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Black Friday 2022 is still a ways off, but if you’re already planning your yearly shopping in light of ongoing shortages and supply chain problems, then it’s not too early to start thinking about what you’re aiming to buy this year. That’s especially true if you don’t have a Prime membership to take advantage of Amazon Prime Day deals, as Black Friday (and by extension Cyber Monday) are the only sales that are really comparable.
And because Black Friday sales are so big and offer discounts on virtually everything money can buy, it’s always a good idea to be prepared. Your preparation here can even help you navigate upcoming summer sales like Prime Day, if you plan to do some summer deal-hunting as well. Whatever your reasons may be for being here, though, we’ve got your back with this in-depth guide that lays out what we expect to see from the 2022 Black Friday sales and everything else you need to know.
When (and what) is Black Friday 2022?
Black Friday is an annual retail blowout event that takes place the day after Thanksgiving, which falls on November 24 this year. That means that officially, Black Friday 2022 starts November 25, but the sales themselves usually start earlier — more on that in a bit. Originally a one-day affair, Black Friday now runs through the entire post-Thanksgiving weekend and right into Cyber Monday, with many retailers blending the two sales into a singular event.
The beginnings of Black Friday are a not well-known, and there are several prevailing theories. In the U.S., the day after Thanksgiving has marked the beginning of the Christmas shopping season since the 1950s or possibly even earlier. The term “Black Friday” actually pre-dates the shopping event, too, originally referring to a 19th century gold market crash, with the “Black” moniker typically referring to negative events such as financial crises. How the term eventually came to refer to a post-Thanksgiving sales event is unclear, and although it may be something of a misnomer, the name has stuck and been a part of common parlance in the U.S. since the mid-2oth century.
The origins of Cyber Monday are less murky. A much more recent invention that dates to 2005, this event was originally intended to be an online-only counterpart to Black Friday that took place on the Monday following Thanksgiving. Today, however, it’s no surprise to find most retailers offering their Black Friday deals online as well, so “Cyber Monday” could be considered a misnomer, too. Although many shoppers still flock to brick-and-mortar retail stores to fight over the best bargains, you don’t have to in order to shop the 2022 Black Friday sales. You can do it right from the comfort of your couch, and with our guide and our ongoing sales coverage, we can direct you right to all the best Black Friday deals to save you even more time and money.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are rivaled only by Amazon Prime Day when it comes to discounts and sheer sales volume, so this is one of the best (if not the best) times of the year to find high-end, brand-name stuff at the lowest prices you’ll see.
When do the Black Friday sales start?
It’s natural to assume that the 2022 Black Friday sales would start on Friday (November 25 this year), but nowadays, retailers are dropping their official Black Friday deals on Thursday evening in an obvious bid to catch early shoppers who are ready to veg on the couch and do some online shopping with bellies full of turkey. Many outlets even start running their Black Friday sales earlier in the week, so if you’re itching to shop, then you might want to tune in earlier than you might think.
Of course, merchants aren’t shy about advertising and teasing their Black Friday deals well in advance, and savvy shoppers are in on the game (after all, you’re reading this yourself right now, well in advance of the holiday sale season!). We saw this start as early as October last year. That said, the best Black Friday deals are almost always going to be on tap during the sale itself, and retailers have kept the event window tight to create a sense of urgency that will make shoppers more likely to drop some cash — lest they miss the chance.
Where are the best Black Friday deals?
Black Friday is not only not exclusive to any specific retailers (unlike Amazon Prime Day or Walmart’s Days of Deals, to name two merchant-specific sales) but it’s no longer even limited to physical brick-and-mortar stores. Within the last decade, Black Friday sales — once intended to be only an in-store event, even in the online age — have increasingly spilled over onto the internet. That’s good news for homebodies and anybody else who doesn’t want to risk being trampled to death just to score a new smart TV.
