It might be hard to believe Black Friday 2024 is back again. With Thanksgiving on the horizon, it’s time to start planning for the biggest shopping period of the year. With many shoppers planning to spend less on gifts this holiday season, deals are likely to be in higher demand than ever before, so it will pay to be prepared.
Whether you need to know when Black Friday is this year, or you’re trying to find out what kinds of deals your retailer of choice is planning to roll out this year, we've got you covered.
When does Black Friday start?
Black Friday is always the day after Thanksgiving. That means Black Friday 2024 will take place on Friday, November 29, 2024.
While Black Friday itself remains a key day for deals, many retailers have stopped limiting themselves to just one day’s worth of discounts. Nowadays, plenty of stores plan massive deal periods that can begin days or even weeks in advance of Black Friday.
When does Black Friday end?
As we mentioned above, Black Friday isn’t really a one-day event anymore. Typically, sales now run over the entire Black Friday weekend and lead into Cyber Monday, the online shopping equivalent.
This means we expect Black Friday sales to finally wind down on Tuesday, December 3rd in 2024 ... and then the holiday sales shopping starts!
What is Black Friday?
Black Friday is the name given to the Friday after Thanksgiving, and it's now synonymous with pre-Christmas deals in countries all over the globe.
The first (recorded) mention of the phrase was in November 1951 in the journal Factory Management and Maintenace, where it was used to describe people taking sick leave after Thanksgiving to get a four-day weekend. In the early 1960s, traffic-weary police in Philadelphia were using Black Friday and Black Saturday to refer to the terrible traffic that started to appear over Thanksgiving weekend.
What to expect from Black Friday 2024
The short answer to this question is: expect discounts, and a whole lot of them. If you take a look back at previous years, you’ll spot deals on sought-after kitchen gadgets like air fryers, TVs, Amazon own-brand devices, laptops and computers, gaming, toys, fashion, and practically anything else you could think of.
These days, you can also get a solid idea of the discounts to come by heading to the websites of online retailers like Amazon or big-box stores like Walmart, Best Buy and Target to find out all the information about their sales days, including Black Friday store hours and how to access the best bargains. Clue: it usually requires joining their membership program.
Does Target have a Black Friday sale?
Target sells everything from toys to tech, and you can expect some great prices on all sorts of items in the Black Friday sales event. But also note that Target started its Black Friday deals early, with weekly deals drops all the way through to Thanksgiving weekend.
Target has also launched its own Target Black Friday landing page. At the time of writing, the page lists where to find Black Friday opening hours for your nearest store, where to sign up to see Target’s Black Friday ads and other ways you can make great savings the next time you shop.
Be sure to look into their loyalty program, Target Circle, before the big day. Sign-up is free and gets you access to exclusive deals and other perks, including getting 1% back as store credit on eligible purchases. And you might be able to maximize your savings even more with a Target RedCard, which offers an extra 5% discount on qualifying items.
Does Walmart have a Black Friday sale?
Walmart is just one of many big-box stores that will be offering big discounts on Black Friday. Walmart has been a big Black Friday winnerand they'll be keen to capitalize on that momentum again, in 2024.
Walmart starts its members-only Black Friday early-access online event on Monday, November 25, but the Walmart deal hub is already up and running for you to preview the discounts that will be available once the deals go live. The hub has everything from TVs to toys to tech and everything in between. Online early access starts at 5pm ET, November 25. In-store deals aren't available until Black Friday but stores open at 6am for early-bird shoppers.
If you’re planning on shopping with Walmart, we’d strongly recommend signing up for Walmart Plus if you haven’t already. Along with all the normal perks it brings — free shipping with no minimum order threshold, free access to Paramount Plus, and much, much more.
Does Costco have a Black Friday sale?
If you’re planning on stocking up for the holidays at Costco, you’ll be pleased to know that the wholesale retailer has a sale planned.
If you want to plan ahead and see some of the deals that are being offered this year, check out the Costco Black Friday hub page on their website for more info.
Is Black Friday worth it?
The answer to this question is entirely dependent on whether you were planning on splashing the cash before Black Friday.
If you were looking to make a big purchase like upgrading a TV or you’re looking to do the bulk of your holiday shopping at this time of year, there’s every chance that you could make some great savings with Black Friday deals.
That being said, not all deals are created equally; sometimes, prices on certain goods will shoot up in the weeks leading up to Black Friday, meaning that the “saving” you’re getting isn’t actually as good as it looks.
To get the most out of Black Friday, we strongly suggest you plan ahead to make the most of Black Friday. Make a list of some of the things you’re looking for, and set a budget that you can reasonably stick to.
By deciding what items, brands, or models you’re in the market for ahead of time, you can navigate the massive deals pages on retailer websites or take a little bit of the stress out of shopping in-store. And if you have a budget to stick to, you might be less likely to overspend or be tempted by regrettable impulse buys.
We've got more tips for shopping smart in the sales and some good reasons not to wait until Black Friday to do your holiday shopping.
