While the annual shopping bonanza always takes place on the Friday after Thanksgiving, last year’s event was online-only, owing to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
However, once more, stores opened their doors to customers and offered in-store offers and exclusive deals to entice shoppers.
For those concerned about in-store shopping, here are the measures retailers are taking to ensure customer safety.
As has been the case for some years now, some brands have revealed early Black Friday deals, including Walmart, Epic Games, Nintendo and more.
Catch up with the best deals on Newsweek’s Black Friday 2021 live blog. We’ve wrapped up our coverage for the day, but many deals continue through the weekend.
This is $119.01 off the normal price and an epic discount on a product that you will use every day. The deal isn’t as good on the version with a side-tank, but that is something you should be able to add later if you want to upgrade.
These include support for spatial audio, which immerses you in the sound more and supports comes with the MagSafe case that allows you to charge using Apple’s MagSafe charger in addition to a standard lightning cable.
This is great as a standalone system or when you pair it up with the automatic empty bin. You can connect it to Alexa, control it with an app or the push of a button on the vacuum.
You’ll find major deals including the largest bottle they’ve ever sold. Plus upgrades include autographed bottles, rare wines such as Petrus, DRC, Screaming Eagle and more. Check the individual offerings to see the upgrade percentage chances.
Purchases also count towards the Holiday Scramble promotion, where you earn letters and other prizes that you can use to redeem over 1,700 prizes including a VIP Wine Country Winecation, Dinner and Wine Pairings at the 3-Michelin-Star French Laundry Restaurant, Exclusive Winery Experiences and other prizes.
Explore the Underground Cellar Black Friday deals.
This includes up to $800 off everything from washer and dryers to the AirDresser Grand Clothing Care System with Steam Refresh and Sanitize in Mirror Finish.
Save up to $1,100 on Bespoke refrigerators including the 4-Door Flex in 29 cu. ft. and in the 23 cu. ft. counter depth model.
Samsung also offers an array of deals on cooktops and ranges with up to $800 off popular models.
Check out these deals at Samsung.
Best Buy is matching this deal on the entry-level Wi-Fi models, including some options for in-store pickup if you can’t wait.
These are the newest M1-powered iPad Pro models, so you are getting the best versions available right now.
Vests, coats and more are all on sale today.
This brings the Ooni Koda 16 gas-powered model down to $479.20 and the Koda 12 gas-powered model to $319.20. You can also save on wood pellet ovens, bundles, tables, pizza peels and more.
See the Ooni Black Friday deals.
Check here for the Xbox Series X in stock on Black Friday. If you score one, you get three free months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
Squier® by Fender Limited-Edition Stratocaster - $199. 99 (149. 99 Open Box) Williams Allegro III Digital Piano with Stand and Bench - $499. 99 Alesis Nitro Mesh Special-Edition 8-Piece Electronic Drum Set - $299. 99 Fender Concert Acoustic Electric Guitar - $199. 99 Mitchell Soprano Ukulele - $29. 99 Pearl Vision Birch Snare Drum - $99. 99 Sennheiser PXC 550-II Wireless Headphones - $159. 95
Use code blackfriday15 for 15% off qualifying purchases of $199 or more at Guitar Center.
Omni 2 Hardside Expandable Omni PC Hardside Expandable Centric 2 Hardside
FIFA 22 - Up to 50% Off Madden NFL 22 - Up to 50% Off F1 2021 - 50% off PS4 digital and Deluxe editions NHL 22 - 30% to 40% Off The Sims 4 + Expansion Packs - up to 88% off base game and up to 50% off expansions It Takes Two - 50% Off Knockout City - 50% off and Free for PlayStation+ Subscribers to play in November Mass Effect: Legendary Edition up to 45% Off
You can save at major retailers and through many digital platforms.
Seattle to Portland from $29 San Francisco to Los Angeles from $39 Seattle to San Francisco from $49 Newark to Portland from $79 New York (JFK) to San Francisco from $79 San Francisco to Maui from $79 San Diego to Newark from $99
Flights are from January 5 through March 9, 2022. You can find deals on Saver, Main and First Class with these deals.
Check out the Alaska Air Black Friday deals.
Peloton Bike - $150 off accessories Peloton Bike+ - $350 off plus free delivery Peloton Tread - $250 off accessories, plus free delivery
You can also get two free months of the Peloton app and save 25% on Peloton apparel.
This is a great deal on the wine system, which includes everything you need. It is also an excellent gift for a wine lover in your life.
