Black Friday

Content Guide

• What is Black Friday
• When is Black Friday
• When sales start
• When sales end
• Best deals
• Prep checklist
• Stacking Black Friday discount codes
• FAQ

What is Black Friday?

Black Friday began in the US as the day after Thanksgiving, traditionally seen as the unofficial start of the Christmas shopping season. UK retailers picked it up in the early 2010s, led by Amazon, and it has since grown into one of the country's biggest shopping events of the year.

These days the Black Friday sale rarely lasts just one day. Most retailers spread their offers across a full week, sometimes longer, running straight through into Cyber Monday.

When is Black Friday 2026?

Black Friday always falls on the fourth Friday of November, the day after American Thanksgiving.

Many retailers start discounting earlier, with "Black Friday Week" typically kicking off around the preceding Monday.

When is Black Friday this year?

Year	Black Friday Date
2026	27 November
2027	26 November
2028	24 November
2029	23 November
2030	29 November

 

When do Black Friday sales start?

Officially, Black Friday offers begin on the fourth Friday of November, but few retailers wait that long.

Amazon tends to move first, often opening its own promotions a week or more ahead of the date.

Fashion and beauty retailers usually follow a shorter runway, switching on their Black Friday sale deals from the Monday of Black Friday Week, while a handful hold back and launch everything at midnight on the day itself.

When do Black Friday deals end?

Most deals for Black Friday run through the weekend and into Cyber Monday, the following Monday, before prices reset.

Some retailers cut it shorter and pull their offers the same evening, so it is worth checking individual end times if there is a specific saving in mind.

Discover the best Black Friday deals

Every year alongside the big electronics push, retailers compete hard on price and range across every screen size and resolution, from entry-level sets to the latest OLED and QLED models, which is exactly where Black Friday TV deals tend to matter most for anyone upgrading their setup, and once the reductions land, Currys Black Friday deals usually stand out for value, alongside strong offers from AO and John Lewis.

For anyone due an upgrade, Black Friday phone deals span both current and older models, with Samsung and O2 also cutting prices on handsets and contracts during the event.

Among the tech categories, PS5 Black Friday deals are consistently in the highest demand, alongside price drops on Nintendo Switch consoles from multiple retailers.

Returning like clockwork each year, Black Friday air fryer deals see SharkNinja models regularly topping wishlists thanks to steep discounts on their most popular sizes.

Fashion shopping picks up sharply too, and the best M&S Black Friday deals sit alongside seasonal promotions from adidas, JD Sports, Nike and ASOS across clothing and footwear.

On the beauty side, Black Friday perfume deals remain a firm favourite, with Boots, Charlotte Tilbury and Sephora offering some of the most generous reductions on fragrance and skincare sets.

Ahead of Christmas shopping, LEGO Black Friday deals make the event a good moment to get gifts sorted early, with The Range also running toy promotions throughout the week.

Beyond gifts and gadgets, Black Friday broadband deals extend the savings further, with O2 and Vodafone competing on SIM only and contract pricing during the sale.

Your Black Friday prep checklist

The secret to stress-free Black Friday shopping is preparation. A little planning means less impulse buying and more money saved when the Black Friday deals drop.

Here's your simple checklist to get ready:

• A clear wishlist keeps you focused on the deals that matter to you, rather than buying on impulse once the sale starts.
• A set budget decided in advance, both overall and roughly per item, stops spending from creeping up once discounts start appearing everywhere.
• Researching prices now for the items on your list means you'll actually know whether a Black Friday offer is a genuine saving or not.
• Price tracking tools, whether free browser extensions or comparison sites, make that research easier by letting you check multiple retailers at once.
• Signing up for newsletters and accounts ahead of time often unlocks early access deals or extra codes, and having an account ready also means a quicker checkout once the sale goes live.

Stack and save with Black Friday vouchers

Black Friday is mainly about sale prices, but other money-savers can often be combined with them for extra savings on the same purchase.

Here are some stacking strategies to keep in mind:

• A Black Friday promo code, even on already discounted items, is worth trying at checkout: some retailers disable general codes during big sales, but others still allow it, and some release codes exclusively for the event.
• Loyalty programme points or perks are worth collecting during Black Friday too, since staying logged in as a member usually means picking up rewards on top of the discount itself.
• Price match guarantees offer a further way to stack savings, letting you buy from a retailer you trust and still claim the difference back if another site turns out to be cheaper.

FAQ

• How long does Black Friday last?

Black Friday itself is a single day, but most retailers extend their offers across a full week or more, often continuing through Cyber Monday.

• When is the next Black Friday after this one?

After 2026, Black Friday falls on Friday, 26 November 2027. The date shifts slightly each year but always lands on the fourth Friday of November.

• Cyber Monday vs Black Friday: what's the difference?

Black Friday is traditionally focused on in-store and general retail discounts, while Cyber Monday, which follows on the Monday after, tends to concentrate on online-only offers. In practice, most retailers now blend the two into a single ongoing sale.

• How many days is Amazon Black Friday sale?

Based on previous years, Amazon Black Friday deals typically begin around a week before the official date and keep running for roughly 12 days, through to Cyber Monday. The exact length can shift slightly year to year.

• Why is it called Black Friday?

The name is often linked to retailers moving from a loss ("in the red") into profit ("in the black"), but that explanation only became popular later. Historians trace the actual origin to 1950s Philadelphia, where police used the term to describe the heavy traffic and crowds that followed Thanksgiving each year.