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Reading Time: 8 minutesBlack Friday tradition gets shaken up a little every year, but 2022 is just something else. So, we’ve put together the ultimate Black Friday guide together for top big-box retailers: Amazon, Target &Walmart. This year, these major retailers have rolled out pre-Black Friday Sales as early as the beginning of October. This type of competition is very synonymous to how major studios release movies. Sometimes you don’t want your blockbusters to have any competition for the week of release. But should you be the first to show for these pre-Black-Friday sales or wait for possibly better deals down the road on Black Friday for November25th? We’ll dive into that and more.
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Big Box Retailer Black Friday Rollout
Three of the biggest players in this year’s Black Friday showdown are Target, Amazon, and Walmart. Taking first mover advantage, Target unveiled a 3-day pre-Black Friday sale called Deal Days that ran from 10/6 to 10/8. The biggest savings fell on categories like kitchen appliances, toys, bedding, and televisions with discounts of up to 50%.
The following week, Amazon and Walmart went head to head with their respective pre-Black Friday sales. Walmart got a headstart with their Deal for Days event, a 3-day sale running from 10/10 to 10/13. Some of the best deals here included laptops up to 70% off, TVs up to 50% off, and robot vacuums up to 40% off.
From 10/11 to 10/12, Amazon gave its members an early taste of Black Friday by launching a second Prime Day. This 48-hour sale featured tons of discounts on some major brands. During this time, you could get $70 off Apple AirPods Pro, Apple Watch SE for $199, and $100 off the Macbook Air. It was also a good time to pick up some of Amazon’s own electronics at a heavy discount.
As great as these events were, these pre-Black Friday sales were just teasers. There is more to come from these three giant competitors as we pace our way to Thanksgiving and beyond.
Target Black Friday Rollout
Following their Deal Days event, Target has been releasing new deals every week with their Shop Early & Save initiative. Refreshing on Sundays, the weeklong sales feature big discounts on household essentials, home decor, appliances, electronics, and more. Additionally, new Deals of the Day will appear daily all the way through 12/24. The actual Black Friday sale is expected for the week of 11/20. But with all the deals already available, you don’t have to wait until then to start saving.
Should You Wait for More Target Deals?
Target does have a Holiday Price Match Guarantee for this shopping season. If anything you buy has a price drop prior to Christmas, they will refund you the difference. The caveat here is that the retailer will only price match with themselves and not other stores. However, as long as your eligible product remains new and unopened, you can take advantage of their Black Friday return policy of 90 days. So with these buying protections in place, you don’t really have to wait for better deals.
Tips for Shopping at Target This Black Friday
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Best Deal Category at Target
While this period features deals in all categories, there are some products that tend to have better prices at Target versus other retailers. For Black Friday 2022, getting toys at Target will yield the most savings. For this week, they are running a BOGO 50% off sale on select toy brands. This offer also works with items that are already on clearance and is available online or in-store.
Target Circle Black Friday Perks
For Black Friday, Target’s Circle loyalty program is offering a 10% discount on two storewide purchases for military personnel, veterans, and families. To claim the offer, just sign into your Target Circle account, verify your military status, and then apply the coupon before checking out. The discount can be used both online and in-store. Target Circle is free to join.
Standard Target Circle Benefits:
- 1% in rewards or 5% in savings with RedCard
- Access to exclusive deals and offers
- Get a birthday gift on your big day
- Earn votes when you shop and use them to help direct where Target gives in your community
Target Cyber Monday vs. Black Friday
The details of Target’s Cyber Monday are currently a mystery. Though, it should be on par with all the deals that they have been releasing. However, they may use that week to further clearance any inventory on deal products that didn’t sell out prior to 11/28. If you want to be the first to find out about Cyber Monday deals, it is recommended that you sign up for their email newsletter.
Amazon Black Friday Rollout
Last year, Amazon ran a 2-day Black Friday event following Thanksgiving and it’s expected to be the same for 2022. However, they have already rolled out weekly deals and will continue to do so all the way up to the actual day. Since Amazon is littered with millions of products, the best course of action is to put your desired items in your shopping cart ahead of time. By doing so, you can monitor prices or join waitlists for sold out items to find out when they’re in stock again.
Should You Wait for More Amazon Deals?
Amazon is a different kind of beast when it comes to sales. Unlike the traditional store, the online retailer modifies their prices everyday. Sometimes the difference is mere pennies while other times it’s a sizable difference. If you come across a deal you like, don’t hesitate to mash that buy button. There’s no guarantee that the item will stay in stock during this competitive shopping season. Unfortunately, Amazon doesn’t offer any sort of price matching. But it is very easy to return an item in the event you come across a better deal elsewhere.
Tips for Shopping at Amazon This Black Friday
Best Deal Category at Amazon
Electronics tend to be the favored category at Amazon. However, they like to reserve the best discounts for their proprietary devices. If your smart home ecosystem is Alexa-based or you intend on making it so, then this is a good time to go for those products. During this Black Friday season, you can save up to 50% off Blink Smart Home Products, Fire Tablets, Echo Products, and Fire TV & Luna Gaming Bundles.
Prime Members Black Friday Perks
As it stands, Amazon hasn’t unveiled any perks specific to Black Friday. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to look forward to. In the past, they have offered double the cashback on products when you purchase with an Amazon credit card. An Amazon Prime membership is $14.99 a month or $139 for a year.
