does it really fit?
Measure first: the width of the hob, the height beneath the wall cupboard, the space available for the rug. A product that has to be returned costs time and effort.
How to spot a genuine discount
Since the reform of Germany's Price Indication Ordinance, an advertised discount in Germany must be based on the lowest price the retailer charged during the 30 days before the promotion. This means that a crossed-out price artificially increased shortly beforehand is not permitted. So check what a percentage discount refers to, and compare the price of more expensive items with their price a few weeks earlier.
Our list for a week that lasts
- Kitchen: an everyday chef's knife from the chef's knives selection and an enamel pot from the cookware range.
- Living room: a lamp for the evening from the lamps by GOOD&MOJO and It's about RoMi.
- Bedroom: bedding you enjoy lying in from the bedding range.
At Taiga, Taiga Transparency on every product page shows which product details are supported by evidence.
Frequently asked questions
When is Black Friday?
On the Friday after Thanksgiving, which falls on 27 November this year. Many retailers start their promotions during the preceding week.
How can you spot a misleading discount?
A discount must be based on the lowest price of the previous 30 days. Comparing it with the price a few weeks earlier shows whether the offer is genuine.
What is really worth buying?
Things you need anyway and will use for many years: kitchen tools, good lamps and textiles you touch every day.
Start with the list. You will find the things on it in our Cooking and Sleeping and Living selections.
