Black Friday this year falls on Friday, November 24. Rounding out the Thanksgiving holiday weekend will be Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday on the 25th and 27th, respectively. While these three days come every year, Black Friday traditions have been upended and rewritten in the last few seasons. The same can be expected this year.
The 2023 Thanksgiving shopping season will look different yet again owing to the closure of big-box retailer Bed Bath and Beyond following their bankruptcy filing. Once home to sales on coveted items like Kitchen Aid mixers, Bed Bath and Beyond stores are no more. While the brand lives on at bedbathandbeyond.com, thanks to a purchase by rival Overstock, what Black Friday deals will be offered by this new blended retailer is yet to be seen.
However, from sales offered in prior years at other stores, it is safe to predict what products are best bought on Black Friday and which are best purchased at different times of the year. As you plan your shopping strategy, keep these reminders at hand.
SHOP EARLY
Retailers count on Black Friday to make a large portion of their sales for the year. Since signs of an economic downturn and high inflation have shadowed all of 2023, retailers know they must try extra hard to make a sale this year. For many, that will mean starting early. Look for Black Friday sales to occur online as early as mid-October. Sign up for your favorite stores' email lists to ensure you are the first to hear about any deals.
TheBlackFriday.com reports that some large retailers have already announced when sales will begin. "Walmart has announced its Big Save Event, which will run Oct. 11-15... Home Depot also announced...that it will be offering sales starting in early November both online and in-store." TheBlackFriday.com also reported an October sale announced by Target. Check in often for Walmart Black Friday Deals, Home Depot Black Friday Deals, Target Black Friday Deals, and more.
AMAZON PRIME DAY PART II
Amazon Prime Day was on July 11th and 12th, but something similar is coming soon. Amazon is calling the event Prime Big Deal Days. It is scheduled for October 2023. Details are still scarce, but Amazon CEO Dough Herrington posted on LinkedIn that Prime members will get access to "some of Amazon's best deals of the season" during this fall event.
DOWNLOAD THOSE APPS
BlackFriday.com reporting indicates that having your favorite retailers' app on your phone might be a good idea, especially this year. Sales tracked back to smartphones have been increasing in past years, so you can expect retailers to be paying attention. In addition to more user-friendly app experiences, you can look for push notifications on sales and even app-only deals. Make sure you see their best Black Friday deals.
TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY
Just because you find an item discounted on Black Friday does not mean it's the best price of the year. According to RetailMeNot, electronics are a good buy on Black Friday. Everything from laptops to smart home gadgets to small appliances is typically steeply discounted on Black Friday. In the latter category, think KitchenAid mixers and Instant Pots. As for laptops, Kristin McGrath, writing for RetailMeNot, cautions that "the lowest doorbuster prices will be on machines with weak specs," so check the fine print to ensure you are getting what you need.
Clothing, though, isn't something you have to get on Black Friday. If you're only shopping for yourself, bump clothes to the bottom of your list as deals in this category continue "during after-Christmas and New Year sales."
Also, bump furniture off your Black Friday shopping list. RetailMeNot reports that prices in this category hit rock bottom in February for President's Day, not Black Friday.
Wishing you happy holidays and good luck finding the best Black Friday deals!
