This year's Black Friday deals are almost upon us. The sales event may not officially be until November 25 but, as we've seen over the last couple of years, offers are made available earlier than ever before. We expect the first batch will go live towards the end of October and, because of that, we're getting ready as early as possible by bringing you our expectations, predictions and all the latest info on Black Friday 2022
Our biggest takeaway from last year is that the best Black Friday deals are no longer saved until the day itself. Multiple retailers, including Amazon, Currys and Argos, launched their sales events way ahead of time. These were live from late October onwards in some cases and many of these offers held all the way through to Black Friday. Anyone who bought early, then, was already chilling out at home with their new television instead of getting involved in the chaotic and fruitless hunt for a better deal at the end of the month.
The research backs this up too. Sales data from Adobe Analytics (opens in new tab) shows that consumer spending on Black Friday was $8.9B - that's down 1.3 per cent from $9B last year and the first time ever it's actually fallen. But looking at online spending throughout the whole month of November instead tells the full story, as this was up by 11.9 per cent compared to last year to $109.8B. Plus, between November 1-29, a total of 22 days exceeded $3bn in total online spend – a new record. Only nine days had topped that figure in the same time period in 2020.
But the buying environment is very different now compared to 12 months ago. There's rising inflation and a cost of living crunch that's affected all of our spending. If retailers want to see the same levels of interest and purchases during Black Friday 2022, the deals and discounts will need to be especially strong to tempt us to part with our cash.
Hopefully, that's what we'll see in a few weeks' time. For now, we've got some more key information about Black Friday 2022 just below, as well as our predictions for this year's sale, some buying advice to keep in mind to make the most of the event and a selection of last year's best deals for comparison.
Black Friday 2022: key information
You can find a snapshot of all the key dates and information related to Black Friday 2022 just below. We'll be feeding any important news or key retailer announcements into this section over the coming months so you can be in the best position once the sales get underway next year.
When is Black Friday 2022?
Black Friday 2022 will take place on November 25. We've got a long time to go until the year's biggest sales extravaganza comes around again. In any case, it'll be worth keeping an eye out for Black Friday deals starting from between late October and early November as we think an extended sales period is almost guaranteed again for next year. The big day itself doesn't have the same impact as it once did.
The origin of Black Friday: a history lesson
Let's take a Black Friday history lesson: the first known mention of Black Friday related to this shopping experience was in November 1951, when the journal Factory Management and Maintenance (opens in new tab) used it to describe people calling in sick the day after Thanksgiving so they could have an extra day off work.
At the same time US police were using the phrases "Black Friday" and "Black Saturday" to describe the horrendous traffic that occurred at the beginning of the pre-Christmas shopping season.
In 1961 there was a movement (opens in new tab) from the local government to change the shopping season to "Big Friday" and "Big Saturday", but it clearly never caught on and the notion that it was the time when retailers moved 'back into the black' was seen far later and clearly an attempt to bring positivity to the term.
Black Friday deals 2022: our predictions
Black Friday is one of the most important times of the year for TechRadar to help our readers - we spend weeks ahead of the big day (well, months, to be precise) making sure the whole site is ready for you to get the information you need to make the right buying choice. Whether that's knowing which is the best laptop, TV or iPad, or just surfacing great deals through our Hawk price comparison widget, we've got everything you need to know.
It's still a little early for us to seriously dig into some predictions for Black Friday 2022. With almost half a year to go until the sales get underway again, we wouldn't want to speak too definitively about what might be on sale this November.
A lot can change in that time and new product launches throughout the year could drastically affect the products you're after and which ones go on sale. We've also got other big sales events throughout the year to take into consideration such as Amazon Prime Day. The type of offers we see during the retailer's own event could help give us an idea of how things will play out in November. So, when that's happened in July, we'll be back with an update.
Until then, we'll leave you with our general advice on how Black Friday generally plays out, how to find the best deals and our best tips and tricks to make the most of the event.
Once we have a better idea of how things lie next year, we'll return to bring you the most up-to-date predictions and insight based on our years of experience tracking all the best Black Friday deals. By now we've got pretty good at it.
