Why you SHOULD shop at Amazon for clothes & stationery ...but steer clear for books and phones

Our forensic analysis shows which of the online giant’s deals really are a bargain

WOMEN’S CLOTHES

ACCORDING to idealo, which compares prices across 50,000 retailers, ‘women’s fashion items tend to be cheaper on Amazon’ — but is this always the case?

We compare a waterproof jacket, a pair of Skechers and some cosy slippers.

Amazon seems to have the best price for a pair of black size 6 Skechers ultra Flex 3.0, at £53.25 (including delivery). Debenhams is the second cheapest, at a more expensive price of £71.20.

We search for a regatta waterproof jacket — and find a size 14 in vallarta blue for £29.83 on Amazon. Again, this is the cheapest we can find. The next best price is £32.99 on eBay.

Next, some Jack Wills mule slippers in tan. Amazon has them for £25, but you’ll need to pay £4.99 delivery on top. The Jack Wills site charges the same price (and same delivery fee). We find them for £24.99 on eBay, too, but there are no delivery fees, so eBay comes out cheapest.

Verdict: Worth a look. Amazon offers some great deals for outdoor clothing and footwear.

PET FOOD

PET food can be bulky, so it’s often easiest to purchase it online and have it delivered straight to your door.

A 2kg bag of Whiskas 1+ Complete Dry Cat Food (tuna) costs £9.86 on Amazon (£13.85 including delivery). But you can get it on eBay for £11.04 including delivery.

We compare Hill’s Science Plan mature adult small and mini dry dog food, 1.5kg.

on Amazon it sells for £20.73. The retail giant won’t reveal what delivery costs, instead forcing shoppers to sign up for a free trial of Prime membership. There is no way to unselect this option. However, it doesn’t matter what the shipping fee is because another website — petplanet. co.uk — offers the same product for £10.29. Shipping costs are £4.99, giving a total of £15.28.

What about fish food? A 10-litre tub of TetraMin flakes has a price tag of £ 61.44 on Amazon. According to idealo, AgbZoo is cheaper, offering the product at around £40 including delivery.

However, the online pet shop is based in Poland, so shoppers may prefer dealing with a uK business ( the Amazon seller charging £61.44 — KB AQuAZoNE — is based in Hampshire), where customer service and applying for refunds can be easier.

Verdict: rip-off. You can make big savings on big packs of pet food by using other sites.

TOYS

LEGo Creator 3 in 1 Adorable Dogs is £21.99 on Amazon (£26.98 including delivery). But we find it cheaper on OnBuy.com — £20.59 with free delivery.

The Barbie Fashionista Doll, the first Barbie doll with Down Syndrome, costs £8.99 on Amazon (£13.98 with postage and packing). on Argos the doll has an identical price tag, but a lower delivery cost, giving a total of £12.94.

Meanwhile, a Nerf Fortnite MEGA TS Blaster costs £36.99 on Amazon, and qualifies for free delivery. This is the cheapest price online. The next best is £37.61 at OnBuy.com.

The game Dobble costs £8.49 from OnBuy. com, with free shipping. Amazon charges £8.70, with £4.99 delivery on top, making it 61 pc more expensive.

Verdict: rip- off. unless you’re buying items that cost more than £ 25 and are eligible for free shipping, Amazon seems to be more expensive for many toys and games.

AIR FRYERS

ArouND a third of uK households now have an air fryer — and Amazon frequently has deals on the latest countertop essential.

We can’t find a single deal on the mammoth 9.5 litre Ninja Foodi MAX with two drawers that beats Amazon’s price of £ 199 with free delivery.

Currys and Argos both sell it for the same price — although Argos charges £3.95 for home delivery, bringing the total to £202.95.

The Ninja website comes in marginally higher at £ 199.99, slashed from a previous price of £ 269.99, with free next- day delivery.

The 7.5 litre Chefman TurboFry Touch air fryer, another popular model, sells on Amazon for £57.99 with free delivery.

But it’s not the cheapest option — eBay stocks some brand-new for £ 44.99. The £ 7.99 postage hikes the total to £52.98, but it’s still cheaper than Amazon overall. B&Q sells it for £79.99 with free delivery.

The five-litre Easy Fry Max made by Tefal is available for £79.99 on Amazon with no delivery charges. It’s slightly cheaper on eBay at £78.99, trumping Amazon as it also boasts free delivery.

So eBay is the only major retailer to beat Amazon’s price. Argos is one penny more expensive at £80. Plus £3.95 delivery and this totals £83.95.

Verdict: Worth a look. Amazon comes out on top for many popular air fryers, especially with the attractive free delivery. However, it is still worth shopping around to check you are getting the best deal.