Dive Brief:

• Many retailers, such as Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Target, are repeating Black Friday deals from last year and even demanding higher prices for the same items, according to an analysis of holiday promotions conducted by deal monitoring site BestBlackFriday.

• All but one of the 25 retailers under the microscope are repeating at least one deal from last year, BestBlackFriday found, with HP the sole exception. Meanwhile, 22 out of 25 repeated at least three deals from 2015, 20 of 25 repeated five or more deals from 2015 and more than half (13 out of 25) featured at least one repeat deal that is more expensive than in 2015.

• For retailers charging more for products this year, the average increase is $11.88, the study adds.

Dive Insight:

Repeats of Black Friday deals aren’t necessarily problematic, except in cases like electronics where a product may be a year older, BestBlackFriday co-owner Phillip Dengler wrote in a blog post on Monday.

“While this may seem like a negative post, I do not view it as such,” Dengler said. “Many stores repeat their Black Friday deals simply because of convenience. In many instances, this is not a bad thing, and it is even appreciated by the shopper. Since a lot of repeated deals come from the ‘home’ and ‘kitchen’ categories, knowing that Kohl’s is going to offer the same price every year for a blender is very helpful.”

Many retailers have struggled of late to break free from competing on price, which helps undermine shopper loyalty and can create a downward spiral. But over the holidays in general and for Black Friday in particular, shoppers expect markdowns. This year there’s evidence that consumers are starting their holiday shopping early to find the best deals, according to research from Market Track and Deloitte.  

That could mean that merchants like office supplies retailer Staples, which is increasing its price on a year-old printer, could turn off consumers. “In most cases, older model electronics drop in price, so this is a cause for concern,” Dengler said.

This story is part of our ongoing coverage of the 2016 holiday shopping season. You can browse our holiday page for more stories.