Published 2026-05-15 by James Maxwell

The May bank holiday weekend (Friday 23 to Monday 26 May 2026) is one of the best times of year to spend on outdoor kit, garden tech, and home appliances. Based on Shopping.co.uk price tracking data, the late-May bank holiday saw average discounts of 12–18% on garden furniture and 8–12% on small appliances in 2025. This year’s window looks equally strong, with Currys running its second-largest annual sale event of the year across the weekend.

Scotland’s spring bank holiday falls on the first Monday in June, so Scottish shoppers have an extra week to plan.

The May bank holiday is a strong window for outdoor entertaining gear, garden tech, and kitchen appliances — and a poor one for TVs and flagship smartphones. Per Shopping.co.uk price tracking data from the 2025 bank holiday weekend, discounts on garden furniture averaged 12–18% across major UK retailers, while small appliances dropped 8–12%. Smartphones saw more modest cuts of 5–10%, and big-ticket TVs barely moved.

Per Which?'s 2025 bank-holiday shopping report, AO.com and Currys lead on appliance deals during this window, while John Lewis is more consistent across the broader retail calendar rather than concentrating discounts on specific weekends.

The Bank of England’s retail data for May 2025 recorded a 4.2% year-on-year uplift in non-essential retail spending during the bank-holiday week, which tells you two things: retailers are motivated to discount, and demand is high enough that the best deals at the best prices go quickly.

Our strong advice: focus your spending on outdoor and kitchen categories where discounts are deepest. Hold off on TVs until Black Friday in November, when deals typically beat May bank-holiday pricing by 8–15% per Shopping.co.uk historical tracking.

Ooni Koda 16 Gas Pizza Oven — £449

The Ooni Koda 16 is the standout pick if you’re planning a garden gathering this weekend. It reaches 500°C and cooks a Neapolitan-style pizza in 60 seconds, per Ooni’s UK product specs. The 16-inch cooking floor fits a full-size pizza, which matters if you’re feeding a group. Per the Good Housekeeping Institute’s 2025 outdoor-oven test, the Koda 16 scored 91/100 against rivals, the highest score in that category.

At £449 at the time of writing, it’s available from 2 UK retailers (Fenwick UK and Currys, ranging to £499). The Currys listing is worth checking first given the bank-holiday sale timing.

JBL Charge 6 Portable Speaker, from £119.99

The JBL Charge 6 is available from 5 UK retailers at the time of writing, with prices running from £119.99 to £196.99 based on Shopping.co.uk price tracking data. Amazon and Currys are the most competitive at the lower end of that range. The JBL Charge 5 was rated strongly for its IP67 rating and 20-hour battery, the Charge 6 builds on that platform.

Roberts Reunion Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker, from £71.99

For a more budget-conscious pick, the Roberts Reunion costs £71.99 at the time of writing and is available from 8 UK retailers including Amazon, Currys, and Fenwick UK. That’s almost £50 less than the JBL Charge 6 at its cheapest. You lose some bass depth and battery life, but the Roberts is waterproof, portable, and has the kind of retro British design that looks good on a garden table.

Flymo UltraLife 800 Robot Lawn Mower, £599.99

The Flymo UltraLife 800 handles gardens up to 800m², requires no boundary wire, and is app-controlled for scheduling, per Flymo’s UK product specifications. It’s available from 4 UK retailers at the time of writing (AO.com, Currys, eBay Partner Network, and Very.co.uk), with prices ranging from £599.99 to £859 based on Shopping.co.uk price tracking data. AO.com is the cheapest option and pairs bank-holiday pricing with same-day delivery on many appliances.

Per Which?'s 2025 robot-mower review, Flymo’s UltraLife range delivered the best value for money in the category. At £599.99, it’s significantly cheaper than comparable boundary-wire-free models from Husqvarna and Gardena, which typically start above £800.

KitchenAid Classic Stand Mixer (Black), £350

The KitchenAid Classic is the entry point into the KitchenAid range, with a 4.3L bowl and 250W motor per KitchenAid’s UK product specs. It handles bread doughs, cake batters, and frostings comfortably. At £350 at the time of writing across 5 UK retailers (Amazon, Currys, eBay Partner Network, Nisbets, and OnBuy.com), it sits below the KitchenAid Artisan, which starts at around £499. If you want more bowl capacity or a more powerful motor for heavy doughs regularly, the Artisan is worth the step up. For most home bakers, the Classic is enough. See Shopping.co.uk’s best stand mixers guide for the full comparison.

The Apple Watch Series 11 (42mm) sits at £331.61 at the time of writing across 14 UK retailers based on Shopping.co.uk price tracking data, a solid option if you’re planning to use the long weekend for outdoor activity and want to track it properly.

