Retail Arbitrage Series: Currys Guide

Welcome back to the Retail Arbitrage Series. This week, we’re stepping away from the supermarkets for a moment to break things up and focus on something a little more exciting …… Currys! As good as supermarkets are for steady profit, Currys is where you’ll find those more lucrative, higher ticket deals.

Currys is without doubt, the best electronics retailer in the UK for retail arbitrage. It’s a store that doesn’t always scream opportunity at first glance, but once you understand how to read the layout, the stickers, and how their clearance system works, you’ll realise it can be something of a goldmine, especially at certain times of the year.

How Currys Works

Currys can feel a bit difficult to figure out at first, but it becomes much easier once you’ve sourced there a few times. A typical store layout consists of the the clearance baskets when you walk in the shop, then to one side, you’ll find household appliances, TVs are normally situated at the back of the store, while the central sections are filled with computing, gaming, sat navs, accessories, and other tech.

There are certain signals Currys uses to flag discounts, and one of the key things to understand is their price formatting. I’ll go into more detail on that shortly.

It’s also worth noting that Currys has a business section. This can be an asset to resellers as it allows you to register and build relationships directly with their business team. Currys are generally open to working with sole traders and small businesses, meaning you’re not treated as an outsider if you’re buying to resell.

Where to Find Profitable Items

Currys is a hybrid store, it works well both for retail arbitrage and online arbitrage. Many profitable items you find instore will also be available online, often for click and collect, allowing you to secure your purchases before even stepping into the shop.

You’ll find profitable items across the entire store. Sales stickers usually have a yellow mark on them, making them stand out slightly from standard pricing labels so these are always worth a scan.

There are also price drop monitors and Discord groups such as Profit Sweep that share regular alerts when Currys has certain branded discounts. These are especially useful for planning your sourcing or building a click and collect basket ahead of a run.

The key to finding profitable stock is knowing where and what to look for. I’ll cover some specific hacks later in the blog that will help you identify clearance items faster and make better decisions instore.

How Clearance Works

Clearance at Currys is handled in a few different ways. Firstly, near the front of most stores, there will be a clearance basket. It looks like your standard retail clearance bin, usually with a big yellow sign above it and with all sorts of discounted items mixed together. This is always worth checking through, especially for cables, accessories, and tech gadgets.

Secondly, and more importantly, Currys uses a pricing system to quietly flag clearance items throughout the store. If you see a price ending in .97 (e.g. £49.97), that item is on clearance. Not many shoppers or even resellers know this, so it’s an easy way to spot potential buys. These prices often don’t come with standard sale signs so keep an eye on the price formatting rather than just the stickers. This pricing trick is one of the best tools you can have when sourcing in Currys.

Best Time of Year for Currys

Currys can be a solid performer all year round, as long as you’re using price drop monitors and keeping an eye on instore price changes. However, the standout period is the end of the financial year, typically around March and April.

At this time, Currys usually begins clearing out stock, especially accessories and older models of high ticket items. In 2024, for example, I picked up Samsung tablets and accessories and sold them for over 300% ROI.

Unlike supermarkets, Currys doesn’t follow the same pattern with Q4. It doesn’t see the same kind of seasonal rush or clearance push leading into Christmas, but if you stay consistent and monitor the sales, there are strong margins to be made throughout the year.

Currys Hacks

There are a few specific strategies that can give you an edge when sourcing at Currys:

1. Use price drop monitors and Discord groups to track discounts. These will alert you to sudden price changes and national deals, like last month’s Garmin sale which ran across all stores.
2. Take advantage of click and collect. You can build your basket online, secure your products, and then collect them in person when doing your RA.
3. Watch out for price tags ending in .97. This is a clear indicator of clearance stock. It’s a little known tip that can help you spot deals that other resellers might walk past.
4. Build a relationship with the Currys Business Team. If you’re registered as a business, you can access business only pricing, exclusive deals, and, in some cases, be contacted ahead of major clear-outs.
5. Always use cashback apps. Currys is compatible with EverUp, Cheddar, and JamDoughnut. With electronics being higher ticket items, you’ll often get over 5% back, adding a significant margin on top of your profit.

Pros and Cons of Currys

Pros:

• Currys offers access to high ticket, high margin items.
• Products don’t tank easily due to lower visibility. It works well for both online and retail sourcing.
• You can build relationships with staff and the business department, which opens doors to better deals.
• Most stores are located in retail parks and are easy to access. They’re also often close to other resell-friendly stores, making it a great addition to any sourcing route.

Cons:

• It can be difficult to find products if you don’t know how the clearance system works.
• Some stores are better than others, if one is dry, it’s worth checking another nearby.
• Currys typically holds limited stock per line, so it’s not easy to scale one product in large volume.

Final Thoughts