Where can you find the best Black Friday deals?
As mentioned, you’ll find the best options if you bookmark this page right now. We're bringing you all the best Black Friday deals as soon as they hit the shelves and will continue to do so throughout the main event itself and the weekend afterwards as well. Until any official sales start, here's a list of retailers we've found that usually have some of the best Black Friday deals:
Amazon: an all-rounder that regularly price matches competitors (opens in new tab)
Argos: better for cheaper devices with same-day delivery (opens in new tab)
Currys: great for tech, appliances, and gaming (opens in new tab)
Ebuyer: low-cost gadgets and PC equipment (opens in new tab)
John Lewis: best for homeware, but also offers excellent tech warranties (opens in new tab)
Laptops Direct: big discounts on PCs, laptops, and accessories (opens in new tab)
Smyths Toys: vast selection of toys, electronics and gadgets
Very: massive range and regular discounts across departments (opens in new tab)
Will there be stock issues during Black Friday 2022?
Now, we all knew that trying to get a PS5 or Xbox Series X would be extremely difficult during the last Black Friday, but we also saw that tech and other items such as the brand new iPad, favourite Lego sets and Amazon devices like the Fire Stick 4K all go out of stock very quickly during the sales.
Some of these were actually still available to buy in late November but suffered from very long shipping delays into next year. This would have been brutal news if you were hoping to pick up one of these as a Christmas gift and decided to wait to see if there was a better discount on Black Friday, only to find out that it stayed the same price and wouldn't be dispatched until January.
Adobe Analytics reported a 258 per cent increase in out-of-stock messages in the previous year compared to before the pandemic, but we don't think that trend will be repeated in 2022. The stock situation for many products has massively improved throughout the year. Take the PS5, for example, which is currently widely available at multiple retailers - and has been that way for weeks based on the tracking we've done over on our PS5 restock hub.
The semiconductor shortage isn't over, though, and supply chains continue to be stretched, so we still strongly suggest buying more in-demand or new-release products early. Even with increased stock levels across the board, there's still a good chance that the most popular products are likely to sell out around this time of year. Definitely keep that in mind for Black Friday 2022.
Black Friday 2022: Buying advice
As we've said: this isn't our first rodeo. As veterans of many Black Friday events, we've picked up a few tips and tricks in order to find the best deals and get the biggest savings on your most-wanted items. You can find all that combined knowledge right here for a crash course in becoming a Black Friday deals expert.
How to find the best Black Friday deals in 2022
Getting the best Black Friday deals for you often comes down to how much research you do ahead of the event. Use the time you have in the lead up to the event to make sure you know exactly what you want to get out of the sale. That means going beyond finding a TV brand or laptop model that suits you, but looking at what features and specs you will need to fit into your budget. Double check previous sales to see if your shopping list matches prices that have been seen before so that you stay realistic during this step.
Once you've got your spec and features down, you'll want to consider which parts of your wishlist you can stand to drop if you do spot a particularly low price. That way you'll know exactly what to look for when the heat is on.
Once you've found the deal you're looking for, though, it's also crucial to widen your net and make sure you can't get a better price elsewhere before heading to checkout. Bigger retailers tend to price match each other, but during particularly competitive events like Black Friday they also look to get an edge by offering additional incentives like bundles and free gifts. Of course, we're bringing the best Black Friday deals from around the web, so you can stick with us for the biggest value savings - however, if you are going it alone be sure to check other retailers' offers before committing.
We do generally find that the best Black Friday deals land on the week of the sale itself, with the biggest products seeing discounts during the main event. However, you'll be seeing discounts landing as early as the start of the month in some cases. If you do spot a price that you like but you're hesitant to commit too early, it's worth going for it - especially if it was a deal you were waiting for the end of the month for.
There's a lot less competition in these earlier discounts, which means you might be able to get your hands on some of the bigger savings or more desirable colorways before the crowds swarm. However, we'd recommend keeping your find boxed up until the Black Friday deals are fully over, as you may well see a much better price later on in the month and you can always return your previous purchase.
When will the best Black Friday deals be available?
