Get ready for the biggest shopping season of the year with Black Friday 2025. This year, Black Friday won’t be waiting for the Thanksgiving weekend to kick off; it is going to be a week long affair of savings and discounts. US retailers have already opened their online shelves and have been rolling out discounts weeks ahead of schedule. So, what does this mean for shoppers? This means you get more time to compare prices, track trends and plan your purchases. But all of this also means more hype, more noise, and a whole lot more work to tell genuine deals apart from the fake markdowns.
The landscape around Black Friday sales has taken a completely different turn than the last decade. What began as a one-day shopping frenzy has slowly evolved into a month-long retail marathon. Traditional queues are getting replaced by real time alerts, browser extensions, and price trackers. So, if you want to win and score big this Black Friday, you need a strategy.
So, we brought it to you. This is a complete guide to help you navigate Black Friday 2025. We will talk about start dates, deal patterns, how to save tactics, and some hidden rules that retailers will never tell you. Here is everything you need to know before you check out.
The Black Friday Timeline
Earlier, Black Friday was limited to just a “Friday” after Thanksgiving. Things are not the same anymore. Retailers have learned that spreading out promotions across the week can boost engagement and also levies very little load on the website. As a result, November has become a rolling calendar of deals.
Amazon has become the trendsetter with its early discounts. They have announced their major sale window starting on November 20. That’s a full week before Thanksgiving. Other retailers like Walmart have also followed the same path with phased events across the month. Best Buy and Target, too, are running early access programs for loyalty members before public sales open.
So what does this mean for you as a shopper? You don’t need to wait for the Friday after Thanksgiving. By then, many of the best deals of the year, especially on electronics, smart home devices, and gaming gear, may already be gone. Early access has now become the new doorbuster.
For those of you planning to buy your favorite tech this year, want to upgrade, or are keeping an eye on upcoming devices, mark mid-November as your real starting line for checking the deals. Track the prices closely from the 14th onward. By the time Black Friday officially arrives on November 28, you will know whether a deal is truly new or just recycled.
The Real Story Behind the ‘Unbelievable Deals
Every November, social media platforms and forums become a battleground among users about whether Black Friday still offers “real discounts. There is no hiding from the fact that some online retailers follow dark patterns. This means that many retailers will falsely inflate the prices of some products and show massive discounts to lure unsuspecting buyers. While this is true for some cases, it is not the full picture.
Retailers know that consumers have gotten super savvy now. Most consumers will now track price history, try cashback apps, and even check deal-tracking websites to get even more discounts. This transparency has forced many major sellers to offer genuine markdowns, especially true for high visibility categories like TVs, laptops, smartphones and more.
Here is the truth: Black Friday still delivers strong value if you know where to look for it. You will find standout deals in electronics, gaming, home tech, and streaming subscriptions, while categories like fashion or furniture often use the event for clearance.
Amidst all the hype, if you want to get real value from your purchase, you need to use data. Start tracking prices before November. When a discount appears, compare it to the historical low. If it is within 5 to 10% of the lowest price in the past six months, chances are you are getting a good Black Friday deal. Anything higher is a marketing gimmick to get you to buy things you don’t need.
Top online platforms to get the best Black Friday deals
Amazon
Amazon’s influence over Black Friday cannot be overstated. Its algorithm-driven pricing changes every few minutes, responding to competitors in real time. In 2025, the company is expected to extend its early sale from November 20 through Cyber Monday, creating nearly two whole weeks of continuous markdowns.
If you are a Prime member, you can even get early access sales, which are often exclusive to paying members of Amazon. This also includes limited time lightning deals that disappear within hours or until the stock lasts. Also expect deep cuts on Amazon devices like Fire TV sticks, Echo speakers, Kindles, Amazon Basic products etc.
So, what is the trick to finding the best deal on Amazon? It is finding the right time to buy. Prices can fluctuate multiple times a day. Tools like Keepa and CamelCamelCamel remain indispensable for tracking price history directly within the product pages. These are browser extensions that you can install to set price alerts and wait for the dip. This is how veteran shoppers beat the algorithm.
And don’t forget to use Amazon coupons. Many discounts sit quietly below the product price as clickable boxes, often invisible to price trackers. Make sure to always check manually before checkout, as coupons and bank offers can add another 5 to 10% off.
