Best, Worst Black Friday Deals: What Things Actually Cost More

CALIFORNIA — The busy holiday shopping season kicks off this week, and some California retailers have already started rolling out Black Friday deals.

But are shoppers really getting good deals? Not always, according to a new study by WalletHub.

In fact, 17.5 percent of items at major retailers will be more expensive on Black Friday than their current Amazon.com prices, while 23 percent of items will have Black Friday prices similar to their current prices, according to researchers at the personal finance website.

"WalletHub found that around 41 percent of Black Friday items offer no real savings for consumers compared to their usual prices.

Shoppers should know when to walk away, the experts advise.

“Sometimes an item is a loss-leader where the retailer is listing the item at a steep discount to get attention, but then will try to trap you with big fees on shipping that you won't see until you're at the final checkout. Remind yourself it's okay to abandon things at the online checkout if the fee feels too steep," advised Northeastern University marketing professor Chad O'Connor. "Similarly, watch out for overpriced accessories related to the main product you are buying. For instance, you'll be giddy if you're saving hundreds on a TV, but then will be paying too much when you decide to add on a soundbar.”

However, the items that are genuinely discounted are an average of 24 percent off, with the highest markdown at 89 percent," WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said.

To discover the real deals, WalletHub analysts compared pre-Black Friday prices to actual Black Friday sale prices for a variety of items.

Jewelry will offer the most value on Black Friday relative to current prices, while computers and phones are expected to have the least rewarding deals, according to the report.

As for the stores with the best deals? JCPenney, Belk and Macy's are among the Best Places to Shop on Black Friday, offering an average discount of at least 57 percent, according to WalletHub.

JCPenney is the best place to shop on Black Friday because it offers an average discount of 76.2 percent, WalletHub found. This is the sixth time the department store chain has earned the top spot in WalletHub's Best Places to Shop on Black Friday report since 2014. The chain offers the best Black Friday discounts on apparel and accessories, appliances, consumer electronics and toys.

These are some of the best Black Friday deals, according to WalletHub:

• Best Apparel and Accessories Deal: Michael Kors medium duffel satchel at Belk
  • The bag was $298 and is going for $149, for a a savings of $149 or 50 percent off.
• Best Appliance Deal: Roborock QX Revo vacuum and mop robot with multifunctional dock at Costco
  • The vacuum and mop robot was $1,019.99 and is going for $599.99, for a savings of $420 or 41.2 percent off.
• Best Consumer Electronics Deal: Sony 75-inch Class BRAVIA 3 LED 4K UHD Smart Google TV at Best Buy
  • The television was $1,078 and is going for $849.99, for a savings of $228 or 21.2 percent off.
• Best Computer or Phone Deal: Alienware 16-inch display, m16 R2 gaming laptop, Intel Core Ultra 9 185H from Dell
  • The laptop was $2,129.99 and is going for $1,799.99, for a savings of $330 or 15.5 percent off.
• Best Furniture Deal: NewAge Products-Bold Series 10-piece cabinet set from BJ's
  • The garage cabinet set was $2,399.99 and is going for $1,799.99, for a savings of $600 or 25 percent.

View the full report on WalletHub.

Patch staffer Michael Wittner contribuuted to this report.