With Christmas and New Year around the corner, more and more shoppers try to plan in advance to save money in a bid to outsmart the cost of living crisis as last-minute purchases can be both stressful and costly.
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Black Friday is undoubtedly the biggest shopping event of the year. Save the date and start shopping early to benefit from discounts on millions of products across technology, home decor, fashion, toys, and more. Here is all you need to know.
When is Black Friday this year?
Black Friday 2022 will take place on Friday, November 25.
It is regarded as one of the busiest days of the year and marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season on the retail calendar.
Black Friday is now an annual event in the UK but it originally started in the US and took place right after Thanksgiving celebrations.
Why is it called Black Friday?
It is thought that Black Friday is called so as it is the day that retailers ‘move into the black’ which means they have enough money to cover costs while offering discounts.
But some say the date owes its name to Philadelphia Police Department back in the 1960s which coined it to describe the chaos caused by the enormous traffic on that day.
Which retailers participate in Black Friday?
Retailers that announced their Black Friday sales include Argos, Amazon, Currys, John Lewis, Tesco and Very, to name a few.
For fashion and beauty product discounts, check out other big brands like Asos, Boohoo, and Boots.
Some retailers choose not to participate in the bargain day. In 2021, this included Marks & Spencer, Home Bargains, Primark, Next, and Poundland.
Where to find the best Black Friday deals?
It's no surprise that Amazon has the best bargains, as it was responsible for bringing Black Friday to the UK. As well as tech and appliances, popular Christmas gifts such as spirits, clothes and beauty products are sold at much lower prices.
Both John Lewis and Currys tend to launch a few big bargains before the day itself. Both stores aim to price-match many of their competitors' best deals, making John Lewis a worthwhile destination for high-end lifestyle products on Black Friday and Currys a decent place to look for tech and appliance deals.
Last year individual brands like Dyson, Lego, Charlotte Tilbury and Ninja Kitchen had their own Black Friday sales, as did Sky.
Cross-category retailers such as Argos, Very and AO are also worth bookmarking, as they work hard to beat Amazon's prices every year – particularly for home appliances.
Clothing and beauty retailers including Net-a-Porter and Boots typically offer site-wide discounts.
Consider signing up for cashback sites like TopCashBack as it is free to join and offers money back on your purchases.
You can also use comparison websites like PriceRunner to check the cost of your desired item before discounts so you know if it’s a good deal.
Here are more tips for how to prepare for Black Friday.
Sources used:
- Scotsman: 'When does Black Friday start 2022? Where are the best UK deals and how can you get them first? Why is it called Black Friday?'
- The Telegraph: 'The best Black Friday 2022 deals so far: early sales and discounts from Amazon, Currys and Boots'