Buying a barbecue in the summer may defy logic in terms of supply and demand, but July has been labelled the cheapest month to buy the outdoor cooking kit.
Out of 39 household items analysed by price comparison website Idealo, barbecues have the biggest price discrepancy throughout the year.
Shoppers can save up to 62 per cent by snapping up one in July compared to October, it claims – typically, they cost £549 in October compared to £339 in July.
The research also found that other items traditionally used in the summertime were cheaper in the warmer months as opposed to in autumn.
Items traditionally used in warmer months are cheaper in summer as opposed to in autumn
For example, lawnmowers were found to be most expensive in February with an average cost of £662 while they were £396 in August – a difference of £266 – equivalent to 40 per cent.
Idealo took the average price listings from a variety of retailers and measured consumer demand of 39 popular products on its site over the last 12 months from 1 July 2020 to 1 July 2021.
This ranged from fridges and ovens to kitchen taps and smoke alarms.
The data is based on UK online retail prices only but is inclusive of thousands of products.
Aside from barbecues and lawnmowers, garden furniture was also found to have a large price gap between months – if you could get your hands on it this year.
The lowest monthly average was £175 in July while the highest price was £345 with consumers paying the most in April.
Similarly, electric heaters and glassware had large price discrepancies depending on month, with changes reaching 47 and 46 per cent, respectively.
Electric heaters were found to be at their highest price in July and at their lowest in February – again, unusual results considering most consumers would thought to be purchasing in the winter months.
Cleaning products also had one of the highest cost differences at 38 per cent.
Customers buying in November would be paying the most at £24 whilst those in June would only be shelling out £9 on average.
Meanwhile, glassware was found to be the most expensive in November with the highest average price at £28 and cheapest in September with the lowest average price at £15.
On the other end of the scale, the item with the lowest difference in price throughout the year was freezers.
Glassware was found to be most expensive in November with the highest average price at £2
They were found to be cheapest in May with a lowest average price of £296 whilst they were most expensive in October with a highest price of £313 – a difference of just five per cent.
Dishwashers, kettles and washing machines also saw minimal difference between costs at just six per cent between the most expensive and lowest average prices.
Microwaves and irons came just behind with a monthly price discrepancy of 9 per cent each.
One reason that customers may find items cheaper in the summer months is due to shops holding a flash sale event, Idealo said.
Alternatively, in August, many shops look to get rid of their remaining stock so they can switch things up for winter products.
Katy Phillips of Idealo said: ‘Our findings are great news if you’re kitting out your pad this month, however it was really interesting to see that October is the most expensive month as it has the highest online retail price discrepancy across the 39 goods we studied.
‘The cynic in me can’t help but think that prices get hiked by retailers a month before Black Friday to make the savings in November seem even bigger.
‘Whether it’s solicitor or builder delays, unfortunately, few home buyers have the luxury to pick and choose when they move in.
‘That is why we hope our research provides help to those who are able to postpone their purchases to a cheaper month and not pay through the nose.’
The highest average price for barbecues was £549 compared to lowest average cost of £210
Tips to save money
1. Keep an eye out for shopping events such as Black Friday or Amazon Prime Day as you may find some special one-off deals on certain items.
2. If you’re unsure about the price of a certain product and feel that it is too expensive, waiting until the next month could be pivotal in a new sale, offer clearance or website deal. It’s always worth biding time if you’re under financial strain.
3. Get into the habit of price comparing on every purchase, just by selecting a different website or store, you could save a lot of money.
4. Use a price history tool to check how much prices have changed on certain products around the year. This will give shoppers a good indication of when it will be cheapest.