Money
Is time up for the self-employed adviser?
If your business relies heavily on self-employed advisers, now might be a good time to start looking at alternative business models
The recent news of ex-rugby player Stuart Barnes, who lost an IR35 battle against HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), leaving him with a £700,000 tax bill, made me think about the use of self-employed contracts in the adviser sector.
In response to the story, former financial planner Dave Robinson wrote on LinkedIn:
“Very interesting. I wonder how many self-employed financial adviser contracts would pass the test on this latest interpretation? And how many self-employed advisers are there? Surely, given the state of the public purse, it can’t be long before HMRC starts having a closer look.”
Self-employed advisers have an uphill struggle from the outset
As an employment lawyer working within financial services, the prevalence of self-employed advisers has always made me feel slightly uncomfortable.
It’s a model that is frequently used. Indeed, we regularly draft self-employed adviser agreements, advising on the employment status risks for employment and tax purposes, including IR35.
When looking at the test of employment status, self-employed advisers have an uphill struggle from the outset. There is normally a consultancy agreement in place which requires the adviser to provide services personally to a firm in return for remuneration.
In an industry built on relationships, it’s unlikely a client would accept any old person turning up to give them advice. It’s unlikely a firm would be happy with this arrangement either.
Control is also a problem. In a regulated industry where a firm’s own compliance with its regulatory obligations depends on its workforce complying with the Financial Conduct Authority’s requirements and its own polices and procedures, the “”what, when, where and how” boxes must be ticked.
As an employment lawyer working within financial services, the prevalence of self-employed advisers has always made me feel slightly uncomfortable
So, with mutuality of obligation, personal service and substitution and control out of the window – what next?
Well, it’s not all bad news. The self-employed adviser can normally carry out the work when they like and, because most are pay-away arrangements, there is no set amount of work required or fixed remuneration – you only get paid for work you do.
But despite these factors, it still feels like there could be a bit of a hill to climb.
There remains a question that could push the adviser over the self-employed line – is the self-employed adviser in business on their account?
In many situations, this is the case. Self-employed advisers who have their own book of business bring it to the firm with them and can take it when they leave.
Ownership of clients and a degree of financial risk taken by the self-employed adviser certainly helps with the employment status analysis.
It feels like only a matter of time until HMRC decides to shift its focus away from the world of sport and media to the financial services sector
However, matters aren’t always this straightforward and the firm may need to have some level of client ownership and protection to sufficiently protect its business.
With this in mind, a firm will need to carefully consider and balance the employment status risk against the risk to its business if it doesn’t have post-termination protections in place, such as restrictive covenants, which would protect its confidential information and client relationships if the self-employed adviser were to leave.
All that said, being “in business on your account” didn’t end up helping Barnes, with the Upper Tribunal drilling into other factors such as the right to provide a substitute, exclusivity and lack of financial risk.
It feels like only a matter of time until HMRC decides to shift its focus away from the world of sport and media to the financial services sector. If your business relies heavily on self-employed advisers, now might be a good time to start looking at alternative business models.
Claire Holland is a partner at Foot Anstey
Money
Major city brewery set to close after 150 years in ‘devastating’ blow
A HISTORIC city brewery with a legacy spanning 150 years is set to close, putting 97 jobs at risk.
The Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) has confirmed plans to close Wolverhampton’s Banks’s Brewery.
The historic Chapel Ash site – which opened in 1875 – could shut for the final time in the autumn of next year.
CMBC blames a decline in cask ale volumes and Mahou San Miguel’s decision not to renew its licence partnership from 2025.
The site’s planned closure doesn’t automatically mean the end of Bank’s branded beer.
For now, customers can still enjoy the tipple as usual.
However, it remains unclear if production will continue at another facility after the Bank’s brewery shuts down.
CMBC did retain the Hobgoblin brand by moving production to a new facility following the closure of its Wychwood Brewery last November.
Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) has demanded that Banks’s beer must continue to be brewed at the Marston’s Brewery site in Burton.
In its statement, CMBC said it was supporting colleagues across its wider network impacted by the proposals, including the 97 employees at its Wolverhampton brewery.
Paul Davies, chief executive of CMBC, said: “This has been an extremely difficult decision, however it has been necessary to restructure our business to maintain our competitiveness in a challenging UK beer market.
“The team at Banks’s has been unwavering in its dedication and commitment to the brewery. We will ensure that we support all our people closely throughout this extremely challenging period.”
