It’s no secret — sales happen pretty constantly these days. If it seems like every few months there’s yet another massive blow-out sale that every retailer is competing with, then you’re not alone. Which might lead you to ask: is Black Friday even worth shopping anymore?
The short answer is an emphatic yes. While retailers might be introducing more sales throughout the year, Black Friday is still the biggest sales holiday of the year, and competition to win over customers with low prices is more intense than ever. As long as shoppers still expect huge deals and are willing to shop Black Friday, retailers will keep slashing prices.
YOUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING HEADQUARTERS
But, Black Friday is historically not the best time to shop for everything under the sun. Product categories like toys, furniture, and appliances are all heavily discounted for Black Friday, and it’s definitely one of the best times of the year to shop for those. You’ll want to hold off, though, on many outdoors-related items that tend to see steeper discounts around Memorial Day and Labor Day, bookmarking the summer months.
And, with that, you’re ready to shop! While some retailers hold off for a traditional Black Friday sale, most have started moving their sales back to start earlier and earlier (more on that later), so you can get you holiday shopping done now. Grab those lists and get clicking!
Best Amazon Black Friday Deals
Like last year, Amazon has extended their Black Friday sale to start earlier, this year on November 21st, meaning you’ll be able to start shopping heavily discounted gifts over a week sooner than normal.
Best Walmart Black Friday Deals
Walmart started their early Black Friday deals on November 11th, with rollbacks in just about every product category. While Walmart has plenty of great deals on tech and furniture, some of the most sought-after discounts are on the season’s hottest toys, from toddler toys for the little ones to board games for the whole family. We’re sharing some of the best deals below, but if you want to see more, then check out our full list of the best Walmart Black Friday sales.
Best Wayfair Black Friday Deals
If you’re looking to upgrade to a cozy new reading chair in the new year or ditch your old couch for a nice new one, then you’ll definitely want to shop Wayfair’s Black Friday sale. The official start date is Thanksgiving, but you can score some solid discounts by shopping early, too.
Other Black Friday Sales Worth Shopping
- Nordstrom’s Black Friday sale begins on Thanksgiving, but they have select previews of some mark downs available now for you to plan ahead.
- Target’s Black Friday sale is already live, with up to 50% off holiday goods, games, vacuums, and more.
- “Almost everything is on sale” at Old Navy. Their early Black Friday sale has prices starting at just $5.
- Lowe’s is doing a traditional Black Friday sale, but is also running their Black Friday Buildup sale all month long, with Deals of the Day on products at their lowest prices of the year.
- Home Depot has already launched their Black Friday sale that will go through December 4th.
- Anthropologie participates in a traditional Black Friday model, with sales starting the day of.
How to Get the Best Deals on Black Friday
As a shopping editor, I’ve gotten scoring a good deal down to a science. While you can shop just about any time around Black Friday and get a good deal, I want you to get the best deal possible. So, here are my tips:
- Be aware of any price-matching policies. Consider if you can get any extra benefits from shopping somewhere that price matches. This could mean extra credit card rewards, BOGO deals, or free store warranties on appliances.
- Shopping early is the way to go. Waiting for actual Black Friday will score you some major discounts, but sometimes paying a slightly higher price a week before will save you from desperately searching for the out-of-stock toy your child has been asking for Christmas for months. Either way, you don’t want to wait more than a couple of weeks into December to finish up your holiday shopping. Shipping is contentious this time of year, and you don’t want to show up to the gift exchange empty handed because you were waiting out for the best deal possible.
- Think beyond gifts. It’s easy to get caught up in all the toy and tech deals and forget about everything else that’s on sale for Black Friday. Now is a great time to grab a few last-minute pieces of holiday décor or stock up on essentials that are seriously on sale. I like to go through my most-purchased items at Amazon or Walmart and see if those are on sale. I’ve saved money on everything from dog food to cleaning essentials by doing this.
- Shop gift sets…for yourself. I love holiday gift sets, but not for giving. I use this time to stock up on essentials, particularly beauty essentials, that I use all year long that are wrapped up in gift sets for the holidays. Lip sets, moisturizer duos, and even body wash/lotion packs go majorly on sale for Black Friday. And who doesn’t want to smell like gingerbread all year long?
Hannah Jones is the Commerce Editor for Country Living. Her eye is always on the next up-and-coming products to include in gift guides and she’s ready to test everything from dog beds to garden tools for product reviews. When she’s not scoping out the latest and greatest items on the market, you can find her hanging with her two rescue dogs.