2026 Black Friday Guide
Black Friday 2026 falls on 27 November, the day after Thanksgiving, with Cyber Monday following on 30 November. Major retailers have already started early sales, weeks in advance.
Key 2026 sale dates and timelines:
Walmart: Early sales run from 12–15 November; main Black Friday events run from 23–29 November (online only from 23–26 November); Cyber Monday runs from 30 November to 2 December.
Target: Daily deals started on 1 November, with early Black Friday offers continuing until mid-November, and Black Friday week kicking off around 22 November.
Lowe's: Early bird deals started in late October, followed by the "12 Days of Deals" promotion beginning on 16 November and the official doorbuster deals launching on 27 November.
Amazon & Best Buy: Rolling out early tech, gaming and appliance price drops throughout November, ahead of Thanksgiving week.
What to buy vs. wait for:
Best Black Friday Deals: Televisions (up to 23% off), toys (up to 29% off), clothing, major appliances, furniture, and small kitchen appliances such as air fryers and stand mixers. (For recommendations on kitchen and cooking gear, check out the Wirecutter Black Friday Guide).
Fashion and beauty sales: Retailers such as Abercrombie (40–55% off), Loft/Express (50% off), Nordstrom (up to 50% off plus extra clearance) and Sephora (up to 50% off) are offering significant discounts, which are detailed in the Alo Profile Cyber Week Guide.
Cyber Monday: This is often when you'll see the deepest historic price drops for specific electronics, laptops, and computer hardware.
Smart shopping tips:
Use store apps: Many retailers offer extra discounts or loyalty member perks exclusively to shoppers using their mobile apps.
Bulk & Appliance Strategy: Most users on the Reddit forum r/Frugal agree that Black Friday is the best time to buy large appliances (such as chest freezers) and stock up on holiday bulk foods.
Create wishlists early. Set up accounts with online retailers ahead of time to save your payment and shipping information, so that you can purchase fast-selling items quickly.