• Black Friday in 2020 falls on November 27, the day after Thanksgiving. However, expect retailers to start putting deals live as early as the first week of November.
  • Black Friday deals typically run through the weekend until Cyber Monday – this year will certainly bring a fresh wave of deals for that weekend.
  • If you want to save now, you can also check out our Deal of the Day and Insider Coupons pages for current discounts on a variety of products.

Every single year for decades, Black Friday has marked the beginning of the busiest shopping season of the year, when shoppers pursue their gift-shopping list with increased urgency.

When is the exact date of Black Friday?

The date of Black Friday changes each year. This year, Black Friday lands on Friday, November 27. Yes, that is the day after Thanksgiving.

But like many other retail holidays, Black "Friday" really starts several days - or even weeks in the case of some retailers - before the real event. The high anticipation for deals is enough to make retailers launch their sales well early.

That's probably better for shoppers anyway. It means they have extra time to shop the countless online sales at their leisure, rather than try to cram all their shopping into one hectic day.

What time does Black Friday start?

Technically speaking, Black Friday starts at 12:01 a.m. local time for online retailers. However, if we're being honest, most true Black Friday sales start just after - or even during - Thanksgiving dinner the previous day.

Here's when Black Friday started at various retailers last year, so that you have an idea of when to expect those retailers to being their sales for Black Friday 2020. Surprisingly, many retailer stores were not open on Thanksgiving last year.

  • Amazon: Deals started online at midnight November 22 of last year.
  • Best Buy: Stores were open from 5 p.m. Thanksgiving Day to 1 a.m. November 29 of last year. They reopened at 8 a.m. November 29 of last year, and sales started online at midnight November 29 of last year.
  • GameStop: Stores opened at 3 p.m. Thanksgiving Day of last year. Sales started online at 9 p.m. ET Thanksgiving Day of last year.
  • JCPenney: Stores opened at 2 p.m. Thanksgiving Day of last year.
  • Kohl's: Stores opened at 5 p.m. Thanksgiving Day of last year. Sales started online on November 25 of last year.
  • Macy's: Stores opened from 5 p.m. Thanksgiving Day to 2 a.m. November 29 of last year. They reopened at 6 a.m. November 29 of last year.
  • Nordstrom: Stores opened at 10 a.m. November 29 of last year. Sales started online on November 27 of last year.
  • Sephora: Stores were open at regular operating times on November 29 of last year.
  • Target: Stores are open from 5 p.m. Thanksgiving Day to 1 a.m. November 29 of last year. They reopened at 7 a.m. November 29 of last year. RedCard holders got first access to more than 100 online deals on November 27, while Target Circle members got access to select deals at 6 p.m. CT November 27 of last year.
  • Ulta: Some stores were open at 6 p.m. Thanksgiving Day of last year.
  • Walmart: Stores were open at 6 p.m. Thanksgiving Day of last year. Sales started online at 10 p.m. ET November 27 of last year.
  • Wayfair: Sales started online at 9 a.m. ET November 22 of last year.

How long do Black Friday sales last?

Again, don't be fooled by the name that suggests it's a single day. It's most definitely not. It's more like a shopping season that begins in early November.

Black Friday sales generally start days or weeks in advance of the actual shopping event or continue on until Cyber Monday. Better yet, some retailers hold their deals until well after both events to further boost the entire December shopping season.

The 10 best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals of last year

Here are what we considered to be the best deals of Black Friday and Cyber Monday last year, and whether you can save on those products right now.

  1. Best Echo deal: Echo Dot, $49.99 (originally $50.00) [Was just $22.00 for Black Friday last year]
  2. Best streaming deal: Get Hulu Basic for $1.99 a month for the first year (normally $5.99 a month) [You saved $48 - no longer available]
  3. Best earbuds deal: Apple AirPods with Charging Case, $139.00 (originally $159.00) [Was just $129.00 for Black Friday last year]
  4. Best fitness tracker deal: Fitbit Versa 2, $196.00 (originally $200.00) [Was just $149.00 for Black Friday last year]
  5. Best e-book reader deal: Kindle Paperwhite, $89.99 (originally $129.99) [Was just $84.99 for Black Friday last year]
  6. Best startup sheets deal: Get 20% off sitewide at Brooklinen [No longer available]
  7. Best startup mattress deal: Save up to $350 off mattresses, plus free pillows at Leesa [No longer available]
  8. Best gaming deal: Xbox One S 1TB with "Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order" for $249.99 (originally $299.99) [Was just $199.99 for Black Friday last year]
  9. Best home appliance deal: Up to 30% off Appliance Special Buys at Home Depot [Was 40% off for Black Friday last year]
  10. Best health deal: 23andMe DNA Test - Health + Ancestry, $199.00 (originally $199.00) [Was just $99.99 for Black Friday last year]