Coravin Pivot+ - Sale: $97. 50 (Original: $129. 99) Coravin Timeless Three SL - Sale: $112. 50 (Original: $149. 99) Coravin Timeless 3+ - Sale: $149. 25 (Original: $199. 00) Coravin Timeless 6+ - Sale: $224. 25 (Original: $299. 00)
If you are looking for a custom build MacBook Air you can get a $100 Gift card with purchase at Apple. This is handy if you are looking for more memory or storage.
You can shop the latest deals on over 3,000 items online and through the Nike app on your phone.
You can save on shoes, apparel, accessories and more. Shop Nike Black Friday 2021 deals.
If you want an iPhone 12 on Verizon you can get a $350 eGift card with purchase. The Cricut Explore Air 2 is on sale for more than half off and you can also save almost 50% off an espresso machine to upgrade your home coffee experience.
Did we mention there is also an epic gaming laptop deal?
Check out 11 of the best Walmart Black Friday deals we could find.
Featuring a built-in quick-drying, sweat-wicking liner for added coverage, the company’s pink floral-patterned women’s running shorts are on sale at just $39 (reduced $58).
For the men, Lululemon’s denim wash print hoodie, featuring “abrasion-resistant” fabric, is on sale for $79 - down from $148.
FULL STORY: Save 50% On Leggings, Gymwear & More
For instance, the Acer Nitro 5 has been reduced from $839 to $684. The machine boasts a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 GPU and a 256GB SSD.
Meanwhile, you can get 21% off the Sceptre Curved 27-inch monitor. This discount brings the cost of that item down to just $189.97.
Best of all, however, is the fact that you can get a whopping 46% off the Razer Blade 15 Advanced Gaming Laptop. That translates to a saving of $1,200 on what is already an impressive piece of hardware.
There were reportedly some wins though, with a few happy customers finally getting their hands on the next-gen hardware.
To help you prepare in the event of another sudden drop like this, we recommend that you check out our Black Friday Xbox Series X and PS5 pieces and bookmark all of the relevant product pages. It might just buy you a few valuable seconds when the restocks do come through.
Vizio MQ7 50-inch 4K TV - Model: M50Q7-J - $499. 99 at Best Buy (Save $200) Vizio MQ7 55-inch 4K TV - Model: M55Q7-J - $529. 99 at Best Buy (Save $220) Vizio MQ7 58-inch 4K TV - Model: M58Q7-J - $549. 99 at Best Buy (Save $170) Vizio MQ7 70-inch 4K TV - Model: M70Q7-J - $749. 99 at Best Buy (Save $350) Vizio MQ7 75-inch 4K TV - Model: M75Q7-J - $999. 99 at Best Buy (Save $300)
The Vizio MQ7 is a great mix of features and screen size for the price, and one of our favorite models. Check out our full review.
We are also seeing discounts on the Vizio MQ6 TVs and on Vizio Soundbars.
FULL STORY: See all the Vizio Black Friday Deals at Best Buy.
Those looking for an Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD are in luck—you’ll be given 3 months of Apple TV+ with for free when you buy one, alongside a $50 gift card.
This opens up cheap viewing on: A&E Crime Central; AllBlk; AMC+; Britbox; Discovery+ Ad-Supported; EPIX; Lifetime Movie Club; Motortrend; Noggin; Paramount+ Premium; PBS Documentaries; PBS Kids; Ryan and Friends Plus; Showtime; STARZ; and UP Faith & Family.
Discover deals here.
Originally priced at $385, you can now purchase the sweater for $231—and get an extra 15 per cent off when you use the promo code “BLACK FRIDAY.”
The price of the new Galaxy Z Fold3 5G has been sliced by $250, while sister phone the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G—now customizable - is being sold for $100 off.
Samsung is also offering up to $900 credit for eligible trade-in items, meaning you could land yourself a new Fold3 device for just $650—down from $1,800.
Simply use the promo code “DEALS15” to get 15 per cent off.
This coffee maker as the site’s doorbuster deal for $199.99 (you get $70 off with promo code “BFWKD70”).
Walmart is also selling this Nina pressure cooker for just $149 (reduced from $229).
Target it is selling the Series 3 model (with a 42mm display) for $199, which represents a 13% saving.
Meanwhile, Walmart has the Apple Watch Series 3 with a 38mm display, sport band and Aluminium case going for just $109 (marked down from $199).
Most of the deals, however, are at Best Buy. The retailer has an entire page dedicated to Apple’s wearable devices, where you can find some huge discounts.
For example, you can save $60 on the Apple Watch SE and can get the Nike SE model for $219 (it was originally $279). There is even a Gold edition going for cheaper than usual on the website, if you want to be a little fancier.
Some Dyson deals are also available as part of Black Friday sales at Walmart and Best Buy (which is offering savings of up to $200 on Dyson products).
