With Black Week upon us, PriceSpy, the fully impartial price and product comparison site,
is revealing its top game predictions ahead of the biggest of the sale days, Black Friday.

Before gamers rush to the malls to snap up the deals being offered by retailers, the pricing watchdog
is encouraging shoppers to carry out pricing research ahead of people buying and to look out for
products that increase in price across the big sale days.

According to new pricing insights released within PriceSpy’s new Black Friday Report, almost a fifth
(18 per cent) of all products listed on PriceSpy reduced in price by at least 10 per cent or more on
Black Friday last year. But, 12 per cent of products also received a price hike on the sales day (Black
Friday vs to 1 November 2020).

And if you’re tempted to shop early this year, especially with shipping delays affecting product
availability and customer demand skyrocketing for items like graphic cards, consumers should be
wary that not everything is necessarily cheaper.

So, how can shoppers seek out the best deals around? Here’s PriceSpy’s top sale shopping tips:

1. Check out the competition
   First things first – take time to check if an offer really is as good as it sounds by sussing out the
   competition. Is the same game, console or controller available at an even better price elsewhere?
   Using the PriceSpy app will help you do this, as it provides access to thousands of prices and
   products instantly.
   
2. Don’t get confused by the big discounts
   Even if the product you are looking to buy is being advertised with a price drop, don’t take the retailers word for it. Use a price comparison site or app, like PriceSpy to check out the product’s price history. PriceSpy lets shoppers see just how much price points fluctuate every day with the price history feature, providing full transparency to consumers, so they can see if a store has raised the price of the product ahead of the sale day to make the discount offered on Black Friday appear better than it is. It also allows shoppers to see if the product they are looking to purchase can be bought for less out of season or at a different time of year.

3. Preparation is key
   The best chance of finding a good bargain comes from preparation. If shoppers know in advance
   what they are interested in and have a rough idea of the price, they’re less likely to get carried away
   and buy the wrong thing during the sales event. Create a wish-list of products and keep it updated
   with different prices.
   
   And if the deal isn’t as good as what it should be, people should to be prepared to walk away.

But what about the winning?

Alright, calm down. PriceSpy has teamed up with 8-Bit Island to offer two lucky people the opportunity to win one
of the five most popular games listed on a platform of your choice. To enter, tell us what game you’re keen to pick up this Black Friday, and share our post on Facebook or Twitter. Don’t forget to like and follow us too; we’re fun.

Keep up to date with all the Black Friday offers on PriceSpy here.

The post Win with PriceSpy’s guide to winning at sale shopping and 8-Bit Island appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

If you’re a last minute shopper and need some quick and easy gift inspiration, PriceSpy is here to help you find that perfect something, so you don’t have to spend hours on end rushing around the shops.

Liisa Matinvesi-Bassett, New Zealand country manager for PriceSpy, says: “We understand that finding the perfect gift at Christmas can be both time consuming and costly, which is why we are sharing our top gaming predictions as well as our Christmas gift guide for tech lovers.

“According to our historical pricing data, for those that are looking to shop last-minute, this tactic can often offer shoppers a good chance of securing last-minute pre-Christmas bargains, as price points of goods will often drop the closer we get towards Christmas Day.”

Historically, PriceSpy data suggests prices tend to drop closer to Christmas

Source: PriceSpy

Liisa concludes:  “But we need to remember this is no ordinary year – and retailers are still massively affected by the impacts caused by Covid-19, which could affect both Christmas stock availability and price points.

“For those that haven’t yet started their Christmas shopping, the key thing to remember is to not panic buy. Instead, we encourage shoppers to use a price and product comparison site like PriceSpy.  Not only is it quick, free and easy-to-use, consumers can check stock availability to make sure products are available. 

“What’s more, by checking the price history on products, shoppers can feel rest assured they aren’t paying over-inflated price points – and are buying from a retailer that is offering the best deal.”

For those in need of a bit of gift inspiration this year, shoppers can check out the full PriceSpy Christmas gift guide, here

PriceSpy has teamed up with 8-Bit Island to give away two of the top two most clicked on games in September.

