Everything you need to know about Black Friday 2023

Black Friday 2023 is nearly upon us, and it’s going to be very different from previous years. During the Pandemic, Black Friday was a bit weird, with shipping times being quite longer than usual, and even stock of many items being a lot lower than usual. Last year, things finally started to get back on track to what Black Friday was before the Pandemic, but this year it’s going to be different, again. Why? Because of the recession. Consumers aren’t spending as much money, which is a good thing actually, because it means retailers need to do more to get you to buy this holiday season. So expect bigger discounts than normal this year. And deals to start earlier than ever.

So with that said, here’s everything you need to know about Black Friday and how you can prepare for the big day.

What is Black Friday?

Black Friday is the one day a year that retailers mark down almost everything, in an effort to get you to buy more and more products. This is typically when retailers make the most money, hence the term “black friday”. This is when retailers go from being in the red to being in the black.

Every retailer, including online-only retailers, will discount many products for Black Friday. It’s also a good time to get started on your shopping for the holidays.

When is Black Friday 2023?

Black Friday starts on November 24, 2023, officially.

We say “officially” because many retailers have already started their Black Friday sales. Walmart is starting a new sale with more products at Black Friday prices, each Monday in November. This is really to tout their Walmart+ subscription though. Best Buy is also doing something similar with various sales for Black Friday prices, ahead of the big day. The reason for this is to help alleviate shipping and store traffic in the days following Black Friday. As those are some of the busiest days of the year for UPS, FedEx, DHL and USPS.

So while Black Friday is actually on November 24, 2023, you can start shopping Black Friday sales right now.

Are there going to be shipping delays?

Yes, but it shouldn’t be as bad as in the past couple years.

We will likely still see some shipping delays. But everything you buy on Black Friday should arrive in time for Christmas, especially since it is a full month ahead of Christmas Day. But if your Amazon packages are set to be delivered in 5 days instead of next day, don’t be too surprised. This is the time of the year where all shipping partners are struggling to keep up with demand, and are being overworked.

If you are one that buys a lot of things online, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to put out some snacks and drinks for the delivery drivers. They will definitely appreciate them.

What Black Friday sales can I expect to see?

Everything is going to be on sale, and we do mean everything. Black Friday is the one time of the year where everyone is looking to buy stuff that’s on sale. So companies are going to discount literally everything. Last year, we saw discounts on streaming services. Like Disney+ going for $49.99 per year instead of $69.99. So no matter what you are looking for, it’s going to be on sale.

Amazon is definitely going to be discounting its lineup of Echo Devices. As well as its eero, Blink and Ring devices. Those always see the largest discounts this time of year.

As well as some steep discounts on smartphones. Samsung’s latest will likely lead the way in the steepest percentage discount. As we have already seen those drop quite a bit since they launched earlier this year. But expect to see the Pixel 7 also drop in price. However, maybe not as drastically as in previous years.

Will stores announce deals ahead of time?

Stores will be announcing their deals well ahead of Black Friday. So you can have time to prepare for it, and decide where you want to buy each item. We should start to see stores announcing their Black Friday sales in the next couple of weeks, once we get closer to November.

Retailers release “circulars” about a month ahead of the big day. So you can see what is going to be on sale. The sales are pretty much the same from store to store, so it really comes down to which store you’d prefer to shop at. There might be a few items that are different prices at Best Buy versus Staples, but for the most part, they are all the same.

Stores will also have sales ahead of Black Friday. So you don’t need to wait until November 24 to start your shopping.

How can I prepare for Black Friday?

The best way to prepare for Black Friday is make a list. Start with making a list of things you want to buy people for the holidays, including your mom, dad, siblings, etc. Then make a separate list of items you want to buy (but don’t necessarily need). That way you know what to look out for, when checking out these Black Friday deals. Especially since you’re not going to have a lot of time to think about what to buy during Black Friday. As these deals are going to go really quickly.

This also helps you not to overspend on things that you don’t need. Things you bought just because it was on sale. This is why two lists are definitely helpful. The stuff you need – who doesn’t love saving on stuff you’re going to be buying anyways – and then one full of stuff you want.

It’s not about buying stuff just because it is on sale, but spending your money smarter.

Should I wait til after Black Friday to shop?

You can, but it’s recommended not to. Most of the bigger deals are going to be on Black Friday and through Cyber Week. After that, products will be on sale, but not as discounted as they were on Black Friday.

Of course, if you need some help with sales on Black Friday and throughout the holiday shopping season, AndroidHeadlines is here to help. As we do all year round and have been doing for the past seven years, we’ll be rounding up the best deals daily. So you’ll want to keep an eye on this link here, so you don’t miss any of the good deals.

Should I care about Black Friday?

You should care if you like saving money. And we all like saving money.

While Black Friday is a way for retailers to make their Q4 numbers look impressive, it’s also great for consumers, as we can get products at massive discounts. That’s not something that happens every day. Some of the deals that we see on Black Friday, we may never see again. One big sale that happened last year was Amazon bundling the Meta Quest 2 with Beat Saber and Resident Evil 4 VR for just $349. Considering the headset was normally $399, this was a pretty big discount and was a top-seller for Amazon last year. A sale we have not seen again since. But we could see it with the Meta Quest 3 that was just announced.

So yeah, you should definitely care about Black Friday. It’s an easy way to get a head start on your holiday shopping too.