Is it Black Friday today? When to start seriously shopping in the sales – and more
>
We’ve all seen the Black Friday 2022 ads. The weather is getting colder. So as we speed toward the end of November and the end of the work week, it’s a fair question: Is it Black Friday today?
The short answer is: no. Black Friday doesn’t officially start until November 25th – next Friday.
But in many ways Black Friday has started. There’s already been a huge influx of Black Friday deals and the annual sales event is in full swing at several major retailers.
Today – a week before Black Friday – marks our start to the discount season. The best deals of the year used to appear on Black Friday itself, but that’s not the case anymore. Last year, most of the biggest offers launched in the seven days leading up to Black Friday – then remained relatively static as we moved through the Black Friday weekend into Cyber Monday.
In fact, there were very few new deals across many of the biggest product categories on both shopping days last year – and some of the best deals from earlier in the month didn’t return. And that is a trend that we expect again this year.
So far, many of the signs are there. We’ve already seen a huge number of TVs, electronics and housewares marked down to their lowest price ever. Meanwhile, Black Friday week officially started this morning at Amazon UK, with the launch of the store 10-day Black Friday deals event (opens in new tab). And most major US retailers went live with their respective sales a few weeks ago: We’ve rounded up the biggest deals from the Walmart Black Friday sale, as well as the top discounts in the Best Buy Black Friday sale, in November – and we watched the deals get better.
As of today, our advice is to keep your eyes peeled. We’re expecting to see some serious Black Friday deals from now on – so if you see a big saving on a product you’ve been eyeing in the coming days, we’d suggest grabbing it (unless our advice below says otherwise for that specific product category). The price may drop a little further, but it probably won’t be much, and you’re more likely to avoid some of the expected delivery delays next week.
The best Black Friday sales: quick links
American retailers
- Amazon: 50% off TVs, Apple Watch, clothing, vacuum cleaners and toys (opens in new tab)
- Best Buy: up to $700 off TVs, laptops, appliances and more (opens in new tab)
- DIY store: 50% off tools, major appliances and holiday decorations (opens in new tab)
- Target: 45% off toys, Christmas decor, coffee makers and more (opens in new tab)
- walmart: toys, TVs, vacuum cleaners and laptops from $19.99 (opens in new tab)
- wayfair: up to 80% off sofas, rugs and more, plus free shipping (opens in new tab)
British retailers
When is Black Friday 2022?
Black Friday falls on Friday, November 25 this year. However, major retailers often go live with their respective Black Friday sales earlier in the month, so it’s easy to get confused about when the day itself actually happens.
Do you have to wait for Black Friday for the best deals?
Generally no: we think many of the deals launching from now on will be good enough to be considered prime Black Friday discounts. However, that mindset doesn’t necessarily apply to every product category.
For example, last year we have did see TV prices fall further on Black Friday and Cyber Monday itself. Computing deals, however, remained relatively static through the last weeks of November.
Home product offers, meanwhile, are likely to be a mixed bag. Expensive appliances – such as Nespresso coffee makers and Dyson vacuum cleaners – could improve the discounts in the coming days. We expect those deals to appear closer to Black Friday itself. However, for mid-range products, there are now a lot of top savings to be had.
We analyze the situation for each product category in our dedicated Black Friday hubs, so check back often to learn more about the best deals of the day.