As part of the network restructuring, CMBC will increase investment in its breweries in Northampton and Burton, with the long-term aim of establishing Marston’s Brewery in Burton as a “national centre for craft beer and traditional ale brewing in the UK”.
CMBC will invest more than £6 million in significant new projects at its brewery in Burton, including the refurbishment of its cask ale line, and invest in a new logistics depot in the Black Country region.
Mr Corbett-Collins, the national chairman of the Camra has described the planned closure as “devastating but predictable” news for British brewing.
In July, Carlsberg announced plans to buy out UK pub-group Marston’s from their CMBC venture in a deal worth £206million.
CMBC proposed Bank’s brewery closure isn’t the first in recent years.
Last year, it closed the world-renowned Wychwood Brewery – famed for Hobgoblin Ale.
The factory in Witney, Oxfordshire, shut in November 2023.
Its six staff – who had a combined 100 years of brewing experience.
Hobgoblin ales, as well as Wychwood brands Firecatcher and Dry Neck beers, are now brewed at CMBC’s other sites.
The drinks giant also closed Ringwood Brewery and shop at the start of the year, saying there was “no viable path forward”.
The Temperance Street Brewery in Manchester shut up shop last year after more than a decade of trading.
The tap room, located on the outskirts of the city centre, closed less than a year after it was taken over by new owners.
It was put up for sale after the firm said its location in a residential area made expansion a challenge, but no buyer was found.
UK BREWERY NUMBERS
THE SIBA UK Brewery Tracker shows there are 1,748 breweries across the country
It covers the period from April 1 to June 30 this year and the net change compared to March 31, 2023.
- Scotland 133 (-3)
- Northern Ireland 29 (-)
- East 187 (-4)
- North East 248 (-3)
- North West 189 (-1)
- Wales 96 (-)
- South West 203 (-4)
- South East 331 (-3)
- Midlands 334 (-11)
- UK: 1,748 (-29)
COST OF LIVING PRESSURES
The number of craft breweries in the UK fell from 1,828 at the start of 2023 to 1,815 at the start of the year.
That now stands at 1,748 according to the latest figures up to June from the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA).
The SIBA UK Brewery Tracker takes into account all brewery openings and closures to give an accurate picture of the number of active brewing businesses.
Craft breweries have been hit hard by the cost of living crisis and the pandemic.
While many producers pivoted to home deliveries during covid lockdowns, they were then hit by rising costs combined with people reigning ion their spending.
The prices of energy, rents and ingredients have all shot up. They have also faced higher interest rates when borrowing money to grow the business.
SIBA chief executive Andy Slee said when the latest figures on closures were published in July: “Independent brewers are reporting good sales growth and strong consumer demand, yet breweries continue to close.
“For most breweries the challenge is financial pressures from rising costs and market access, as well as lingering Covid debt – something SIBA has strongly lobbied Government for help on.”
The Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) warned about the pressures on the drinks business this week as it published its Good Beer Guide 2025.
It said that many of the breweries that featured in last years guide have now closed and cited a “perfect storm” ofthe tax burden, few viable routes to market and stubbornly high energy bills among the factors.
CAMRA Chairman Ash Corbett-Collins said: “This year’s edition of the Good Beer Guide shows a brewing trade that continues to face huge challenges, but one that beer and pub lovers across the UK are still rallying behind.
“CAMRA will be lobbying this new Government to show their support for independent breweries, to try and ensure that the Good Beer Guide 2026 is brimming with new establishments.”
As well as CMBC’s closure of Wychwood and Ringwood, it said the loss of Elland Brewery just months after its 1872 porter was crowned CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Britain 2023 and the award-winning Nottingham-base Navigation Brewery was “tragic” and a blow for the local community.
Last week, The Fourpure brewing company was placed into administration to “protect itself from market pressures”.
Administration is when all control of a company is passed to an appointed licensed insolvency practitioner.
It doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the business.
Instead, administrators will try to help a company find ways to repay debts or solve its cashflow problems.
Its beers, such as Pomegranate IPA and Juiced Mango and Raspberry, are stocked in major supermarkets like Tesco, Asda, Waitrose and Ocado.
However, it’s not all bad news, an iconic 90s beer will return to UK pubs after 30 years.
Announcing the come back on Instagram, Allsopp’s Beer revealed Double Diamond is set to make a return.
