best deals for black friday 2018

Black Friday deals 2021: the best early offers from Best Buy, Amazon and more

Black Friday deals are dropping earlier than ever, which means you can shop incredible offers right now from retailers including Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Best Buy. Our Black Friday deals guide is bringing you all the best early sales and stand-out deals and covering all the latest Black Friday 2021 news.

While the official Black Friday date takes place on November 26, retailers are pushing deals right now in a bid to avoid shipping delays. This means you can shop early Black Friday deals today on everything from TVs, AirPods, and laptops, to vacuums, air fryers, toys, and more.

Just today, Amazon has dropped early Black Friday deals which include record-low prices from brands like Apple, Sony, Instant Pot, Roomba, and more. The retail giant will be releasing new bargains every day, and we'll be covering all the hottest discounts on this page.

Best Buy has also started rolling out its early Black Friday deals, which comes with a

Black Friday price guarantee

: the retailer is promising that any product featured in today's sale will not go any lower in price before Black Friday – and if for any reason it does, Best Buy will refund the difference.

Walmart has also launched its first official Black Friday sale, with discounts on TVs, toys, laptops, appliances, and more. The retail giant will be releasing three more early Black Friday promotions starting on November 3, two of which Walmart+ members will get exclusive early access to.

We'll be bringing you more Black Friday 2021 deals as soon as they drop, and we'll also be telling you everything else you need to know to help you score your dream Black Friday deal, including when official sales from different retailers start, where to look for the best bargains, and the absolute best Black Friday deals you can expect.

Black Friday deals: quick links

Can you shop for official Black Friday 2021 sales right now? Technically, no, but retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart have launched early Black Friday deals, which include Black Friday-worthy discounts on items we typically see discounted during the November sale. We've combed through today's offers to bring you the best early Black Friday deals that are happening right now.

Amazon: Early Black Friday deals on AirPods, TVs, Instant Pot, and more
Adidas: up to 30% off shoes and clothing, plus free shipping
Best Buy: Black Friday prices on 4K TVs, laptops, iPads, and appliances
Cheap TVs: smart TV deals starting at just $119.99
Dell: up to $700 off the XPS 13, Inspiron, and Alienware
DreamCloud: $200 off luxury hybrid mattress + $399 free gifts
Holiday gift guide: top-rated gifts from Amazon for the whole family
Home Depot: save over $1,000 on major appliances
HP: laptop deals starting at $199.99
Lowe's: 50% off tools, appliances, and holiday decor
Microsoft: save up to $400 on the Surface Pro 7
Nectar: Black Friday prices - $499 in savings + $399 in free accessories
Nintendo Switch: latest stock updates on consoles and games
Saatva: take $200 off your mattress purchase of $925 or more
Samsung: Black Friday savings of up to $3,500 on 4K and 8K QLED TVs
Target: massive deals on TVs, toys, Dyson, Keurig, and more
Toys: save on the best-selling toys of 2021
Verizon: deals on the iPhone, Pixel 6, Apple Watch, and more
Walmart: Black Friday deals on TVs, toys, vacuums, and more
Wayfair: up to 50% off Christmas trees, decor, wreaths, and stockings

The best Black Friday deals you can buy now

The best Black Friday deals: TVs

The best Black Friday deals: laptops and computing

The best Black Friday deals: home and kitchen

The best Black Friday deals: headphones and audio

The best Black Friday deals: smart home

Black Friday deals 2021: our predictions

Black Friday 2021 should continue last year's trend of not just offering discounts but offering discounts on items you'll actually want to buy as retailers jockey for more limited wallets against fierce online competition.

According to Adobe Analytics, 2020 saw a 21% uplift in consumer online spending marking it the second-largest online spending day in U.S. history, coming in behind Cyber Monday 2019.

Last year's biggest Black Friday money makers? According to Adobe, the most popular items included Hot Wheels, Lego sets, AirPods, Apple Watches, Amazon Echo devices, and Samsung TVs.

We expect the Black Friday 2021 sales event to also offer similar deals on Apple's latest devices, such as Airpods, the latest Apple Watch, and 2021 iPads. We should also see significant discounts on Amazon's own devices as well as deals on this year's hottest toys and kitchen appliances.

