The Ultimate Guide To Black Friday 2021
It may not be Thanksgiving yet, but Black Friday 2021 is officially here. Most major retailers from Amazon to Walmart to Best Buy to Target have all already kicked off their Black Friday sales. Great deals are available now, and more great deals are coming weekly.
If you're looking to get your holiday shopping game plan together, you've come to the right place. Here is your guide to finding the best deals for Black Friday 2021.
What you need to know about Black Friday 2021
Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is one of the biggest deal-shopping events of the year. On Black Friday, almost every major retailer offers big discounts on holiday gifts, the hottest toys of the year, apparel, kitchen gifts, tech gadgets and more. Don't expect discounts on hard-to-find items like the Sony PlayStation 5, but you may be able to catch a PS5 restock during Black Friday.
Traditionally on Black Friday, some shoppers stay up late the night of Thanksgiving or wake up early to line up in front of stores for early-morning openings and doorbuster deals. In light of COVID-19, many stores closed on Thanksgiving 2020, and instead of directing shoppers to their brick-and-mortar stores on Black Friday, directed shoppers to Black Friday deals on their websites.
Curbside pickup options were popular in 2020, and will likely be just as popular in 2021. Curbside pickup allows you to order an item online from a big-box retailer, drive to a store location and have the store bring your purchase out to your vehicle when you arrive.
Black Friday sales have already begun
Though Black Friday 2021 is Nov. 26, if you wait that long to shop, you'll miss out on a some great deals. That's because Amazon, Walmart, Target and Best Buy have all already started their Black Friday sales. Amazon's Black Friday sale kicked off in October and will run through the Thanksgiving holiday, with a number of short-term and longer-duration deals.
The next phase of Walmart's Black Friday 2021 event, called Walmart Deals for Days, starts Nov. 22. But there are plenty of deals available there right now.
Electronics retailer Best Buy has similarly launched early Black Friday deals. Its latest batch of deals includes a $249 Cricut Maker cutting machine (save $120) that's great for holiday crafting, Jabra Elite 85t noise cancelling earbuds for $149 (save $80) and a 70-inch Samsung smart TV for $600 (save $150). Best Buy also has daily deals that expire today.
Target's Black Friday sale, Holiday Best, features new deals every week as well.
Start holiday shopping early this year
Shipping experts are recommending that you start holiday shopping now, even before the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales have begun. Though the situation there is improving, the Port of Los Angeles, which handles 40% of the nation's imports, is still working through a backlog of cargo shipments.
That means you may not find the products you want as quickly (or as affordably) as usual this holiday season. Shipping containers are also in short supply, increasing shipping costs. Retailers from Best Buy to Nordstrom are expecting some port-related delays. COVID-19 also has caused disruptions to global supply chains, and some overseas factories are shut down to prevent the spread of the illness.
Are there pre-Black Friday deals already available now?
Fortunately, shopping now doesn't mean that you have to miss out on great deals. Ahead are some pre-Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals you can shop right now at stores like Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, GameStop, Target and Ulta.