Money
Punters call me ‘UK’s strictest landlord’ because I charge THEM for leftovers – I don’t have time for idiots
BRITAIN’S “strictest landlord” has defended his decision to charge customers extra for not finishing their meals.
Mark Graham, 62, has owned and run The Star Inn pub in the tiny hamlet of Vogue, Cornwall, for the last 27 years.
He hit back at a customer who tried to shame him online after they were charged an extra £2.40 because they piled their plates high at the £12 all-you-can-eat carvery – but ate barely any.
Verity Farmer, who shared her experience on Facebook, said: “Just been for a Sunday carvery at The Star Inn, Vogue, St Day.
“We paid for our meal at £12 each, and when we got our bill it had got an extra £4.80 added.
“When questioned about it they said it was a charge for not eating all our meal. I’ve never heard anything like that before.”
Her post prompted nearly 400 comments in less than 24 hours, with The Star Inn’s social media page among those replying.
It said: “We just try and make sure there is enough food for everyone.
“I’m sure if you were a customer later on in the day and I had to tell you I had no food left for your booking because it had all been wasted and gone in the bin you would not be very happy and would have made another social media post too.”
Now Mark – a former tin miner who also served in the Royal Navy – has defended the policy, which is outlined in notices inside the eatery.
He says it is the first time in 20 years he has enforced the rule – and only did so after the two diners told him they had enjoyed the meal.
Mark shared a photo of the leftover food on social media and insisted the nominal charge would only cover the raw ingredients they left but not the equipment, staff or energy.
He said: “I’m not strict but I’m a straight talking Cornish landlord. Ask anybody who comes in for a meal, I’m an easy-going Cornish boy. I tell people ‘fill your boots, have as much as you like, as long as you eat it’.
“When young children come in with their parents we say don’t buy them a meal, we give them an empty plate and say share some of yours and come up if you want more, as long as you eat it.
“We keep it at £12 for a large or £8 for a small because we are a local village pub trying to help the community, we use a local butcher and greengrocer.
“We do as much as we can to keep our prices down but if everybody behaved like these ladies I’d have to put the prices up.
“I think the ladies wanted to shame me because they have been charged, to be honest I think they are just entitled people who believed they would get all the support.
“They tried to say they had only left a few potatoes so they weren’t completely truthful.
“People on Facebook were saying why not just put the prices up and let people leave what they want, well I keep the price down low for everybody and I’m not going to change that for a few idiots.”
Mark said the pub has deep ties with the local area, hosting the community library, installing floodlights in his field so the village football team can train for free, and hosting 20 different groups from a knitting circle to a motorcycle club.
He said: “We’re a little family run village pub and we want to keep everybody happy, the pub is the hub of this community.
“It’s hugely frustrating because it’s all you can eat, with a normal meal we’ll give you boxes and doggy bags because it’s your food, you’ve paid for it and you can take it away.
What charges can pubs impose on customers?
Pubs can charge customers for a number of things, including:
Prices for food and drink
These must include VAT if the pub is VAT registered, and any compulsory service charge.
Service charge
These are optional and can be left to the customer’s discretion, or added automatically to the bill.
If a service charge is added in this way, the venue must clearly display this on the price list or menu.
Cover charge
A flat charge per person or table is often called a “cover charge”.
If applicable, this cost should be displayed as prominently as other prices on the menu or price list.
Minimum charges
Pubs can also impose a minimum charge per customer.
“With all you can eat the margins are very fine, if everybody piled two meals on a plate and threw one away by the time the later people came in all the food is in the bin because it’s been wasted, it all goes downhill from there.”
Mark was also backed by locals including pensioner John Tozer, 79, who has been a regular at the pub for 40 years.
He said: “He’s a brilliant landlord, I think he was absolutely in the right to charge those ladies.
“You see people pile up their plates like Mount Everest then they can’t eat it, then at the end of the day people come in and there isn’t any left because of other people’s greed. It bloody annoys me.”
Mark and his pub have previously hit the headlines after fashion giant Vogue threatened to sue him.
Condé Nast, the owner of Vogue magazine, sent a ‘cease and desist’ letter ordering him to stop using the name ‘Vogue’ as it is their name – even though the pub is more than 200 years old and the village is older still.
The publishing giant later backed down and apologised, admitting it didn’t do its homework.
