Early Black Friday 2026: Sale Dates and What to Buy Now

Quick answer: Black Friday is Nov. 27, 2026, but the sales start weeks earlier. Target runs a Deal of the Day from Nov. 1 and early Black Friday deals Nov. 5–7. Walmart has early deals Nov. 12–15, Black Friday deals Nov. 23–29 and Cyber Monday deals Nov. 30–Dec. 2. Amazon had not announced its dates as of late October. Buy everyday items and gifts early when the price is a true low, and wait for Black Friday week on big TVs and laptops.

Confirmed sale dates so far

Dates from Target’s Oct. 21 announcement and Walmart’s holiday event announcement, as reported by TODAY and Yahoo Shopping. We will update this table when Amazon and Best Buy confirm their plans.

Walmart says its events start on Walmart.com at 12:01 a.m. ET and in stores at 6 a.m. local time. Walmart+ members get early access to some “deal drops” on the first day of the first two events.

Why sales start so early now

Black Friday used to be one day with doorbuster lines. Now it’s a month-long season. Retailers spread deals out to avoid crowds and shipping crunches, and to grab your gift budget before a competitor does. The good news for you: you don’t have to shop on one day. The bad news: a “Black Friday price” in early November is not always the lowest price of the season.

What to buy early vs. what to wait for

This is our general guidance based on how holiday sales usually go. It is not a promise about any one product’s price.

The logic is simple. Items that sell out, or that you need to ship to family, are worth grabbing early. Big electronics tend to see their deepest cuts in Black Friday week, when stores compete hardest.

How to tell if a deal is real (5 steps)

1. Check the price history. Free tools like CamelCamelCamel and Keepa show an Amazon product’s price over time. If the “deal” is the same price it was in August, it’s not a deal.
2. Ignore the “was” price. A crossed-out list price can be a number nobody ever paid. Compare against what the item actually sold for in recent months.
3. Compare the exact model number. Some TVs and laptops sold on Black Friday are special models with cheaper parts. Match model numbers across stores before you decide.
4. Read the return policy. Many stores extend holiday returns into January, but not all do. Check before you buy, especially for electronics.
5. Use a credit card, not a debit card. Credit cards give you stronger dispute rights under federal law if something goes wrong.

We go deeper in how to spot a real online deal before you buy.

A real-life example (illustrative)

My rule for holiday shopping is one list, one budget, three dates. Here’s what that looks like for a family like the Garcias in Texas. (The Garcias are an illustrative example.)

They have $600 to spend. They want an air fryer for Grandma, two toys for the kids, a gift card for a teenage nephew and a new TV for the living room. In my view, the toys and air fryer go in the cart during Target’s Nov. 5–7 sale if the price history says it’s a real low. The gift card waits for a bonus offer. The TV waits until Black Friday week, when they compare the same model at Walmart, Target, Best Buy and Amazon. Anything that doesn’t fit the $600 stays off the list. That last rule saves more money than any coupon.

Early deals worth watching on Amazon

Amazon hasn’t announced its Black Friday event yet, but prices on many products move all month. These categories are where shoppers usually find solid holiday discounts. Check the price history before you buy.

What we know about Amazon and Best Buy

Amazon. Amazon already held its October Prime Big Deal Days event and, as of late October, had not announced a Black Friday event or dates. In past years, Amazon has started its Black Friday sale about a week before Thanksgiving and run it through Cyber Monday. We expect something similar, but we will only list dates once Amazon confirms them. Prime membership is not required for most Black Friday deals, though some are Prime-only.

Best Buy. Best Buy had not shared its 2026 Black Friday schedule in the reporting we reviewed. It usually runs several early deal waves in November. If you are shopping for a TV or laptop, Best Buy is worth checking alongside Walmart, Target and Amazon, because it often matches competitors on the same model.

Set a holiday budget before the sales start

The biggest Black Friday mistake isn’t paying a few dollars too much. It’s buying things you never planned to buy because the price looked low. A budget fixes that.

1. Write down everyone you’re buying for. Family, friends, teachers, coworkers and anyone else.
2. Put a dollar limit next to each name. Add them up. That total is your budget.
3. Add the hidden costs. Shipping, wrapping, travel, holiday food and that one extra gift you always forget.
4. Pay with money you have. If you use a credit card for the dispute protection, pay the full balance when the bill comes. Holiday debt at 20%-plus interest wipes out any discount fast.
5. Track as you go. A note on your phone works. Cross off each gift with what you paid.

If you already carry a credit card balance, our guide on how a balance transfer card works explains one way to cut the interest before the holidays.

Watch out for holiday scams

• Fake delivery texts. Messages saying a package is “on hold” and asking you to click a link are a common scam. Check your order in the store’s own app.
• Too-good-to-be-true ads. Social media ads for brand-name items at 80% off often lead to fake stores. Search the store’s name plus “scam” or “reviews” before you pay.
• Gift card requests. No real business or government agency asks you to pay with gift cards. The FTC says anyone who demands it is a scammer.

Plan around shipping deadlines

If you are sending gifts to family, the deal only counts if it arrives in time. Carriers and big retailers publish holiday shipping cutoffs in November. Our holiday shipping deadlines guide has the dates for USPS, UPS and FedEx.

Also read: When is Black Friday 2026? Dates, Cyber Monday and 7 ways to actually save

Frequently asked questions

When is Black Friday 2026?
Friday, Nov. 27, 2026, the day after Thanksgiving (Nov. 26). Cyber Monday is Nov. 30.

When do early Black Friday sales start?
Target’s Deal of the Day starts Nov. 1, with early Black Friday deals Nov. 5–7. Walmart’s early deals run Nov. 12–15.

When is Amazon’s Black Friday sale?
Amazon had not announced dates as of late October 2026. We’ll update this guide when it does.

Are early Black Friday deals as good as the real thing?
Sometimes. Gifts and small appliances can hit their lows early. Big electronics often get their best prices during Black Friday week. Check price history either way.

Are stores open on Thanksgiving?
Many big chains now close on Thanksgiving Day, then open early on Black Friday. Check your local store’s hours before you go.

The bottom line

You don’t need to wait for Nov. 27. Make a list, set a budget, and buy each item when its price is a real low, which for many gifts will be the early sales from Target and Walmart. Hold off on big electronics until Black Friday week, and check the price history before every purchase.

Last reviewed: Oct. 27, 2026. Sale dates come from retailer announcements and can change.

Sources: Target and Walmart holiday event announcements as reported by TODAY, TODAY (sale tracker) and Yahoo Shopping; FTC, Gift Card Scams.

Featured photo: “Black Friday Shopping.” Eric.Ray / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0. File photo.

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