First prize chooses a copy of Cyberpunk 2077 (PS4) or Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (PS4) and runner up gets the second.

ENTER HERE

Entry only available to readers with NZ addresses.

The post Win 1 of 2 top games from September with 8-Bit Island and PriceSpy appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

New Zealand’s biggest price and product comparison site, PriceSpy, has revealed that Mighty Ape has been crowned Shop of the Year for 2020.

Liisa Matinvesi-Bassett, New Zealand country manager for PriceSpy, says: “For a third consecutive year, Mighty Ape has been crowned Shop of the Year by the dedicated and loyal users of PriceSpy.”

Voted for by PriceSpy users, Shop of the Year is the people’s choice award – and one retailers should be extremely proud to receive.

Gracie MacKinlay, Chief Sales and Marketing Gorilla at Mighty Ape, says: “We are very humbled to be voted PriceSpy Shop of the Year 2020 for a third year in a row.  

“It’s been a turbulent year for many, so we are grateful to be in a business that has allowed us to continue to serve our customers. We’re very thankful to our customers who have trusted us to deliver throughout this time.

“Customers are always at the heart of all the decisions we make and we’re constantly looking for ways to be the best that we can be. 

“This award is an awesome recognition of our efforts by the public and we want to continue to wow and delight our customers.”

To help end this crazy year on a high and to celebrate this huge win, PriceSpy has teamed up with Mighty Ape and 8-Bit Island to give away a Mighty Ape voucher, worth $100.  To enter, jump on this link!

Make sure you download the PriceSpy app here as well to get all your price comparison needs in one app.

The post Mighty Ape is PriceSpy’s Shop of the Year Yet Again so it is time to win a $100 voucher! appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

With Black Friday-mania about to sweep the nation, PriceSpy, the fully impartial price and product comparison site, is revealing its top game predictions for shoppers ahead of the flash sale day.

Top Black Friday game predictions from PriceSpy:

• FIFA 21 (PS4)
• Nintendo Ring Fit Adventure (Switch)
• Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5)
• FIFA 21 – Champions Edition (Xbox One)
• Cyberpunk 2077 (PS4)

At the top of the list is FIFA 21 (PS4), which launched late last month and has already witnessed an early Black Friday price drop, currently selling for $59*. Other popular Black Friday predictions, include: Nintendo Ring Fit Adventure (Switch); Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5), and Cyberpunk 2077 (PS4), which is due for release next month.

Liisa Matinvesi-Bassett, New Zealand country manager for PriceSpy, says: “After a crazy year where new game purchases were put on hold due to Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns, we’re expecting Black Friday to be big this year, as gamers will want to make up for lost time.

“In fact, according to a recent PriceSpy survey, 50 per cent of Kiwis intend to purchase something this Black Friday, spending on average $464.

“On Black Friday last year, the shopping category of game consoles was third most-popular on PriceSpy and the most-popular product overall was the Nintendo Switch.

To help gamers ensure they’re getting the best Black Friday deals, follow PriceSpy’s three simple shopping steps:

Step one – Be prepared and stay focussed

irstly, make a list of the items you are consciously looking to buy, similar to what you might do with a supermarket shop. You can do this quickly and easily using PriceSpy’s list feature, so that your ultimate wish-list is in the one place.

When out shopping in-store or online, be on guard – as retailers are experts at grabbing our attention, distracting us with tempting offers and discounts to encourage us to buy more. Don’t fall into this trap. Instead, stick to the list you’ve pre-prepared.

Step two – Conduct price research

Once you’ve compiled your sale shopping list, we strongly suggest you carry out important historical price research.

You can do this quickly and easily using a price comparison website, like PriceSpy. Not only will this save you time, but it will help alleviate some of the pressures people feel when sale shopping.

Simply search for the product you want to buy and click on the historical pricing feature. The website will then bring up the cheapest price the product has been sold for by day, so you can get a clear perspective on how much a product ‘really’ costs.

So, even if an item is being discounted by 20 per cent for example on Black Friday, shoppers can see if it is cheaper to buy at different times of the year.

If the product appears to be cheapest on PriceSpy, then great, you may have found yourself a bargain – move on to step three!