Money
McDonalds launches £5 meal deal that includes burger, drink, fries and nuggets – see the full list of menu items
MCDONALD’S is launching a new lunch and dinnertime meal deal offering customers four menu items for just £5.
Fast food fans will be able to save almost £2.50 when the deal is unveiled in restaurants tomorrow (October 9).
Customers can choose from two different burgers, a medium drink, fries and four chicken McNuggets normally costing £7.46.
The offer will be available in restaurants from 11am, after the breakfast menu is switched for the main one.
However, fast food fans won’t be able to order from the comfort of their home as the new deal isn’t available for delivery.
Plus, not all restaurants are running the offer so there is no guarantee you’ll be able to snap up the discounted items.
This is the full list of items included in the meal deal and how much they cost individually:
- Cheeseburger – £1.39
- Mayo Chicken – £1.39
- Medium Carbonated Soft Drink – £1.59
- Medium Fries – £1.69
- Four Chicken McNuggets – £2.79 (based on a pro-rata of the price for six Chicken McNuggets)
Bear in mind, the price of all the above items may vary from restaurant to restaurant.
We have also asked McDonald’s if the £5 meal deal is a permanent offer and for the list of restaurants not offering it and will update this story when we have heard back.
How does the £5 meal deal compare to other chains?
McDonald’s latest offer might seem like the perfect way to save a bit of money on your lunch break, but is it the cheapest?
We’ve listed off a few other retailers and fast food chains’ offerings which are actually cheaper.
The below offers aren’t offering the same options as McDonald’s, but do offer some alternatives if you’re looking to spend a bit less.
Tesco‘s meal deal comes with a main, including sandwiches and pasta pots, snack and drink for £4 for regular customers and £3.60 for Clubcard holders.
Meanwhile, Sainsbury’s meal deal costs £3.50 and comes with the same trio of items.
Pharmacy chain Boots‘ meal deal also comes with a main, snack and drink and costs from £3.99. Londoners have to pay £4.99.
In terms of fast food chains, Domino’s launched a £4 lunchtime meal deal in April that’s available seven days a week.
The offer lets customers choose from small pizzas, hot and cheesy wraps and chicken strips.
Greggs also has a meal deal where customers can snap up a pizza slice and regular hot or cold drink for £3.50 before 4pm seven days a week.
After 4pm and the price drops to £2.85 – nearly 20% cheaper.
OTHER MCDONALD’S NEWS
McDonald’s customers are in for a busy October, with the fast food chain already having confirmed a new breakfast item is making its way onto menus.
From October 16, foodies will be able to get their hands on mini hashbrowns in a portion of five or 15, with prices starting from £1.49.
McDonald’s already sells regular-sized hashbrowns for £1.19 but these are bitesized.
Many customers have already taken to social media saying the product reminds them of Tater Tots – a popular side dish in America.
It is still unclear whether or not the morning snack will become a permanent menu item or will only be available for a limited period.
Meanwhile, the iconic McRib burger is back on menus from the same date after a nearly 10-year hiatus, with reporter Sam Walker getting a try before its launch.
Anyone looking to snap up the returning pork-based burger will have to be quick though as it is back for a limited time only.
How to save at McDonald’s
You could end up being charged more for a McDonald’s meal based solely on the McDonald’s restaurant you choose.
Research by The Sun found a Big Mac meal can be up to 30% cheaper at restaurants just two miles apart from each other.
You can pick up a Big Mac and fries for just £2.99 at any time by filling in a feedback survey found on McDonald’s receipts.
The receipt should come with a 12-digit code which you can enter into the Food for Thought website alongside your submitted survey.
You’ll then receive a five-digit code which is your voucher for the £2.99 offer.
There are some deals and offers you can only get if you have the My McDonald’s app, so it’s worth signing up to get money off your meals.
The MyMcDonald’s app can be downloaded on iPhone and Android phones and is quick to set up.
You can also bag freebies and discounts on your birthday if you’re a My McDonald’s app user.
The chain has recently sent out reminders to app users to fill out their birthday details – otherwise they could miss out on birthday treats.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
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Money
Is more female advisers the key to more women taking advice?
Believe it or not, we’ll soon be turning our attention to 2025 – and it might be a year for advisers to take particular notice of.
If estimates from The Centre of Economics and Business Research are correct, women will hold 60% of the UK’s wealth from next year. That’s a hefty amount.
As women’s wealth grows, the hope would be they increasingly look to seek professional advice on how best to manage it.
