Black Friday, a shopping tradition born in the US, has become a monumental retail event in the United Kingdom, particularly for high-ticket items like Televisions. While the core excitement remains the same—massive discounts on screens of all sizes—the way the deals are executed, the specific models available, and the key retailers involved can differ significantly from the US landscape.
For the savvy U.S. consumer or expat planning a purchase, understanding these UK trends for 2025 offers valuable insight into global pricing and potential opportunities, particularly regarding premium OLED and QLED technologies.
🔬 The Core Difference: Timing, Retailers, and Inventory
While both markets participate in the extended "Black November" shopping season, key structural differences affect the available TV deals.
1. The Retailer Landscape
The major TV deal competitors in the UK are distinct from the US, often leading to different price battles and model availability:
- Currys: This is the UK's equivalent of Best Buy, specializing in electronics and appliances. They are the primary destination for TV doorbusters and high-end OLED deals from brands like LG and Sony. Currys often employs a price guarantee, refunding the difference if a price drops further—a valuable reassurance for shoppers.
- John Lewis: Known for its customer service and exceptional warranties, John Lewis often matches competitor prices (like Currys) but adds a signature five-year guarantee at no extra cost, making it the preferred choice for long-term peace of mind on high-end purchases.
- Argos: A popular general merchandise retailer that sells a high volume of entry-to-mid-level TVs, often featuring aggressive discounts on brands like Hisense and TCL.
- Amazon UK: Like its US counterpart, Amazon UK runs rolling, aggressive "Lightning Deals" throughout the week, often heavily discounting its own Amazon Fire TV sets (Omni QLED, Fire TV Stick) and competing with deep price cuts on LG and Sony models.
2. Model Variants and Pricing
Manufacturers frequently release slightly different TV model numbers for the UK market compared to the US. While the core technology (OLED, QLED) is the same, subtle variations in port configuration, tuners (DVB-T2 for the UK vs. ATSC for the US), or processing features can create different pricing structures.
- UK Focus on Premium OLED: The UK market often sees highly aggressive pricing on mid-to-high-end OLEDs (like the LG C-series or Sony A80L) much earlier in the season due to intense competition between Currys and John Lewis, sometimes resulting in steeper percentage drops than seen initially in the US. For instance, the LG C5 55-inch OLED TV has been seen with significant pre-Black Friday discounts.
🌟 Top TV Categories and Predicted UK Savings
In 2025, the UK Black Friday market is focusing heavily on two main technologies: OLED and affordable Mini LED/QLED sets.
1. OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode)
OLED remains the gold standard for movie lovers and gamers due to its perfect blacks and infinite contrast.
- Key Brands: LG and Sony.
- Predicted Deals: Expect major price cuts on the LG C-series (C4 or C5 models), often dubbed "the best TV for most people." The focus will be on the 55-inch and 65-inch sizes, with savings frequently exceeding £500 to £800 off the initial retail price at premium retailers like Richer Sounds and John Lewis. This is often where the most significant savings are found.
2. Mini LED & QLED (Affordable High Brightness)
These technologies offer exceptional brightness and color volume, making them ideal for bright UK living rooms and offering superior value compared to high-end OLEDs.
- Key Brands: Samsung, Hisense, and TCL.
- Predicted Deals: Hisense (U8Q MiniLED) and TCL's QLED models are highly visible in UK sales, providing large screen sizes (65-inch and 75-inch) at aggressive price points (often dropping into the £800 to £1,500 range). Samsung's "The Frame" QLED TV, highly popular for its design, also sees consistent and deep price cuts during the Black Friday period.
3. Smart TV and Budget Buys
The competition for budget screens is fierce, primarily driven by Amazon and Argos.
- Key Products: Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED and various Roku TV models.
- Predicted Deals: Smaller screens (40-inch to 55-inch) often see the steepest percentage discounts, sometimes reaching 50% off, making them perfect for bedrooms or secondary rooms.
🛒 Navigating the UK Sales: Tips for the US Buyer
While you cannot simply ship a deeply discounted UK TV to the US (due to different power supplies, tuners, and shipping costs), monitoring these sales offers two major advantages:
- Price Benchmarking: The prices achieved by UK retailers on specific models (e.g., the Sony A80L) often set a global precedent. If a TV drops by 45% in the UK, expect US retailers to eventually match or approach that percentage discount, providing a valuable negotiating tool or a clear sign of a future sale.
- Product Insight: UK tech publications like What Hi-Fi? and T3 offer hyper-specific reviews on the exact models being heavily discounted. Following their advice ensures you buy a Which?-tested and expert-approved product, not just a model manufactured cheaply for the Black Friday event.
🔗 Suggestion for UK Deal Tracking
Use these resources to track the best UK TV deals and compare them against US pricing.
Primary UK TV Retailers
- Currys Black Friday Hub: The main site for doorbuster electronics deals and price guarantees.
- [Search for: Currys UK Black Friday TV deals]
- John Lewis & Partners: Check here for premium TVs with an excellent 5-year guarantee included.
- [Search for: John Lewis Black Friday TV offers]
- Amazon UK Deals Page: Best for dynamic, rapidly changing deals on all TV brands and Amazon devices.
- [Search for: Amazon UK Black Friday TV]
Trusted UK Tech Review Sites
- What Hi-Fi? Black Friday Coverage: Provides verified, expert-recommended deals on TVs and audio equipment, ensuring quality.
- [Search for: What Hi-Fi? Best Black Friday TV Deals]
- Which? Black Friday Buys: The UK's consumer association offering reviews and ensuring a discounted product is genuinely worth buying.
- [Search for: Which? Best TV Deals Black Friday UK]
