Black Friday 2023: When does it start and everything you need to know

Black Friday has gained popularity as the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season, with the name symbolizing stores transitioning from financial losses (in red) to profits (in black) on accounting ledgers. Retailers began offering discounts, attracting large crowds, and the tradition expanded to include both in-store and online sales. The day is marked by doorbuster deals and major discounts on various products. Retailers are now sharing ad scans and offers in advance for consumers to plan their purchases.

While traditional store openings on Thanksgiving have declined, online Black Friday sales have become more common, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to customers making their purchases from home. Now, they can choose between going to the stores in the first hours of the morning or staying at home and buying their products after some clicks.

When is Black Friday 2023?

The next Black Friday will be on Friday 24 November, 2023. The sales usually are available through the weekend and into Cyber Monday, which leads to Cyber Week, another event in which tech products are on sale. The official Black Friday website states: “As we’ve seen in recent years, plenty of retailers are hosting weeks-long Black Friday sales in 2023″.

Which stores have Black Friday sales?

Walmart is the most well-known store that participates in Black Friday. Other stores that are having sales are: Best Buy, Target, Amazon, Kohl’s, JCPenney, Home Depot, Macy’s, Lowe’s and Gamestop. The official website has a list of all the Black Friday stores, most of which will also have Cyber Monday sales.

At what time do stores open on Black Friday?

Walmart is closed on Thanksgiving, but opens at 6.00 a.m. on Black Friday. Lowe’s, Macy’s and others also open at that time, while some like Barnes and Noble will start selling until 8.00 a.m. On the official website there’s a list with each store’s sales hours (although some have not announced their schedule yet). Some stores will also have sales on their websites from 12:00 a.m.

Black Friday best deals

According to the official Black Friday website, the best deals are on products like the Apple Watch, the AirPods, iPads, iPhones, Macbooks and other Apple products. There’s also good discounts on Nintendo Switch, Playstation 5 and other consoles. Consumers can see a full list of product deals on the official website. There will also be good travel deals and Black Friday gift card deals.

In 2022, both Black Friday and Cyber Monday shattered spending records, with consumers collectively spending $9.12 billion on Black Friday and $11.3 billion on Cyber Monday. Despite sales beginning in early October, a significant number of shoppers opted to delay their purchases until Cyber Week, aiming to secure the best discounts available. According to data from Adobe Analytics, discounts in electronic devices were up at 25% off listed price.

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