If the product appears to cost less at another time of the year, then this should be a red flag! At this point, ask the retailer if they’re prepared to drop their price to match what the product is being sold for at a different time of year.

If they are unable to do this, be prepared to walk away and think of the money you have saved yourself.

Step three – Compare prices across multiple shops

Once you’re confident the price being offered by the retailer on the sale day is a good deal, the next step to take to ensure you are getting the cheapest price possible is to conduct a quick price comparison check against other retailers.

Again, using the PriceSpy app or website can help shoppers do this research quickly and easily, rather than wasting hours trawl across multiple stores.

Even though products have an RRP (recommended retail price), more often than not, comparing prices between retailers can change massively. Carrying out this research can potentially save you a couple of hundreds of dollars, if not more in some instances.

Finally, if you’re shopping online, don’t forget to double-check shipping fees, as this could bump up the overall price you end up paying. And, if you’re buying from overseas, you may also want to consider delivery times.

Lisa concludes: “Prices changes every day – multiple times a day. One way to make sure you’re never paying over the odds is to use a price comparison site, like PriceSpy. Simply have a look at the historical pricing of the product you are looking to buy, to make sure it is fair and reasonable.

“For those looking to buy a brand new game release, if the Black Friday price isn’t as big as what you expected it to be, another great buying tip is to wait three months after the game is first launched – as our historical pricing data suggest this is when prices start to reduce.


Find all the latest Black Friday deals here:
www.pricespy.co.nz

The post PriceSpy’s top game predictions for Black Friday appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

According to new data insights from the fully impartial price and product comparison site, PriceSpy, popularity for Nintendo Switch games are skyrocketing – with Nintendo Ring Fit Adventure claiming the overall top spot as most clicked-on game for the second month in a row.

PriceSpy have noticed more of a presence from Nintendo Switch games placing amongst the top three spots on their popularity board.

“Whilst price drops can often attract gamers to click more on older game releases, we believe this not to be the case for the rise in popularity for Nintendo Ring Fit Adventure, as the price point has remained fairly static since it first launched.

“Instead, a big contributing factor that may have led to the rise in popularity for this particular game is Covid-19 and lockdown, as people had to stay in and they wanted to stay active and feel motivated.

The good news is Nintendo Ring Fit Adventure is now back in stock but before shoppers rush out to buy a copy, we still encourage consumers to conduct important price research before they buy, as this important buying step can help save hundreds of dollars in the long run.

The post Are gamers making the Switch due to Covid? appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

Don’t pretend it’s actually July, we all know 2020 is a living nightmare.

8-Bit Island has teamed up with New Zealand’s biggest impartial price and product comparison site, PriceSpy, to give away two of the most clicked-on games from May to make things feel all the sweeter now that we’re back to (almost) normal.

Liisa Matinvesi-Bassett, New Zealand country manager for PriceSpy, says: “According to our historical click data for the month of May, gamers seem to be going all out for Nintendo, with the top two most-clicked on games for the month being Nintendo Ring Fit Adventure (Switch) and Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch).

Liisa continues: “Dropping two places in the popularity rankings this month was Final Fantasy VII – Remake (PS4) – and the old favourite, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (PS4), which originally launched in September 2019, placed an impressive number four eight months after it first released.

“The Last of Us: Part II (PS4) was found to be the fifth most clicked-on games for May, one month before it’s release, indicating it’s already going to be a bit of a winner!

Certainly Blair thought so in his review. And in his second, spoiler-filled review.

When looking to buy any games, whether it be a brand new release or an old favourite that stands the test of time, PriceSpy strongly recommend gamers do important pricing research before they buy, as this important step can help save hundreds if not thousands of dollars in the long run.

That’s money that could be put towards a new game or console… like, hmmm, a PS5 or XBox OneX?

Catch Up and Win!

If you’ve not yet managed to play any of the top games, the good news is PriceSpy has teamed up with 8-Bit Island to give away two of the top two games for May.

To stand a chance of winning, enter our giveaway below and remember, you can download the PriceSpy app here.

