‘Tis the Season for Black Friday Sales: What You Need to Know
Shop Black Friday deals early.
Pixabay/CNET
This story is part of Gift Guide, our year-round collection of the best gift ideas.
Black Friday is just a few days away — Nov. 25. However, Black Friday?deals?have been going on since mid-October, making the day itself less important this year. Actually, many stores won’t even be open on Thanksgiving night leading up to the big day. Instead, retailers such as Amazon,?Best Buy, Home Depot, Target and Walmart have opted for early Black Friday deals, putting some of their best sales online.
Instead of venturing out into the cold on an early Friday morning, you can avoid the crowd and shop the same sales ahead of time from the comfort of your couch.
Here’s what you need to know about Black Friday shopping this year.
Which early Black Friday deals are happening now?
While there were plenty of early deals, the “real” Black Friday sales and price drops are picking up now. Here’s where you can find the best deals:?
- Best Black Friday deals overall
- Best Amazon deals
- Best Walmart deals
- Best Best Buy deals
- Best Target deals
- Best Home Depot deals
- Best Google Store deals
- Best smart home deals
Amazon lowered its prices on Amazon Echo devices and Best Buy has slashed prices on tech and smart home appliances, like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus and the Google Nest Mini.?
You can find sales on?Home Depot’s site, from refrigerators to tools. Walmart’s deals include vacuums, TVs, routers and more.
Ditch the long lines in stores
Do you really want to camp out or stand in lines for hours on end waiting for Best Buy to open? Of course not. By staying home, you can cozy up on your couch with a warm cup of tea and simply click Buy when it’s time. No need to rush out to the stores, only to lose out on the $200 AirPods Pro 2 you’ve been waiting for.
After nearly three years of a pandemic, many stores realize people aren’t willing to waste time in long lines when they can take advantage of deals at home, so they’re putting their Black Friday deals online early. So far, we’re seeing deals from Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, Target and Best Buy. We’ll continue to update the list as we hear about new deals from other stores.
The online deals are usually just as good
Some retailers are offering the same, if not better, deals online. The best part is, you won’t have to wait until Black Friday to buy what you’re looking for because many stores have started their sales early (see below). Look closely at ads and newspaper circulars for “in-store only” disclaimers. Walmart has those for many of its ultracheap Blu-ray deals and even some TVs, but the vast majority of other sales are available online.
Not to mention, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to use promotional codes online and save even more. For example, a store might offer a one-time discount for signing up to receive its emails. (You can always unsubscribe at a later date.)
Shop early Black Friday deals at Best Buy.
Angela Lang/CNETThe early bird gets the AirPods
If you shop early, rather than waiting to go into the stores, you have a better chance of snagging what you want. Make sure you know when the product is going on sale so you can grab it before it’s gone. You can also add it to your shopping cart ahead of time and make sure you’re logged in to your account on the store’s website.?
Just remember, if you’re buying a gift for someone else, know these rules first.
For more Black Friday tips, you’ll find all our advice collected on our Black Friday cheat sheet. Plus, this Amazon shopping hack can save you money all year long.