Of course, some will have been responsible for their own wealth creation and may already be benefitting from the peace of mind that comes with advice.
It probably was never the intention to exclude the client’s wife. But it’s hard to win someone’s trust if they haven’t felt included
These women are on track to achieve their financial goals. They know how to navigate their savings and investments, they adequately contribute to their pension and they are well placed to ensure their money keeps working for them so they can have a fulfilling retirement.
And as long as they feel they can trust their adviser, they probably don’t mind whether that person is a man or a woman.
Let’s face it, as female advisers account for just 16% of the total market, it’s more than likely their adviser is male.
There is a real opportunity to address this gender imbalance and make advice and the wider financial services sector more appealing as career options.
There is already great work being done in this area. Small changes can have a big impact.
While more women will have the money in their hands, others will still be facing a pension shortfall compared to their male counterparts
Wouldn’t it be a great result if having more female advisers leads to more women seeking advice?
For some women, next year may be their first time being fully responsible for their financial situation, especially if control of the money passes to them after the death of a spouse.
This is how a large proportion of wealth is expected to transfer. If the husband had an adviser (and I say ‘if’, as figures suggest only 8% of all UK adults have received financial advice), will the widow decide to continue with the professional relationship?
Much of that is likely to depend on how involved she was in the process previously. If the adviser didn’t do much to actively engage with her before her husband died, she may feel it’s too late now.
If she doesn’t feel comfortable to ask questions without fear of judgement because she hasn’t properly been part of the equation and hasn’t been seen as an individual, it could mean assets walking out the door.
Research from The Lang Cat reveals more women feel greater uncertainty about how and where to find a good adviser
That’s not to say the adviser wouldn’t be perfectly happy to explain things in a clear way with empathy. It probably was never the intention to exclude the client’s wife. But it’s hard to win someone’s trust if they haven’t felt included.
They are also likely to be in a vulnerable position. They might need to take a bit of time to work out what’s best for them and their family.
When it comes to taking advice in the first place, research from The Lang Cat’s Advice Gap 2024 report reveals more women feel greater uncertainty about how and where to find a good adviser.
Could more be done to promote the values of advice? Should firms look at how they market themselves to ensure they are appealing to a wider demographic?
Now, I’ve seen plenty of arguments for and against advice firms having a strategy to attract and retain female clients.
Things are improving but the very fact we still have a gender pay gap and a gender pensions gap shows more still needs to be done
On the one hand, women are no different to male clients, so why would they need to be treated differently? On the other, some may want to feel valued in their own right. Perhaps they consider their situation to require an alternative approach.
Could part of the problem be that, while women may not need to be treated differently as such, they haven’t been treated the same?
While more women will have the money in their hands, others will still be facing a pension shortfall compared to their male counterparts.
Things are improving but the very fact we still have a gender pay gap and a gender pensions gap shows more still needs to be done.
There are also more women than men who have no private pension wealth at all. Indeed, the Financial Conduct Authority’s latest Financial Lives Survey found more women than men are struggling to cope financially.
The under-representation of women in financial services is a cause for concern and the same is true for female investors. If one improves, the other could follow
Elsewhere, studies have suggested women can be more risk adverse when investing. And, on average, with women living longer, there are clearly a few factors at play which puts them in a tricky situation and could see some struggle in retirement.
Some women will undoubtedly feel more inclined to speak to another woman – someone who has shared similar experiences to them.
It’s not necessarily the case women have more empathy. Many advisers are able to support their clients because they use their soft skills alongside their technical knowledge.
But the under-representation of women in financial services is a cause for concern and the same is true for female investors.
If one improves, the other could follow.
Laura Barnes is director of business development at Nucleus
Money
My work would’ve seen me lose ENTIRE £100k lottery jackpot if I hadn’t made a clever choice – I got to bask in the win
A PEOPLE’S Postcode Lottery winner nearly missed out on collecting his £111,000 prize.
Michael Whitaker, from Keighley in West Yorkshire, had to beg his boss for the day off – and colleagues weren’t impressed.
The self-confessed adrenaline junkie rang up his boss to ask for the day off so he could be given the huge cheque.
She was forced to lie to her staff who were expecting to see Michael in an 11am meeting.
He said: “I rang my boss and told her Postcode Lottery are here. But I had a design and compliance finance meeting at 11am and I had all the figures.