The post Win May’s top games with PriceSpy and 8-Bit Island appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

It’s game on between Nintendo and Sony PlayStation

New insights from the fully impartial price and product comparison site, PriceSpy, reveals Nintendo has pipped Sony PlayStation to the post this month, as Pokemon Sword claims the top spot as most popular* game for January.

Liisa Matinvesi-Bassett, New Zealand country manager for PriceSpy, says: “Based on our historical click data, even though four out of the five most popular games for January were found to be from PlayStation, the overall most popular game was Pokemon Sword for Nintendo Switch.

“Pokemon Sword launched in November 2019 with an RRP of $99.  Normally, after two to three months after a game has launched, we would expect to see it drop significantly in price, so help it appear more competitively priced against other new releases and to encourage further sales to occur.

“However, according to our historical pricing insights, despite Pokemon Sword being almost three months old in January, the price point remained fairly static, dropping just 12 per cent compared to the RRP price at launch.

“The same cannot be said for the other top four games from PlayStation.  For example, even though Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order launched around the same time as Pokemon Sword, our historical pricing data in January revealed it dropped in price by almost 40 per cent (39 per cent) compared to its RRP at launch.

“Similarly the third most popular game in, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, also offered gamers a rather attractive 39 per cent off its original RRP in January.”

Pokemon all the way to the bank

Liisa concludes: “Based on these findings, consumer demand for Pokemon Sword still remains to be fairly high, without the need for Nintendo to discount the product to entice consumers back in.  PlayStation on the other hand seem to be using a different tactic, offering gamers the opportunity to pick up a relatively new game at a bargain price a few months after release.”

“Interestingly, when you look at today’s pricing insights for all top five games in January, 80 per cent have increased in price, highlighting the need for gamers to always carry out important price research before they actually buy.”

“Using a website or app like PriceSpy can help shoppers save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in the long run.”

Win with PriceSpy and 8-Bit Island

If you’ve not yet managed to play any of the top games, the good news is PriceSpy has teamed up with 8-Bit Island to give away two of the top two games for January.

To stand a chance of winning, enter our giveaway below and remember, you can download the PriceSpy app here.

The post Win January’s top games with PriceSpy and 8-Bit Island appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

According to new data insights from PriceSpy, the fully impartial price and product comparison site, it appears gamers are shopping smartly, waiting for prices to drop for the most popular games of last year, as all top five games are now priced under the $70 mark.

PriceSpy’s five most popular games in May 2019

Liisa says: “Based on historical clicks received, despite launching over a year ago, God of War (PS4) has claimed the top spot as most popular game in May, ahead of a brand new release, CTR Crash Team Racing – Nitro Fuled Edition (PS4), which is due to launch later this month.

“Our insights indicate gamers appear to be shopping smartly, holding out to purchase last year’s most popular games once the initial launch hype has died down and the price has dropped.  This is great to see, as shopping like this can help gamers save hundreds of dollars in the long run.”

God of War (PS4) originally launched with an RRP of $120. According to pricing insights from PriceSpy, it can now be purchased for just $48, 60 percent less than 15 months ago. Liisa concludes:  “The price drop has certainly resulted in consumer demand picking up in the game again, as previously the last time God of War (PS4) was the most popular game, was back in August 2018.

Win God of War and Red Dead Redemption 2 on PS4

PriceSpy has teamed up with us to give away the top two games for the month of May. To stand a chance of winning, enter our giveaway below and don’t forget you can Download the PriceSpy app here.www.pricespy.co.nz

The post WIN – God of War the most popular game in May, 15 months after it was released appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

According to new popularity data from PriceSpy, the fully impartial price and product comparison site, Kiwis are feeling the heat this summer, with online traffic increasing by a massive 96 per cent* for air conditioning heat pumps (January 2019, compared to December 2018).

Liisa Matinvesi-Bassett, New Zealand country manager for PriceSpy, says: “With the summer going down in the New Zealand history books as being the third warmest on record**, we have seen a huge spike in the number of Kiwis searching for air conditioning heat pumps to help keep them cool over the warmer months.

“The most popular days of the year so far appeared to be 10^th and 12^th January, which coincided with when thermometer readings reached a sweltering 29 degrees in Auckland alone, 8.7 degrees higher than the national average for January***.”