Standard Amazon Prime Benefits:
- Free shipping as fast as same-day delivery
- Free content on Prime Video, Amazon Music, Prime Gaming, and more
- Free Grubhub+ membership for 1 year
- Exclusive access to deals and offers
- Earn 5% back with an Amazon Store Card
Amazon Cyber Monday vs. Black Friday
Amazon is one of the few retailers that actually have some better deals on Cyber Monday versus Black Friday. Afterall, the whole invention of Cyber Monday was to promote online shopping and no one represents it better than Amazon. You can probably expect some lower prices on deals that were featured prior as the e-commerce giant tries to clear remaining inventory.
Walmart Black Friday Rollout
After a three week hiatus following their mid-October sale, Walmart’s next Deals for Days event will soon be underway. From 11/7 to 11/27, a new Black Friday sale will be available each week. You can check out the schedule in the link below. Similar to last year, Walmart+ members will get early access to online deals.
Should You Wait for More Walmart Deals?
Typically, Walmart has the best deals in-store on the actual day of Black Friday. If you enjoy the thrill of doing your shopping in person on one of the craziest shopping holidays of the year, then you might want to hold off on buying things now. However, if you’re looking for something specific, it is better to get it sooner than later to avoid running into stock issues.
Tips for Shopping at Walmart This Black Friday
Best Deal Category at Walmart
Every year, we see entertaining pics of people trying to fit five TVs into their cars at a Walmart parking lot. Well, that’s simply because they have the best deals on televisions during Black Friday. During this holiday shopping season, you can get major discounts on both big brands and smaller brands alike. For 2022, you can get a 55-inch 4K TV for less than $200!
Walmart+ Members Black Friday Perks
This year, Walmart Plus members will get exclusive early access to all online Black Friday deals. During their Deals for Days event, subscribers get a 7-hour headstart on online sales and can start shopping at noon. Having a membership is a clear advantage for successfully shopping Black Friday 2022 at Walmart.
For a limited time, you can get a Walmart+ annual subscription for just $49 which is 50% off its normal price. This deal ends on 11/3 at 11:59 p.m. Normally, a membership is $12.95 for a month or $98 for a year.
Standard Walmart+ Benefits:
- Free delivery from your local Walmart on groceries and more with a minimum purchase of $35
- Free shipping on eligible items at Walmart.com with no order minimum
- Get up to $0.10 in fuel savings at over 14,000 locations across the nation
- Earn rewards on eligible items in-store and online to use towards future Walmart purchases
- Free Paramount+ Essential subscription
Walmart Cyber Monday vs. Black Friday
Despite their never-ending competition with Amazon, Walmart will most likely be tame for Cyber Monday. Typically, the retailer just hosts a two-day event to clear out any remaining Black Friday surplus. Though you could probably save more buying during Cyber Monday, the availability of items is much lower so you might not even get what you’re after.
What Other Deals Are Live Weeks Ahead of Time?
- Some DeWalt Tools Black Friday Deals are Back
You never know what DIY projects may arise in the coming months, so why not get prepared now. Many stores like Home Depot, Lowe’s, Ace Hardware, and more are offering early discounts on DeWalt tools. There may be better deals to come as we get closer to Black Friday but some retailers are offering price match guarantees to protect your purchase.
- Lenovo Announced its Xbox Series X (1TB) Black Friday Price: $499.99 (Available Soon)
Not only are discounts hard to come by for the Xbox Series X, but the console itself is as well. With the current scarce supply, getting one that isn’t incredibly marked up is a rare find and that’s what makes this find from Lenovo worth noting. Though it is selling at MSRP, you can get double rewards during this time and get $31 with this purchase to use in the future at Lenovo.
- Costco’s 2022 Holiday Savings Book is Live
The first round of Costco’s pre-Black Friday deals are available now through 11/13. Their 2022 Holiday Savings Book features a large assortment of discounted products like home appliances, laptops, electronics, furniture, jewelry, and more. Some deals are only available online so make sure to check before you contend with the Costco crowds.
Black Friday Frequently Asked Questions
Black Friday deals started way earlier this year compared to the prior years. But you may be hesitant to buy now based on fears that a better deal will come along later. However, a lot of retailers are offering price matching during this extended Black Friday period. If a better discount comes along, they will just refund you the difference. With that kind of buying protection, you should jump on deals as soon as you see them. By making your purchase earlier, you also avoid the logistical mayhem of Black Friday where packages arrive extremely late.
Black Friday brings us a surplus of deals in all categories but the best thing to buy is probably a new television. Every year, the TVs just keep getting bigger and cheaper. With the heavy discounting present, you may want to consider going with a well-known name versus an off-brand one. While the smaller brands may be even more affordable, you want something that will at least make it to the next Black Friday.
As for what to avoid for Black Friday 2022, it looks like gaming consoles are, unfortunately, at the top of the list. Due to the high demand and scarcity of these products, the deals just don’t carry that Black Friday pizzazz. If you want to actually save money, then you should probably hold off on a new PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, or Nintendo Switch. For those that can’t wait, consider buying refurbished.
During Black Friday, the most popular items tend to be electronics. And within this category, Apple products like AirPods, iPads, iPhones, and more pretty much dominate the search engines. This is understandable, though. Apple’s devices rarely go on sale throughout the year. Black Friday is really the only time to find a significant discount on their arsenal of electronics.
For 2022, most stores will be open for Black Friday and with special store hours as well. Some retailers are opening their doors as early as 5:00 in the morning and closing as late as midnight. For the early birds, Best Buy, Walmart, JCPenney, Macy’s, and Target will all be open before 8:00 a.m.