Amazon is already giving us a sneak peek by launching its Epic Deals sale, which according to the retailer, offers "Black Friday-worthy" deals throughout the month of October from categories including tech, appliances, fashion, beauty, toys, and Amazon's own devices. Amazon's sale can give us a preview of what Black Friday deals we can expect in November, and so far, we've seen discounts on AirPods, OLED TVs, robot vacuums, and smart home devices.

Best Buy and Walmart have also joined in on the fun by launching Black Friday deals earlier this month. Both retailers are trying to compete with Amazon by offering steep discounts on 4K TVs, headphones, laptops, toys, appliances, and more. Best Buy is even offering a Black Friday Price Guarantee, which means that any products featured in its early sales will not go any lower in price before Black Friday. If, for some reason, they do, you'll be automatically refunded.

How do I get the best Black Friday deals in 2021?

Homework can really help when it comes to finding the best Black Friday deals. Some retailers up prices from August through to October to offer supposedly amazing discounts on Black Friday, so don't be fooled by such moves.

They're particularly prevalent in expensive consumer electronics such as TVs or laptops, with products that were dropped down to a great bargain price suddenly being pushed back to their MSRP again.

It's also an excellent idea to be flexible: for example, if you're after a Samsung UHD TV, it's best to think about the features you want rather than a specific model number: the BRV553ABD34-82C-9218-X may not be discounted on Black Friday 2021, but an almost identical set with the specification you want probably will be.

So do your research on what matters, and we'll do our best to give you the right comparison needed to score the best Black Friday deals.

However, don't be fooled into thinking that something that looks like a five-star set is the same but cheaper - certain elements (often with regards to screen quality or image processing) won't be as high quality to achieve that lower price point.

Black Friday and shipping delays: what it means

Black Friday deals are launching earlier than ever, with Amazon kicking off the holiday shopping season with its Epic Deals on October 4. Retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and Target have followed suit and launched their own early Black Friday deals event with discounts on AirPods, TVs, Toys, air fryers, vacuums, and more.

So why the rush? Retailers are pushing earlier than ever sales in response to product shortages and expected shipping delays. Retailers are worried about keeping items in stock for the holidays, and Walmart has even taken the steps to charter its own vessels to move products as quickly as possible. According to Adobe, out-of-stock messages online are expected to be up 172% from last year, which means if you're after a specific product, you should start shopping now.

The good news is that retailers are aware that customers are shopping now for holiday gifts, which is why they're launching Black Friday deals earlier than ever before. We've also been very impressed with the offers so far - we've seen record-low prices on OLED TVs, AirPods, Dyson Vacuums, iPads, coffee makers, and more.

Retailers like Best Buy are even offering a Black Friday price guarantee, which promises that any product featured in its early sales will not go any lower in price before Black Friday. If, for some reason, they do, Best Buy is offering a full refund for the difference.

If you still want to wait for Black Friday proper to snag a deal, keep in mind that stock will be more limited than years past, so do your research beforehand so you can be sure to get your hands on the best Black Friday deals.

Black Friday deals: FAQs

When is Black Friday 2021?

When is Black Friday 2021? The official Black Friday date for this year is November 26, 2021. The actual date shifts every year, but the day of the week stays the same: it's always the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Last year, retailers kicked off Black Friday deals earlier than ever to create a safer shopping experience and avoid shipping delays due to the Coronavirus pandemic. This year, we're seeing a similar trend with retailers launching Black Friday promotions earlier than ever to avoid potential shipping delays and stock issues.

What Black Friday deals can I shop for now?

Last year we saw Black Friday deals launch earlier than ever as retailers tried to create a safer shopping experience in response to the Coronavirus Pandemic. We also saw a move to the competitive arena of online sales, with more and more retailers on the web than ever before.

So what does this mean for the Black Friday 2021 sale? Retailers are gearing up for expected shipping delays, which means Black Friday deals are starting earlier than ever before.