“Luckily, my boss was ecstatic for me and said she wouldn’t tell anyone in the meeting as to why I couldn’t make it.”
read more on lottery winners
Michael joined others on his street in bagging £111,111, which he hopes to use towards a “once-in-a-lifetime” tour around the Norweigan Fjords.
Michael, who has scuba dived all around the country, said he was astounded when he received the cheque.
“When I saw the cheque, I thought £11,000 and then… I processed it and there was six digits! It’s incredible,” he said.
When asked what he was going to do with all of the extra money he said he dreamt of taking his new motorbike, a Triumph Tiger 900, on a road trip.
“I’ve got to an age where I want to see more, and I recently bought the motorbike to go adventure riding.
“I’d love to go to Norway and Sweden. Just go and not have anywhere booked and see where I end up.
“I’ve done a lot of things and seen a lot of things that nobody’s seen, and I want to carry on doing that and push myself more,” he said.
He added: “You have dreams but they’re not dreams anymore now. This brings them into reality.”
The clerk landed the massive cash prize along with eight of his neighbours in Shann Crescent, Keighly, after their postcode BD21 2TN landed the weekly Millionaire Street prize on Monday.
How can you play Postcode Lottery?
People’s Postcode Lottery is a subscription lottery which raises money for charities.
- Players sign up with their postcode and they are automatically entered into every draw and prizes are announced every day of the month.
- It costs £12 per month to play. You pay by Direct Debit, Debit Card or PayPal and can sign up here.
- Sign up once and pay monthly in advance to play in all draws.
- If you win, the money is paid into your bank account within 28 days.
- Every day from Monday to Friday there are £1,000 prizes to be won.
- On Saturdays players could win a share of £1 Million, and on Sundays players could each win £30,000.
- Every month players in a postcode sector share £3.2 Million or more.
Every cheque was worth £111,111.
Across the road, Sanna Babar, who also cashed in the six-figure sum, said she is now planning a trip to Walt Disney World in Florida for her two daughters.
She said: “We were thinking of going to Disneyland Paris in August next year, but it could be Florida now!”
“I was trying to save up money, but I don’t need to do that now and I could bring my mum and dad too. It was a sort of fantasy before, but I’m going to do it,” she added.
Money
The best Amazon Prime Day deals from cheap tech to beauty bargains, according to Sun Savers editor Lana Clements
SAVVY shoppers can scoop bargain deals today and tomorrow as Amazon slashes prices on thousands of items for its Prime Big Deal Days.
The 48-hour sale started today and lasts until midnight on Wednesday.
Prime Day deals are exclusive to Amazon Prime members. This service costs £95 a year and offers free next-day delivery as part of the perks, but you can use the 30-day free trial if you’ve never joined before.
Ahead of the shopping event, Amazon this week also expanded its same-day delivery, which is now available for millions of products in 81 towns and cities across the UK.
Aberdeen, Middlesbrough, and Plymouth are the most recent locations that have been added.
I’ve scoured through the deals and rooted out some of the best ones on offer that I can find.
But, if there are particular items that you have your eye on, you can also create deal alerts. You’ll then receive a notification on price changes on any items you’ve subscribed to.
Before you buy anything in the sale, it’s always a good idea to check if it’s the best value you can get.
Use a price comparison site such as Idealo.co.uk to check whether the price on Amazon is best or if you can get it cheaper elsewhere.
There are also specific Amazon price-tracking websites, bobalob.com and camelcamelcamel.com, will show you what price items have previously sold for on the site, so you can check whether the discounts offered during Prime Days are as good as they seem.
Here are some of the best deals on offer…
WHAT TO BUY
Electricals
You can score some serious savings on big-ticket electricals and tech items during Amazon Prime Days.
Pick-up a pair of Beats Studio3 Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones, reduced to £139 from £349.95.
The Google Pixel 8a – Unlocked Android smartphone is down from £499 to £399.
You can also grab the Samsung CU7020 Crystal UHD 4K 55″ Smart TV with a RRP of £505 down to £369.
Kitchen gadgets
If you’ve been wanting to jump on the airfryer trend, now could be your moment with the Tower T17088 Vortx 9L Dual Basket Air Fryer is down from £139.99 to £78.
The Ninja perfect temperature kettle has loads of clever settings for making a top brew and, is down from £99.99 to £67.99.
Or treat yourself to a bean to cup coffee machine with the De’longhi ECAM22.110.B down from £349 to £279.