The Sony WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds are available from 6 UK retailers at £149.95. These are the outgoing Sony flagship earbuds, now that the XM6 has launched, which means the price has come down from its original £259 RRP. Per Shopping.co.uk’s best wireless earbuds 2026 guide, the XM5 remains one of the best active noise-cancelling options under £200.

Ooni and JBL are both worth watching across the bank-holiday weekend. Ooni’s Koda range rarely sees deep discounting (the Koda 16 has held close to £449–£499 for over a year based on Shopping.co.uk price tracking data), so a bank-holiday promotion from Currys would be above-average value. JBL products move more freely in price, and the Charge 6’s £119.99 floor price at Currys and Amazon is already competitive.

Flymo is worth a specific Currys check. Based on Shopping.co.uk historical data, Currys has discounted Flymo robot mowers during the late-May period in previous years, and the UltraLife 800’s current £599.99 floor could move lower.

KitchenAid is a brand that rarely discounts at full RRP. The Classic at £350 is already near its lowest tracked price, and the bank-holiday window is one of the few times Amazon and Currys have historically gone below that mark, per Shopping.co.uk price tracking data.

Avoid Samsung flagship phones at full RRP this weekend. The Galaxy A57 5G is available SIM-free from £529, per Shopping.co.uk’s Galaxy A57 deals guide, but the better value is on contract from £19 across 8 UK retailers. Flagship phone pricing rarely hits its lowest point until 3–4 months post-launch.

Buy outdoor entertaining gear and garden tech between Friday 23 and Sunday 25 May. The deepest discounts tend to appear on Friday and Saturday, per Shopping.co.uk’s 2025 bank-holiday tracking, with some retailers restoring prices by Monday as stock thins.

For larger kitchen appliances, there’s a credible case for waiting. John Lewis typically launches its summer sale in the week immediately after the bank holiday (27–31 May), so a KitchenAid purchase on Tuesday 27 May could be cheaper than the same purchase on Saturday 24 May. That said, stock in specific colours (the KitchenAid Classic in black, for instance) can sell through during the weekend itself.

What to avoid buying this weekend:

• Big-ticket TVs. Black Friday in November typically beats May bank-holiday TV deals by 8–15%, per Shopping.co.uk historical pricing data.
• Flagship phones at full SIM-free RRP. Post-launch discounting on devices like the Galaxy A57 tends to kick in from September onwards.
• Garden furniture sets with inflated “was” prices. Per Which?'s 2025 bank-holiday shopping report, some retailers adjust reference prices ahead of the sale period. Use Shopping.co.uk’s price history tool to verify any “was/now” claim before buying.

Explore all bank holiday offers on Shopping.co.uk

At the time of writing, the Ooni Koda 16 at £449 from Currys and the Flymo UltraLife 800 at £599.99 from AO.com represent the strongest value propositions this weekend, in categories where May bank-holiday discounts historically run deepest.

Best place to buy: Currys, running its second-largest annual sale event of the year across the late-May bank holiday, with competitive pricing across Ooni, JBL, Flymo, and KitchenAid products in one place.

vs. waiting: John Lewis’s summer sale typically launches 27–31 May, one week after the bank holiday, and can undercut current bank-holiday pricing on larger kitchen appliances. If you’re not in a rush for a KitchenAid or similar, that week’s patience could save £30–£50 based on past sale patterns tracked by Shopping.co.uk.

Our take: Outdoor and garden kit is the clear buy this weekend; hold off on TVs and flagship phones entirely until autumn.

When is the May bank holiday 2026?
The late May bank holiday in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland falls on Monday 26 May 2026. The long weekend runs Friday 23 May to Monday 26 May. Scotland’s spring bank holiday falls on the first Monday in June.

Which retailers have the best bank-holiday deals?
Per Which?'s 2025 bank-holiday shopping report, AO.com and Currys lead on appliance deals during this window. Amazon UK’s spring sale typically runs concurrently. Argos offers 2-hour click-and-collect across most of the UK for last-minute pickup.

Is it worth waiting for the John Lewis summer sale instead?
For larger kitchen appliances, yes, John Lewis typically launches its summer sale in the 27–31 May window, which can beat bank-holiday pricing. For outdoor entertaining gear and garden tech, buy over the bank-holiday weekend rather than waiting.

Should I buy a new TV over the bank holiday?
Based on Shopping.co.uk price tracking data, Black Friday in November beats May bank-holiday TV deals by 8–15% on average. Unless your TV has failed and you need a replacement now, November is the better window for that category.