Amazon kicked off the holiday event with its Epic Deals sale, which launched at the beginning of October. The retail giant has been releasing new "Black Friday-worthy" deals every day from top brands like Apple, Sony, Samsung, Instant Pot, and more. So far, we've been highly impressed with the early Black Friday deals thanks to record-low prices on OLED TVs, AirPods, vacuums, and more.

Walmart launched its first Black Friday 2021 sale with early preview deals that included TVs, toys, laptops, and kitchen appliances, to name a few. Walmart will be dropping more Black Friday deals throughout November, with three separate sales, two of which Walmart+ members will get exclusive early access.

Not to be left out, Best Buy has also rolled out Black Friday deals with four-day flash sales that began on October 18. The best part about Best Buy's early Black Friday sale is the Black Friday Price Guarantee, which means that any products featured in the sale will not go any lower in price before Black Friday. If, for some reason, they do, you'll be automatically refunded.

Target is joining in on the fun with its Holiday Best Deals sale, which includes early Black Friday deals across every category throughout the shopping season. The retailer is trying to compete with Amazon by offering discounts on tech, appliances, toys, clothing, furniture, decor, and more. Target is also offering a holiday price match guarantee, so if an item you purchased goes lower before Christmas Eve, Target will price match, so you're guaranteed to get the best deal available.

Early Black Friday deals not only allow you to get a head start on your holiday shopping, but you also won't have to worry about your gifts getting delivered in time. We've listed the best sales from your favorite retailers below so that you can browse early offers today.

Amazon - epic deals on AirPods, OLED TVs appliances, and more
Target - up to 40% off clothes, tech, appliances, and toys
Best Buy - cheap 4K TVs starting at $299.99
Walmart - early Black Friday deals on toys, TVs, laptops, and more

Where are the best places to find Black Friday deals?

Most online retailers offer Black Friday deals, but it's our job to sort through the thousands of offers to find the very best bargains from the bunch. You'll typically find the best Black Friday deals from big-name retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and Target, with Amazon leading the pack.

Amazon is a Black Friday favorite, not only because they offer record-low prices but because they offer discounts on a wide variety of categories. So whether you're looking for tech items like laptops, TVs, or AirPods or searching for discounts on clothing, kitchen appliances, or toys - Amazon is likely to offer Black Friday deals on the product you're after.

Other retailers that offer impressive Black Friday deals include Best Buy, Walmart, Target, Dell, Home Depot, Lowe's, and Overstock. It can be overwhelming with so many retailers and promotions, but that's where our deal expertise comes in. We go through every retailer to pick out the very best Black Friday deals so you can make sure you're getting the lowest price available. We also keep a live list of the best Black Friday sales from all the top online retailers, so you can easily jump to the offer you want.

If you don't want to wait till November to shop for Black Friday deals, we've included the current sales from the top online retailers just below.

Amazon: daily deals on tech, home items, clothing, and more
Best Buy: savings on 4K TVs, laptops, and headphones
Dell: save up to $250 on best-selling laptops
Home Depot: save on tools, appliances, furniture, and more
Kohl's: save on clothing, shoes, and accessories for the whole family
Lowe's: appliance deals from Samsung, Whirlpool, and LG starting at $99
Overstock: 70% off furniture, decor, and appliances + free shipping
Target: save on furniture, tech, and clothing for the whole family
Walmart: save on TVs, laptops, kitchen appliances, and more

Why is it called Black Friday

Let's take a history lesson to find how why they call it Black Friday: the first known mention of Black Friday related to this shopping experience was in November 1951, when the journal Factory Management and Maintenance used it to describe people calling in sick the day after Thanksgiving so they could have an extra day off work.

At the same time, US police were using the phrases "Black Friday" and "Black Saturday" to describe the horrendous traffic that occurred at the beginning of the pre-Christmas shopping season.

In 1961, the local government moved to change the shopping season to "Big Friday" and "Big Saturday," but it never caught on. The notion that it was the time when retailers moved 'back into the black' was seen far later and clearly an attempt to bring positivity to the term.

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Mackenzie Frazier is the deals editor in the US for TechRadar at Future plc. She's been sharing deal advice for Future for the past three years and loves to find products that the consumer wants at the best possible price. She's had eight years of experience working in the e-commerce space and loves being a mom to her baby boy.