Black Friday vs. Seasonal Sales: When Do Tech Prices Truly Drop?

Many of us eagerly anticipate these sales all year, scouting for the best deals possible. Roughly every four to five months—specifically in January, July, and November—sales sweep through nearly all retail sectors, offering steep discounts on everything from fashion and beauty products to home decor, tech gadgets, and even groceries. This trend has become even more significant with recent inflation and decreasing purchasing power, prompting a large portion of consumers to wait for these periods to make their purchases. However, not all sales periods are equal when it comes to price reductions.

Contrary to popular belief, the discounts offered during summer sales, winter sales, and the Black Friday period are not the same. To identify the most advantageous time of year for shopping, the price comparison site Idealo France analyzed the price differences for various product categories across major sales events compared to the average prices throughout the year. According to data collected from 2023 to 2025, one period clearly stands out, particularly for high-tech items and fashion.

Over the past three years, winter sales have proven to be the prime time for catching the best deals, significantly outperforming summer sales and the Black Month (which encompasses all promotions around Black Friday, typically spread throughout November). This is especially noticeable with items like speakers, for example, which see an average price drop of 11% during this period, compared to just 1% during summer sales. During Black Friday, prices even tend to increase by 2%, despite the heavy discounts advertised by brands. This means that a speaker sold for 526 euros throughout the year would cost about 468 euros in January, 520 euros in July, and 536 euros in November.

Products like SSD drives, drones, televisions, laptops, hybrid cameras, and computer keyboards are all significantly cheaper during winter sales compared to other promotional periods. Almost all of these products experience price increases during Black Friday compared to the average yearly price. Drones exhibit the most dramatic price changes: they decrease by an average of 6% in winter, while their prices remain stable in summer (0%) and increase in November (+9%). For instance, a drone that averages 790 euros throughout the year maintains that price during summer sales, but costs even more during Black Friday at 860 euros, whereas it drops to just 742 euros during winter sales. Beyond tech, Idealo also notes that running shoes and sneakers, as well as stoves and fireplaces, see significant price drops during winter sales.

As you can see, for those looking to update their wardrobe or tech gadgets, winter sales, which this year run from January 7 to February 3, 2026, are the optimal time. However, even during this period, the actual discounts are often far from the -50% or -70% touted by retailers.