Lego
You can always pick up some great deals on Lego during Prime Days and this time round is no different.
There are price reductions on sets for adults, with the Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle and Grounds set down from £149.99 to £106.39.
Or for younger fans, the LEGO Minecraft Skeleton Dungeon Set is down from £24.99 to £17.89 – I’ll definitely be picking one of these up as a Christmas present for my son.
Amazon Prime Day: Our 10 best deals
Amazon Prime Day runs until midnight on Wednesday (9th October). Here’s our pick of the best deals for Prime subscribers.
*If you click on a link in this boxout we will earn affiliate revenue
- Amazon Fire TV Stick, £16.99 (was £44.99) – buy here
- Xinwld Wireless Earbuds, £24.99 (was £99.99) – buy here
- Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation), £179 (was £229) – buy here
- 43-inch 4-Series Fire TV, £229.99 (was £429.99) – buy here
- Ring Battery Video Doorbell, £59.99 (£99.99) – buy here
- Ninja Foodi MAX Air Fryer, £159.99 (was £239.99) – buy here
- Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara, £7.79 (was £12.99) – buy here
- Silentnight Comfort Control Electric Blanket, £35.99 (was £42.99) – buy here
- COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Skin Serum, £12.15 (was £23.99) – buy here
- Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Eye Cream Without Fragrance, £17.33 (was £38) – buy here
We’ll be keeping a close eye out for some of the best deals so remember to check back to snag these deals
We’ve rounded up more great offers here:
Beauty
The Prime Big Deal days are a great opportunity to stock up on skincare and makeup favourites.
The INKEY List 2% Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Serum is down from £7.99 to £5.94.
Or bag Maybelline New York Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara for £5.99, down from £12.99
Cera Ve fans will also be pleased to see discounts on some items, with the Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF50 down from £16.50 to £12.29.
Kids’ toys
Christmas is looming, but you can use Prime Days to get some big savings on kids’ gifts and you’ll also feel pretty smug when your shopping is all wrapped come December.
If you’ve got kids, you can’t go wrong with a pack of colouring pens and some paper for ten minutes of peace.
A pack of 24 Crayola SuperTips Washable Markers is down from £9.25 to a bargain £5 in the sale.
Play-doh pots are great for stocking fillers. A 24-pack is down from £16.37 to £10.79.
Or the Melissa & Doug Wooden Ice Cream Toy Shop is a total winner with little ones and down from £49.99 to £24.84.
Christmas gifts for adults
For adults, there is up to 30% off selected styles from Pepe Jeans, Boss, Levi and Tommy Hilfiger during the event.
There are also savings to be made on luxury kitchenware from Le Creuset, with its Signature Enamelled Cast Iron Round Casserole Dish down from £339 to £196.99.
Or, Swarovski women’s Stud Earrings are down from £65 to £27.
And an all-round crowd pleaser is the Hotel Chocolat Everything Sleekster box featuring 27 favourite chocs from the brand and is down from.
Everyday essentials
It’s not just big-ticket items included in the Amazon promotion. You can get some great deals on everyday essentials.
An 18-roll pack of by Amazon Toilet Roll is down to £6.49.
Or stock up for your furry friends with Whiskas Tasty Mix 1+Chef´s Choice in Gravy 40 x 85 g Pouches down to £12.50.
Plus, two packs of 60-tablet Fairy Non-Bio Platinum PODS are down from £36 to £24.55.
How to bag a bargain
SUN Savers Editor Lana Clements explains how to find a cut-price item and bag a bargain…
Sign up to loyalty schemes of the brands that you regularly shop with.
Big names regularly offer discounts or special lower prices for members, among other perks.
Sales are when you can pick up a real steal.
Retailers usually have periodic promotions that tie into payday at the end of the month or Bank Holiday weekends, so keep a lookout and shop when these deals are on.
Sign up to mailing lists and you’ll also be first to know of special offers. It can be worth following retailers on social media too.
When buying online, always do a search for money off codes or vouchers that you can use vouchercodes.co.uk and myvouchercodes.co.uk are just two sites that round up promotions by retailer.
Scanner apps are useful to have on your phone. Trolley.co.uk app has a scanner that you can use to compare prices on branded items when out shopping.
Bargain hunters can also use B&M’s scanner in the app to find discounts in-store before staff have marked them out.
And always check if you can get cashback before paying which in effect means you’ll get some of your money back or a discount on the item.
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