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Black Friday 2021

It may not be November yet, but if you're itching to put together your Black Friday shopping game plan, you've come to the right place. Bookmark this page. It will be updated with all the Black Friday 2021 sale developments as they're announced.

What is Black Friday?

Black Friday (the Friday after Thanksgiving) is one of the biggest shopping events of the year. It's a time for shoppers to find major discounts on holiday gifts, tech and more. Traditionally, shoppers stayed up late the night of Thanksgiving to line up in front of their favorite stores for early a.m. openings. A more recent trend had seen stores opening for Black Friday as early as Thanksgiving Day, though Walmart, Target and many other retailers closed for Thanksgiving 2020.

When is Black Friday 2021?

Black Friday 2021 is on Nov. 26, but sales often start before that date. In 2020, Target began offering its Black Friday deals as early as October.

Why is it called Black Friday?

The term dates back to the 1960s and was used to refer to the congestion caused by shoppers on the Friday after Thanksgiving. It was later used to describe retailers' accounts going from in-the-red to in-the-black on that day.  

How will COVID-19 impact Black Friday 2021?

Last year, COVID-19 moved a lot of Black Friday deals online, and many consumers also decided to shop from home, blurring the lines between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. (Cyber Monday is the Monday after Thanksgiving, and it's traditionally dedicated to online shopping sales.) Because of COVID-19 concerns, many brick-and-mortar stores spread deals out over several weeks to prevent crowds from showing up all on one day.

Black Friday shopping rules may be less restrictive than they were this time last year, but retailers will likely keep and maybe even expand their curbside pickup and delivery options. In 2020, Lowe's offered free delivery of fresh-cut trees and wreaths on orders of more than $45, for example.

What goes on sale during Black Friday?

While we don't know yet what will be on sale this year, historically there have been major deals on TVs, appliances, toys, Apple products and so much more. Some of the biggest Black Friday sales happen at Best Buy, Walmart, Target, Amazon, Lowe's, Home Depot and Ulta. Last year's most popular items included Lego sets, Barbie toys, kid scooters, HP laptops and Apple Watches, according to Adobe Insights.

Are there early Black Friday 2021 deals to shop now?

While there's still some time to wait until the early Black Friday sales start, there are plenty of great deals you can get right now. Here are some pre-Black Friday deals you can shop right now