Expect pretty much every retail store — both brick-and-mortar and online — to run Black Friday sales. That includes the obvious ones such as Walmart, Best Buy, Target, and Amazon, as well as more specialized merchants like Newegg, Lowe’s, and Wayfair. Brand outlets like HP and Dell also run Black Friday sales right on their own websites, although Apple is typically absent from the post-Thanksgiving retail festivities.
Note that this is only a handful of retailers that get in on the Black Friday and Cyber Monday action. It is indeed possible to cast too wide a net when hunting for Black Friday deals, so you should narrow the scope of your search so you don’t get frozen with decision paralysis. Black Friday is a relatively short sales event (even if many stores offer extended Black Friday deals after the weekend is over), so time is of the essence. If you’re curious about what retailers are the best for specific products, keep reading to see what Black Friday deals we expect for 2022.
What Black Friday deals can you expect in 2022?
Just as Black Friday sales aren’t exclusive to any retailers, Black Friday deals aren’t limited to any particular product categories. You’re likely to find what you’re looking for on discount during the 2022 Black Friday sales: That includes clothing, bedding, home and kitchen appliances, office essentials, and — of course — pricey electronics.
We’re always the most excited about tech deals ourselves, and that’s probably what you’re here for. You probably also already know that technology and entertainment deals always feature heavily among Black Friday sales. Markdowns of around 30% or even more are quite common during the Black Friday rush, but remember that the hottest and most in-demand items, such as Apple products and laptops, go out of stock quickly. That might be even more of a pressing issue this year if ongoing supply chain issues aren’t resolved when the holiday shopping season rolls around.
Not all retailers offer the same types of deals, and since Black Friday sales span pretty much every product category, you’ll want to zero in on a few stores that have the best deals on what you want. For example, if you need a new computer or want to upgrade your setup, then outlets like Best Buy, Walmart, HP, Dell, and Newegg are among the best places to shop for laptop deals, Chromebook deals, gaming laptop deals, monitor deals, and desktop PC deals. MacBook deals might be less common, but there are still likely to be a few good discounts on select models. That also goes for less exciting things like printer deals.
Merchants including Walmart, Best Buy, Target, Wayfair, Home Depot, and Lowe’s are great places to shop for Black Friday deals on home essentials like appliances, furniture, and bedding. We also shouldn’t have to mention Staples as the go-to outlet for office supplies and electronics. Walmart and Best Buy are hands-down the best places to find 4K TV deals. Amazon carries a few of these, too, particularly models that run on Fire TV software (although you’ll find these at Best Buy as well).
Amazon’s pickings are a bit slimmer than those of other stores when it comes to deals on bigger things like computers and home appliances, but it’s good to go for just about everything else. Headphone deals, Bluetooth speaker deals, tablet deals, you name it — if it’s portable and runs on battery power, expect to see it on sale here during Black Friday. Amazon also offers deep discounts on its own in-house brand products including Kindle e-readers and tablets, Fire smart TVs and streaming sticks, Alexa-powered Echo devices, and other smart home products under its Ring, Blink, and Eero lines.
If, like many, you’re specifically on the prowl for some gaming deals come Black Friday, there’s not going to be a better time to shop for them. GameStop, Walmart, Best Buy, Amazon, and Newegg are the top picks for this, and we’re sure to see some great discounts on everything from new AAA game releases to the latest consoles like the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X. Black Friday sales will also be one of the few times throughout the year that you can expect to find any Nintendo Switch deals, although these are most likely to come in the form of consoles bundled with games or accessories rather than a standalone price cut (but you never know for sure until the sales go live).
Whatever Black Friday deals you have on your radar, just remember to have a plan and remain disciplined. If you rush in blindly, you might end up with a deal that’s not really a good discount off the item’s normal price, or you might get stuck with a last-gen item when you wanted the latest model. On the bright side, most retailers have good return policies, which they extend during the holiday shopping season, so you shouldn’t have to worry too much. The bigger risk is that you’ll miss that Black Friday deal you’ve had your eye on since summer. Make a list, check it twice, and bookmark this page, because we’ll keep you updated with all the latest Black Friday 2022 info that you need.
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