Everything to know about Black Friday 2025: Sales, price matching, early deals

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Anyone who's had even a cursory brush with online shopping in the last few weeks has noticed the shift — Black Friday 2025 is here.

The shopping holiday, which could more accurately be described as a shopping mega-event, has retailers dropping sales all throughout the month of November and into early December. The days of lining up outside of your local Target in the freezing late-night hours of Thanksgiving are long gone. The sheer amount of savings that can be found online during Black Friday and Cyber Week is unmatched by any other sale.

Great as the savings potential may be, it's an insane amount of information for any normal person to take in. That's why our team of shopping experts is hard at work sourcing the best deals around the clock — and why we've created this guide to everything you need to know about Black Friday 2025. You can also check out our guide to the best Black Friday deals so far.

When exactly is Black Friday 2025?

The actual date of Black Friday falls on Friday, Nov. 28. However, most retailers' sales are live before and after the actual day of Black Friday. Here are some of the major retailer sales we're tracking this year:

• Amazon: Amazon's Black Friday sale starts Thursday, Nov. 20, and ends on Monday, Dec. 1.

• Best Buy: In-stores and online from Thursday, Nov. 20 to Friday, Nov. 29.

• Walmart: Online only from Tuesday, Nov. 25 to Thursday, Nov. 27; online and in-stores from Friday, Nov. 28 to Sunday, Nov. 30; online only for Cyber Monday on Dec. 1.

How long do Black Friday sales last?

Though Black Friday deals start weeks early, most sales wrap up with Cyber Monday, which this year falls on Monday, Dec. 1. Historically, we have seen some deals linger into Tuesday (and sometimes even the rest of what's called Cyber Week), but if that's the case, we'll be sure to track any markdowns in our ongoing deals coverage.

What deals will be available on Black Friday?

Though the when of Black Friday has changed over the years, the what of Black Friday stays true to its origins. That's to say, if you're shopping for tech gadgets, appliances, home and kitchen products, or even cars, then Black Friday will likely be the best time of the year to shop. In terms of tech, we especially recommend picking up TVs, laptops, headphones, Apple products, Amazon devices, and robot vacuums during this time of year.

Granted, you're likely to find pretty much anything under the sun on sale during the shopping holiday: we've also spotted lots of outdoor gear, Legos and toys, gaming consoles, stocking stuffers, and reusable water bottles on sale in years' past.

In particular, you can expect big discounts on:

• QLED and OLED TVs from Samsung, Sony, LG, Hisense, TCL, and Fire TV

• Apple MacBooks, iPads, and AirPods

• Power stations from Jackery, Anker, and Bluetti

• Vacuums from Dyson, iRobot, Eufy, Roborock, Dreame, and Bissell

• Amazon devices, including Echo speakers, Eero Wi-Fi extenders, Ring and Blink cameras

• Kindles, e-readers, and books

• Video games, gaming laptops, and gaming console bundles

• Fitness tech from Oura, Garmin, Whoop, and Fitbit

• Flagship headphones and earbuds from Bose, Sony, Beats, JBL, and Apple

• Household essentials

• Designer clothing and accessories

• Skincare, beauty, and grooming products

• Kitchen appliances

The top early Black Friday deals so far

Most official Black Friday sales haven't kicked off just yet, but the spirit of the season is certainly there with early Black Friday deals we're spotting. Here are some of the best:

Check out 60+ of our favorite early Black Friday deals here.

Do any stores price-match Black Friday deals?

Short answer: not really, or at least, not against each other. Long answer: Earlier this year, Target ended its price-matching policy, which allowed customers to price-match from competitors' stock at the time of purchase or within 14 days. Target stood alone as the sole retailer with an official price-matching policy last Black Friday.

This year, Target still has its holiday price match policy, which allows you to price match against Target's own prices, from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24. That means if you buy something at Target and it gets discounted later, you can get still get the discount. Best Buy also offers a price match policy year-round, but it excludes products on sale from "the Thursday before Thanksgiving Day through the Monday after Thanksgiving," essentially excluding them from Black Friday price matching. Amazon and Walmart offer no price match policies.

How to shop smart on Black Friday

It's easy to get caught up in the swarm of markdowns and record-low prices that pop up during Black Friday. The best way to avoid buyer's remorse and actually score the savings you want? Come in with a plan and understanding the tools at your disposal. Here's what we mean:

Make a game plan

This may seem basic, but making a list of what you're shopping for can go such a long way to avoid deals FOMO. Begin by creating a list for yourself, and then consider what holiday gifts you need to purchase. This can help you whittle down the absolute essentials of what you want to grab.

That said, it's also great to have a general understanding of what will be available, so take a peek at the latest Black Friday ad scans (again, ideally after you've made your own list). For your convenience, we've perused the major ones, including Amazon, Walmart, Target, Lowe's, and Home Depot.

As a final step, having a sense of your holiday shopping budget can be helpful in avoiding overspending (or at the very least, having some awareness that it's happening).

Organize your Amazon wishlist

In line with making a game plan, you'll want to dust off your Amazon wishlist and make sure it's up to date. Amazon has convenient wishlist alert features, which can definitely come in handy during the chaos of Black Friday.

Download retailer apps

As annoying as having too many apps on your phone can be, downloading apps from retailers like Best Buy and Walmart can make shopping easier and give you access to exclusive deals. That's especially true for Best Buy, which likes to offer limited-time deals available only on its app.

Use price tracking tools

Price tracking tools can be absolute game changers any time of year, but especially during Black Friday. The unanimous favorite of the Mashable Shopping team is camelcamelcamel, an Amazon price tracking tool that details essential knowledge like record low prices and price histories across the mega-retailer.

Of course, we also recommend following along the Mashable shopping team's Black Friday coverage — we make sure to take the full context of a deal into account to only choose the best of the best.

Which day has cheaper deals, Black Friday or Cyber Monday?

While these were once two distinct days of deals, the month-long-ifcation of Black Friday essentially means that both Black Friday and Cyber Monday get wrapped up into one long wave of discounts to punctuate the end of the month. That's not to say what's available on Black Friday will absolutely be better or worse than what's available on Cyber Monday.

Historically, we've seen really good TV deals on Black Friday sell out by Cyber Monday, while laptop deals tend to stick around (and therefore, be worth holding out for any additional price drops come Cyber Monday). Ultimately, though, if you see a deal you're interested in during Black Friday weekend, chances are it's worth grabbing it when you spot it.