Whilst data from PriceSpy suggests consumer interest in air conditioning heat pumps is rapidly growing, overall popularity for fans and portable air conditioning units appears to be cooling down.

Liisa continues:  “Historically, fans and portable air conditioning units have been a popular choice of products for Kiwis wanting to keep cool over the warmer summer months.  This year however, our data suggests otherwise as the insights revealed there was actually a decrease of -25 per cent within both of these categories (for January 2019 compared to the month previous).”

“This change may be due to a number of reasons.  Temperatures this year may just be more extreme than that of previous years and Kiwis are looking for a more permanent fixture that will help keep their households cool throughout the summer (and warm in the winter).

“The shift in consumer behaviour may also be down to the pricing strategies of retailers.  For example, based on the five most popular products listed on PriceSpy within the shopping categories of air conditioning heat pumps and fans**** (as at 7 March 2019), the average price of air conditioning heat pumps has dropped significantly by 19 per cent since the start of December.

“The price of fans on the other hand have increased by one per cent over this same period of time.

“The switch towards pricier air conditioning units may also have something to do with the two most popular fans on the market featuring bladeless technology, as these types of items come at a premium.  Consumers therefore may simply be choosing to upgrade from a fan to air conditioning.”

As well as products that help to keep people cool, PriceSpy insights also reveal a number of shopping categories have also increased in popularity alongside the sunnier, warmer weather.

Liisa adds:  “Our insights show just how much Kiwis love the great outdoors, as clicks for lawn mowers increased by 25 per cent over the same period of time (December 2018 through to January 2019), as did the popularity for sunglasses (14 per cent) and life jackets (11 per cent).

Top five most popular sunglasses (from December 2018 to date, based on historical click data)

The prices quoted above are the cheapest listed price on PriceSpy each date.

Liisa concludes:  “Whilst the summer sun is certainly encouraging consumers to spend out on products that can be enjoyed at this time of year, we always recommend shoppers should carry out important price and product research before they go out and spend their hard-earned cash.

“Even over the short period of time from December 2018 through to February 2019, our insights show the average price drop of air conditioning heat pumps is in the realms of $200, which is huge. Consumers need to make sure they aren’t caught out by such pricing strategies, to ensure they aren’t overpaying on purchases they are looking to make.

“Using a price comparison website or app such as PriceSpy gives the power back to the consumers, offering full transparency advice and information on what retailers are charging.  Download the app for free, today.” Download the PriceSpy app here.

The post PriceSpy Reveals How Kiwis Kept Cool over Summer appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

Everyone loves a gadget, right? So, after the long summer holidays and with the kids now back at school, parents can once again enjoy a bit of well-deserved ‘me’ time.

To help provide some assistance in ways parents can switch off, PriceSpy, the impartial product and price comparison site, is sharing its top ten list of gadgets, games and consoles of 2018.

*Insights based on historical click data for 2018.

If gaming is more your thing, here are the overall top consoles and games of 2018:

*Insights based on historical click data for 2018.

So if you’ve got a bit of Christmas cash left over (as you just didn’t have chance to spend it), treat yourself to something special and say to yourself, “well done for getting through the holidays in one piece!”

In celebration of getting through the holidays in one piece, PriceSpy has teamed up with us to give away the top two most searched for games for the month of December, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Switch) and Marvel’s Spider-Man (PS4).

Win Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Switch) and Spider-man (PS4)

Terms & Conditions:

• 1 Winner will win Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for Switch and Spider-man for PS4
• Winners will be chosen at random, judges decision final, no correspondence entered into.
  
• Competition will end at 8pm Thursday 28 February, 2019
• Entry is open to people with a New Zealand address only
• Prize cannot be redeemed for cash
• Winner will be contacted by email. If a reply is not received within 24 hours the prize is forfeited and a redraw will be conducted
• CultureJam and PriceSpy accept no responsibility for prizes lost or damaged in transit

This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram or Facebook.

The post WIN the Top 2 Games from December as PriceSpy Reveal 2018’s Top Products appeared first on 8-Bit Island.