What’s your inbox looking like right now? Chances are it’s wall-to-wall emails from every brand you’ve ever signed up to, sharing their Black Friday deals.
Yep, it’s that time of year again, when you can save some serious dollar on that air fryer you’ve had your eye on, the new Apple laptop you need since you spilt coffee (RIP) on your last one – or, in less sexy news, that robot hoover you just know is going to transform your mess of a flat (and life) for the better.
Black Friday sees retailers offer up some of their biggest discounts of the year, and followed hot on the heels by Cyber Monday, many brands now give us up to a week or more of savings.
While it’s a great change to bag some bits from your wishlist, it can feel, well, A LOT – which is why HuffPost Shopping is here to guide you through things.
What is Black Friday and when is it this year?
Black Friday is the last Friday in November, which is the day after Thanksgiving in the US. The proximity to Christmas of this rare four-day weekend for most Americans has traditionally made it the busiest shopping day of the year.
And now Black Friday is international. Retailers and brands save some of their biggest deals and discounts for this day – especially in-store – in a bid to lure shoppers back to IRL browsing and spending. And this can mean making great savings for you on the stuff you already know you want and need.
This year Black Friday falls on Friday, November 25.
What about Cyber Monday, then?
Cyber Monday, which falls three days later, started life as the online equivalent of Black Friday – with even more deals, but available online only.
However, for many retailers, Black Friday sales now extend for up to a week or more, taking in both events. Amazon’s Black Friday sale begins on Friday November 18 this year, while Wayfair’s early access sale has already begun.
In 2022, Cyber Monday is Monday, November 28.
What should I buy in Black Friday Week?
Black Friday is known as a good time to nab big ticket tech for less – think TVs, computers and laptops, household white goods, and phones.
In reality, almost all retailers now hold a Black Friday sale, so you could be saving big on everything from fashion and beauty brands to those boring but useful home and parenting essentials, as well as big brand tech.
How do I find the best Black Friday deals?
Retailers want to make their Black Friday deals as easy as possible to find – Amazon has its own microsite, for example – but it can still feel a little overwhelming, especially as some Black Friday deals are revealed to be not quite as shiny as they seem.
That’s why HuffPost Shopping will be scouring the interest for the best genuine Black Friday discounts we can find across from home, kitchen and tech as well as any fantastic spot deals – think air fryers! – we spot on the day. And we’ll be doing the very same on Cyber Monday right until the end of the sale period.
Bookmark our HuffPost Shopping page, where you can also sign up to our newsletter that will drop our fave deals direct into your inbox on the day.
Our pick of the best deals we’ve found on Amazon
With Amazon’s Black Friday sale already live, we’ve rounded up some of the best deals we’ve spotted on the site so far.
What about the postal strikes over Black Friday?
If you’re hoping to receive your Black Friday parcels quickly, it’s worth noting that Royal Mail workers are set to take part in two 48-hour strikes that land across Black Friday and Cyber Monday week.
Members of the Communication Workers’ Union are planning to take action over pay and working conditions on November 24 and 25, and again on November 30 and December 1, with a spokesperson for Royal Mail warning disruption is likely, despite the company’s “well-developed contingency plans”.
Separately, almost 1,000 workers at an Amazon packaging company have also voted in favour of strike action. The GMB Union members work at DS Smith, which makes corrugated packaging for other major brands including Brewdog, PepsiCo, Diageo and McVities, plan to take action if a deal is not struck.
We’ll keep this page updated on developments.
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