In recent years the concept of Black Friday has spread beyond the US thanks to the web, such that millions around the world now go online at this time of year in search of bargains. But are the deals on offer really all they seem?
A new report from Smartproxy suggests that they might not be. It highlights the tactics some sites use to create the illusion of savings. Many increase the baseline prices of products in the weeks before Black Friday. So by the time the ‘discounts’ hit, they’re often just bringing prices back to normal.
Data analytics tools and web scraping play a massive role in this process. Retailers use them to monitor competitor pricing and adjust their own offers instantly. In 2023, Smartproxy recorded a surge in web scraping requests leading up to Black Friday with November 19 seeing 4.1B requests, peaking on November 23 (Black Friday) with 7.1B requests.
“Our scraping solutions data reveals just how competitive Black Friday has become, with pricing dynamically adjusting in real time. Dynamic pricing turns pricing into a flexible tool, letting eCommerce platforms quickly respond to demand, inventory, and customer behavior, especially during events like Black Friday. While it boosts profits and competitiveness, it also requires brands to build transparency and trust, helping customers feel informed rather than manipulated by price shifts,” says Gabriele Verbickaite, product marketing manager at Smartproxy.
The report does, however, suggest that shoppers are getting wise to these tactics. Many now rely on price comparison tools and web scraping solutions themselves to cut through the noise and find genuine deals while shopping during the off-season.
“While data aggregation is used by businesses to stay competitive during the Black Friday race-to-the-bottom, web scraping is no longer a tool used exclusively by eCommerce platforms,” adds Vytautas Savickas, CEO at Smartproxy. “It has become a powerful solution for shoppers aiming to maximize peak shopping festival savings. And it’s not just about finding the best deal; it’s also about saving precious time.”
You can read more, including tips on when to get the best deals, on the Smartproxy blog.
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