New Delhi, Sept. 23 -- Every year, Amazon's Great Indian Festival and Flipkart's Big Billion Days advertise steep discounts on everything from smartphones and laptops to home appliances and clothes. Are these blockbuster deals real bargains, or just clever marketing?

Mint tracked prices on both platforms to find out. A pre-sale tracker monitored popular products ten days before the discounts, recording prices first on 13 September and again on 23 September, when the sales began. The comparison between pre-sale and deal prices offers a clearer picture of actual savings.

We shortlisted best-selling gadgets and kitchen appliances electronics on both the platforms. These include iPhones, laptops, televisions, wireless earphones and fridge....