As the holiday shopping season approaches, many shoppers hear a common refrain: Black Friday and related sales no longer offer “real deals.” The days of camping outside electronics stores after Thanksgiving dinner, waiting for doorbuster specials, may be largely behind us. Yet, despite changes in how and when sales occur, significant savings are still very much possible during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Drawing on over a decade of experience covering these events, this summary explores the current landscape of Black Friday shopping, how deals have evolved, and practical tips to ensure you get the best value this year.
### Black Friday Is No Longer One Day — It’s a Season
One of the biggest shifts in recent years is that Black Friday is no longer confined to the day after Thanksgiving. In fact, for many retailers, the sales season starts weeks earlier, and discounts may run for days or even weeks. If you’re reading this in late October or November, the Black Friday sales season has likely already begun in some form. Major retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy are already offering discounts on a wide variety of products, with many deals continuing right up to Cyber Monday and beyond.
For example, while Amazon has yet to announce its official Black Friday plans this year, the company usually runs one of the largest and longest-running holiday sales events. Last year, Amazon’s Black Friday deals stretched from November 21 to 29, but some of the best prices appeared as early as November 1 and held steady through Cyber Monday. This means that savvy shoppers can find great deals even before the traditional Black Friday window. Regularly checking Amazon’s site in the weeks leading up to the official event can help you lock in savings ahead of the crowd.
Similarly, Walmart has expanded its Black Friday footprint with multiple sales events throughout November. This year, the retailer has planned two big sale days under the banner “Whoknewville,” scheduled for November 14 and November 28. These sales will be available both online and in physical stores, giving shoppers ample opportunity to snag deals early. Following these events, Walmart will also hold a dedicated Cyber Monday sale focused exclusively on online shopping. Such extended sales periods reflect a broader trend among retailers to spread out discounts and reduce the pressure of a single shopping day.
Best Buy, another major player in the electronics and appliances market, launched its Black Friday sales cycle on October 31. The retailer is running “doorbuster” deals every Friday leading up to November 20, with many of those deals returning alongside new offers through November 29. Best Buy then transitions into Cyber Monday promotions through December 1. This month-long approach allows customers to shop at a more relaxed pace and still access some of the year’s best prices.
For a comprehensive overview of Black Friday sales announcements from a wide range of retailers, websites like BlackFriday.com compile updated lists and can be a helpful resource to plan your shopping.
### Beware of Artificially Inflated Prices
One longstanding tactic retailers have used to make discounts appear more attractive is to raise prices in the weeks leading up to a sale, then advertise the “discount” as a return to the regular price. This practice can mislead shoppers into thinking they’re getting a better deal than they actually are. While this can be frustrating, there are effective ways to avoid falling victim to these artificial price hikes.
CNET’s team of shopping experts monitors prices daily across numerous categories and retailers, ensuring that the deals they highlight are genuine and represent real savings. Their goal is to help consumers avoid inflated or misleading discounts by only showcasing offers that are truly worth considering. Following trusted sources like CNET during Black Friday and Cyber Monday can save you time and money by filtering out the noise.
### Tools to Track Price History and Get Alerts
Technology has made it easier than ever to verify whether a deal is legitimate. Several third-party tools track the pricing history of products across multiple retailers, so you can see if the current sale price is truly the lowest it’s been in recent months.
One such tool is Keepa, which provides detailed price charts for products sold on Amazon. For example, if you’re eyeing a popular item like the DJI Phantom 4 drone, Keepa can show you how its price has fluctuated over time, helping you decide whether to buy now or wait for a better deal.
Other price tracking tools and browser extensions serve similar purposes, many of which are publicly available and free to use. By leveraging these resources, shoppers can gain confidence that they