In previous years, we'd usually say that you would want to wait until as close to Black Friday as possible before making a purchase in order to get the best price. The last two years have completely changed our advice, though.
We've seen that when retailers start their sales from late October and early November, the prices on offer are rarely beaten on Black Friday. There may be a small spike in deals during the week leading up to Black Friday itself, but many of the offers you see in the weeks prior are actually as good as they are going to get.
To use an example, one of the most sought-after products over the last Black Friday was the LG C1 OLED TV. There were multiple price cuts on this TV that we reported on in the weeks leading up to Black Friday and it never dropped any lower in the days that followed.
That's just one highlight. Generally, though, the information gathered by Adobe Analytics (opens in new tab) suggests that discounts were actually weak last time. We would definitely agree with that based on the Black Friday deals we saw in many areas and across various retailers - as well as what's happened during major sales so far this year.
Take computers, for example, which saw the largest discounts of around 14 per cent from November 2 according to Adobe (opens in new tab) - and these price cuts remained fairly flat throughout November. Similarly, a study of electronic items shows they fell by almost 10 per cent on November 1, before actually rising in price throughout the month, only to drop again by almost 12 per cent during the week of Black Friday. Not exactly a dramatic difference, is it?
So, with that in mind, if you have a specific product you're looking out for next year, you should really consider buying it as soon as that first deal becomes available. This is especially true if it's a big-ticket item like a games console, 4K TV or tablet. We've seen these haven't been reduced any further on Black Friday and could also suffer from stock issues if they are particularly popular. So, if you don't want to miss out on something entirely, we strongly suggest buying early.
Can I get cashback on Black Friday deals?
Sometimes, yes. Your debit card or credit card may offer cashback on purchases. It’s definitely worth looking into – not just for Black Friday 2022 but for any online shopping – when you're be spending money online.
Am I protected when I buy on Black Friday?
In general, you should be just as protected as you are when shopping any other time of the year. You’ll want to check on return policies and warranty periods, and you should also make sure you’re shopping at known retailers you trust.
While many deals can seem too good to be true on Black Friday, landing on an unfamiliar website claiming to have a product for pennies on the dollar is a good sign you’re in the wrong place.
Remember that using your credit card also can offer a level of protection, so as long as you have the means to pay it back straight away, using this method can give you more peace of mind.
Many credit cards can help you contest payments if you never receive a product, and some even offer extended warranties on products beyond the one included from manufacturer or retailer.
Are Black Friday deals real?
Generally speaking, yes - although there are two kinds of deals. The first has been pre-agreed between brands and retailers, so they’re not as off-the-cuff as you might expect.
The other is sudden price drops, whether that’s an algorithm working out the best way to attract users to buy (as brands like Amazon often will) or just the big names price-matching one another, or pushing the price down further as they look to be the big winner. (We saw something similar with iPads in the US).
As with any sales event you’ll see a mixture of bargains, discounted end-of-line stock and strange things found in the back of a warehouse somewhere. In 2016, consumer magazine 'Which?' accused retailers of some pretty dodgy behavior.
You might notice that some items are cheaper after Black Friday - even as soon as Cyber Monday. But those are part of the natural Christmas discounting period, and our advice is to always grab a deal if you like it, and be prepared to return if it drops lower.
What about in-store Black Friday deals?
Even though much of the world is on a path to recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, we don't expect there to be much enthusiasm from retailers to host large in-story Black Friday events this year. It wouldn't be wise to be seen encouraging crowds to rush to your shops to pick up a cheap TV or some discounted tech.
That said, retailers may still advertise and offer their Black Friday deals in-store – just don't expect them to be exclusively available from bricks and mortar locations. Instead, it's likely to be another option for those who would prefer to see something in the flesh before making a purchase.
We can all agree that making the chaos of the doorbuster deal a thing of the past is only good for all involved. Many stores in the US have in fact announced they will be closed for Thanksgiving, while their Black Friday opening times are still up in the air.
Last year's best Black Friday deals
Here's a look at the best Black Friday deals we saw last year, plus a selection of the top offers in the key categories we were following in the sales.
