Black Friday 2026 falls on November 27 as retailers launch early deals

Major U.S. retailers have begun rolling out their Black Friday 2026 promotions, with several chains already offering early discounts ahead of the official shopping day. Black Friday falls on November 27 this year, the day after Thanksgiving, but the bulk of the savings are now spread across weeks rather than concentrated on a single Friday.

Several retailers have published their official start dates. Best Buy's Black Friday sale begins November 19, Walmart's on November 23, and Target and Costco are both set for November 27. Amazon has not yet announced a date for its Black Friday event. Target has already launched what it describes as an early sale running November 5 through 7, and Best Buy has a separate early event beginning November 6.

Not every product will be discounted this year. Among the categories most likely to see good deals are 4K televisions, along with computer monitors and projectors. Apple products are also a recurring draw: AirPods, iPads and Apple Watches typically reach their lowest prices during the November sales, as retailers compete to undercut one another on the latest models.

Toys and physical media also tend to see markdowns. Older LEGO sets scheduled for retirement at the end of the year are likely to be discounted, while popular new 2026 sets are not expected to drop much in price. Books, 4K Blu-rays, board games and vinyl records are likely to appear in buy-one-get-one promotions at retailers such as Amazon and Target, with some of those offers starting before Black Friday itself. Physical video games for Nintendo, Xbox and PlayStation 5 may also begin to fall in price in the days ahead of the main event.

Some categories are unlikely to offer meaningful savings. Video game consoles have already seen price increases on the Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox and PS5, and Xbox has encouraged players to trade in unused consoles amid a shortage. Switch 2 bundles may offer some value on games and accessories, though they are not expected to be a strong deal. Gaming PCs and graphics cards have also grown more expensive, a trend that coverage ties to heavy demand for AI computing and a worsening RAM shortage. Finding a capable gaming PC for under $1,500 is expected to be difficult this year.

Physical media is also seeing a resurgence, which has made 4K Blu-ray players hard to find. Prices for the players rose sharply earlier in the year, and while 4K Blu-ray discs may be discounted, the hardware needed to play them is unlikely to be cheap. Shoppers planning purchases are advised to watch early sale windows closely, since many of the most useful discounts are arriving before the traditional Black Friday date.

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Delaney Sawyer

Society Reporter

Delaney Sawyer covers public affairs, politics, business, culture and daily news for Core Memo. The role focuses on verification, context, and clear explanations for readers.

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