Walmart
Walmart’s 2025 approach this year is mainly focused on both early access and exclusivity. Expect major events around November 14 and November 28, each covering almost every category. Walmart’s hybrid model of in-store and online purchases gives it a massive advantage in many cases. Some items drop in physical stores before they become available online.
However, you need to remember that Walmart used to have a price-matching policy. But the brand has been tightening the policy and playing around with its terms and conditions. Many users have noted that if you buy early and the price drops closer to Black Friday, you might not even be qualified for an adjustment.
So, shop smart: add items to your online cart, monitor the price movements, and only check out when you see consistent markdowns across multiple sites.
Best Buy and Target
Both retailers have adopted the subscription model to lock in early shoppers. Best Buy has got its Totaltech members and Target has its Circle Week participants who are the first in line to get first access to the deals.
Best Buy’s month-long rollout, which began on October 31, introduces new doorbusters every week leading up to the main event. Many of these return during Black Friday, but the best inventory moves super fast, so make sure to grab it when you can.
Target takes a slightly different route here with a focus on convenience. Its free same-day pickup and extended return windows make it the go-to for household and family shoppers who want flexibility. Target also honors price matches for most products purchased after November 1 to offer you complete peace of mind, even if the same product drops in price later.
Tips and Tricks to Get You the Best Deals
Here are some quick tips that help you score the best deals this sale season.
Price Trackers and Tools You Actually Need
The modern shopper does not rely on luck or chance to find the best deals for themselves. You need tools to find the right data. Tools like Keepa, CamelCamelCamel, and AisleGopher are essential tools in 2025. Each tracks historical pricing on major sites, giving you insight into whether a discount is genuine.
Use them effectively by
- Tracking your most wanted items early. Don’t wait until the sales begin.
- Set price alerts at your target range (10-15% below average).
- When the alert hits, verify across at least two retailers before buying.
This process turns impulse buying into an informed action. Plus, it also prevents the common trap of assuming every “Deal of the Day” is worth clicking.
Save More with Coupons, Subscriptions, and Annual Plans
Discount stacking is where smart shoppers gain the real edge. In 2025, many retailers offer digital coupons, but they are often buried within product pages or hidden behind membership logins.
Here’s what to look for:
- Amazon coupons: Clickable on-page offers often missed by trackers.
- RetailMeNot and Honey: Browser extensions that scan and auto-apply the best discount codes across retailers.
- Annual service plans: Subscriptions like VPNs, streaming apps, or internet security software often drop prices by 50 to 70% for yearly billing during Black Friday.
Remember that the key to success in scoring the best deals is timing. Coupons refresh daily during the sale window, so revisit your cart often. Combine coupons with cashback offers from credit cards or portals like Rakuten to stack multiple layers of savings on one purchase.
Price Matching: What Works and What Doesn’t
Price matching during Black Friday can feel like a myth. But it still exists with a few rules. Best Buy continues to honor competitor pricing in many cases, as long as it is a verified product sold directly by the retailer, not a third-party seller. Target follows the same guidelines, often allowing post-purchase adjustments through early December.
Walmart and Costco, however, remain exceptions. Walmart generally pauses price matching during major events, and Costco rarely allows it year-round.
If you are a serious bargain hunter, the safest approach would be to monitor your top purchases and be ready to request a match immediately after checkout. Screenshot competing offers and contact the customer support within the window specified by the retailer.
The New Black Friday Strategy
Remember the time when Mr Bean made a prop to spend an entire night in the queue before Black Friday? Well, things have changed a lot since those days. In 2025, it ain’t about lining up outside stores or frantically adding items to your cart. It is all about planning, tracking, and acting at the right moment. The most successful shoppers are the ones who use data to guide their choices.
Here is a practical framework that works for almost everyone:
- List out your targets early: write down what you actually need, not what the top ads tell you.
- Track prices in advance: Use browser extension trackers to see if the current deal is truly new.
- Set alerts: Let tools monitor prices while you focus on life.
- Shop during the early wave: Many of the top deals appear before Thanksgiving.
- Don’t rush checkout: Add items to your cart, then recheck later in the day. Prices can dip again within hours.
What to Expect This Black Friday
Black Friday 2025 will be defined by speed, personalization, and digital-first competition. Retailers are investing heavily in AI-driven pricing models that adjust discounts based on browsing behavior and regional demand.
And for shoppers? This means deals will be tailored but also more volatile. What you see may differ from what someone else sees. Refresh the pages often, and don’t assume static pricing.
The final takeaway? The smartest shopper this season is the most informed one.