See Newsweek’s pick of the best Dyson Black Friday deals here.
One such bundle is perfect for a movie night, sold with the blanket and the films: One Piece: Stampede, One Piece Film: Gold, One Piece Film: Z, and One Piece Film: Strong World for just $59.99—slashed from $139.99.
Barnes and Noble is making a number of digital manga from Viz Media available for just $3.99 today, with the “Manga Series Starter” deal allowing fans to buy the first volume of dozens of different series.
Top figurine brands are also cutting prices, with Nendroids, Scale Figures, and Funko Pops all getting in on the Black Friday action. Crunchyroll is also currently offering a discount on a number of their items, with products up to 40 per cent off site-wide on Black Friday.
FULL STORY: Anime Black Friday Deals 2021: Best Offers On DVDs, Manga, Crunchyroll & More
According to these reports (which come from reputable tracker accounts), the Target drop could be happening anytime between now and 9 a.m. ET.
Meanwhile, Best Buy does often favor Fridays for its normal restocks, so it makes that they would have one scheduled for today.
To help you get ahead of the crowds, Newsweek has prepared a tips and tricks guide for getting ahold of either a PS5 or Xbox Series X during Black Friday. This covers everything from how to spot imminent drops, how to get fair deals, and how to troubleshoot issues if you are struggling to add items to your basket.
It contains expert insights from analyst @GYXdeals on Twitter, who basically does this as a full-time job, so it’s defiantly worth reading.
Major releases like Battlefield 2042, NBA 2K22, Madden NFL 22 and Just Dance 2022 (generally a lot of titles that end with dates) have been dramatically reduced in price.
Not only that, but the deals are evenly spread between different platforms meaning that, whether you’re an Xbox, PlayStation or Nintendo fan, there will be something here for you.
Even some games that came out as little as two weeks ago have been slashed down by quite a bit, so you’ll definitely want to check these deals out.
Newsweek has compiled a list of highlights right here.
Included in the sale is the Glossier Boy Brow, Milky Jelly Cleanser and the brand’s famous Balm Dotcom.
Fans can also purchase sets as part of the sale.
FULL STORY: Glossier Black Friday Deal: How to Get 20% Off Makeup, Skincare and More
But HuffPost reported that as early as 1961, public relations bosses were furiously attempting to give the nickname a positive spin by trying to change it to “Big Friday.”
According to David Zyla, the author of How to Win at Shopping, one of the first uses of the term that appeared in print—to publicize it as a day for lots of shopping—was in an advert in the 1966 issue of The American Philatelist, a magazine for stamp collectors.
FULL STORY: When Is Black Friday 2021 and How Did the Shopping Extravaganza Start?
The sunglasses are currently priced at $288 (a 40 percent reduction from $480). Get the extra 15 per cent off the current price using the promo code: “BLACKFRIDAY.”
Research by Sensormatic has revealed that the discount event beats the grandest of pre-Christmas shopping sprees in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, and even South Africa.
But what are the top three most popular shopping days in North America?
U.S.
November 26 – Black Friday December 18 – Super Saturday December 23 – Thursday before Christmas
Canada
November 26 – Black Friday December 26 – Boxing Day November 27 – Saturday after Black Friday
Mexico
November 13 – Saturday before Revolution Day November 15 – Revolution Day (observed) November 14 – Sunday before Revolution Day
There is even an Echo Dot designed to resemble Baby Yoda from The Mandalorian, which is frankly the cutest that a smart speaker is ever going to look.
Speaking exclusively to Newsweek, Jean Chatzky, the host of the HerMoney podcast, said the best thing is “do your research” and check the price history of the product you want to buy.
FULL STORY: 9 Black Friday Tips From Jean Chatzky and The NRF On How to Get The Best Deals and Offers
Walmart has decided to spread its sale across the whole of this month to pry customers away from its stores and onto its website, with major discounts going live from November 22.
But rest assured, staff will be wearing masks in-store today and you will be encouraged to as well, with COVID cases beginning to rise across the country once again.
Best Buy—named the “No. 1 big-box retailer for COVID-19 safety” this year—is doing “wellness checks” for their staff as well as regular deep cleans of those most-touched places in its stores. Like most other major stores today, customers will be asked to form an orderly queue to control the numbers going in/out…but will it work?
FULL STORY: What stores are doing to keep shoppers safe
You can find a breakdown of some of the highlights right here. The piece also includes links that go straight through to Walmart’s respective product pages for the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. You might want to have those bookmarked in case there is a restock later today.
Walmart was previously running other Black Friday deals even earlier in the month, but those ones have since expired.
