Black Friday 2024: when is it and what deals to expect

Black Friday 2024 is still many months away but if you want to get an early head start on your prepping for this year's mega sales event we've got all the latest news and information right here. You'll also find our predictions for this year's Black Friday and a quick overview of last year's best deals so you've got an idea of what to expect in 2024.

What's become clear over recent years is that Black Friday is no longer a one-day event in November. It takes place over multiple weeks now as retailers such as Amazon, Currys, Argos, John Lewis, AO and more launch deals as early as October to have an extended sales period.

While that may have changed, what's clear is our interest in the Black Friday sales is as strong as ever. Adobe Analytics reports that £24.4 billion was spent last year over the Black Friday period from October to the end of December. That's an increase of 3.7% compared to last year - and the first time consumer spending has increased in the last two years.

So, Black Friday deals are certainly still popular. That means it's more important than ever to use this as your destination for all the best offers once the sales get underway later in the year. 

I'll use almost a decade of my own experience covering Black Friday, as well as the combined knowledge of TechRadar's team of experts, to ensure you only see the top deals available on the products we've tested and trust the most in this year's sales.

Black Friday 2024: Key Information

When is Black Friday 2024?

This year's Black Friday falls on November 29. It always lands on the first Friday after Thanksgiving in the US.

While that is a key date to remember, Black Friday deals are available much earlier than that - usually in October. Retailers now run extended sales periods to stretch out the end-of-year shopping season and allow you to spread your purchases rather than cramming them into a single 24-hour period.

When do Black Friday deals start?

Black Friday deals start well before the day itself. The sales period has got longer and longer over the years with many offers now live from the start of October.

Amazon usually leads the way with the start of its second Amazon Prime Day event at the start of the month. It serves as an early preview of some Black Friday deals that are exclusively available to its members. 

Other retailers usually follow suit and launch early Black Friday deals throughout October - a good number of which do not fall any cheaper throughout the sale.

The next big milestone is exactly one week before Black Friday as that's when retailers unleash the full extent of their sales. This is the time to buy if you've been holding out for weeks as prices are very unlikely to fall any lower from this point onward.

Where to find the best Black Friday deals

With so many retailers to choose from over Black Friday, it's not always easy to find the best deals. We've found the stores below often feature some of the top offers during the sales period in specific areas. We'll search through them and share the best ones when Black Friday starts but you can also take a look yourself if you just want to browse.

Amazon: often cheapest for almost everything
Argos: great for tech, furniture and toys
AO: best offers on major appliances
Currys: big savings on TVs, laptops and appliances
John Lewis: deals on furniture, fashion and tech
Smyths Toys: vast selection of toys, electronics & gadgets
Very: fashion, furniture and tech offers

What to expect from Black Friday in 2024

We've got a good idea of what to expect from each Black Friday now as we've covered the sales for over ten years here at TechRadar. Ultimately, it doesn't change too much each time, with a similar set of products on offers and retailer sales to choose from if you're looking to do some shopping.

Dropping back into the Adobe Analytics data shows that electronics, apparel and toys all received their biggest discounts of the year during Black Friday.

So, it's still one of the best times to make that big-ticket purchase you've been waiting on for the whole year. Whether it's a brand-new TV, a popular kitchen appliance, a powerful laptop, a handy tablet or a slick smartwatch, then Black Friday generally has some of the lowest prices we've seen all year.

Pay particularly close attention to some of last year's best-selling items as you should be able to get them for their cheapest prices over Black Friday as retailer's clear space for new and upcoming models. Just because they're slightly older doesn't mean you should pass them up, especially if it's a big discount on some of our best-reviewed products.

Black Friday is also an important time for smaller purchases and subscription offers. Lots of great smart home tech such as video doorbells, cameras and streaming sticks all fall to new low prices during the end-of-year sales. You can pair them with discounted subscription fees where needed (often for new and returning members).

And that's not counting all the other product categories that are featured and independent retailers that get involved for Black Friday. Practically everyone and everything is involved. That can make is hard to separate the good deals from all the noise, but you can stick with us as we share all the best offers right here when the time comes.

Last year's best Black Friday deals

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