What to buy, what to skip, and how to save

Now that Black Friday deals are officially here, how can you be sure you’re taking advantage of the absolute best deals? To answer all your questions, I put together this Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday shopping guide based on my five years of sales experience. I also spoke to experts to get advice on what to buy, what to skip, and how to save. I will regularly update this guide with additional information.

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When do Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday sales start?

Black Friday is November 29, 2024 and Cyber ​​Monday is December 2, 2024. Sales are currently ongoing at all retailers online and in stores.

When do Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday sales end?

The strongest sales end on Cyber ​​Monday, says Mackenzie Shand, shopping expert at RetailMeNot, a deal-finding and cashback site. However, with many people buying holiday gifts through mid-December, retailers continue to offer discounts, although these are typically weaker compared to Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday prices.

We tend to see retailers stop using “Black Friday” language on Saturday – by Sunday they are in full Cyber ​​Monday mode. However, despite the name change, the products offered and their discounts are largely the same.

What are the best products to buy on Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday?

On Black Friday and Cyber ​​​​Monday, products and services of all categories are on sale. However, the absolute best discounts tend to be on gift items like toys, technology and gadgets, housewares, small kitchen appliances and home appliances like vacuum cleaners, says Shand. Tech deals are particularly competitive on Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday – keep an eye on TVs and related accessories, smartphones, smart home technology, laptops, tablets and video games, says Vipin Porwal, CEO and consumer savings expert at Smarty, a cashback -Browser extension. You’ll also see attractive deals on clothing, especially in stores that offer sitewide discounts.

When shopping on Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday, don’t forget to check subscription services and travel sites for deals, says Shand. “We’ve seen significant discounts on streaming services in recent years, and since they don’t sell out like physical products, you can wait to sign up on Cyber ​​Monday in case the deal gets better,” she says.

What should you skip when shopping on Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday?

Brands and retailers wait until Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday to offer their best prices of the year, so there are no products that experts should avoid entirely during the sale. However, if you’re not in a rush, you can wait until Presidents Day to purchase a new mattress and major home and kitchen appliances, says Shand—at which point the discounts are usually just as good, if not better. As spring approaches, you may also see better prices on winter clothing and shoes at clearance sales.

Black Friday vs. Cyber ​​Monday: What’s the difference?

“Black Friday and Cyber ​​​​Monday are not that different right now,” says Shand. Black Friday used to be dedicated to in-person shopping, while Cyber ​​Monday was dedicated to online shopping. But e-commerce now dominates both events. There is no real separation between them, so some people refer to the five days from Thanksgiving to Cyber ​​Monday as “the Cyber ​​Five.” Since the first deals start weeks before the official events and the entire month of November is full of sales, experts have also coined the term “Black November”.

Are there better deals on Cyber ​​Monday?

No, there aren’t typically any better deals on Cyber ​​Monday, so experts recommend thinking of it as your absolute last chance to shop. “We tend to see an expansion of Black Friday deals and not major discounts,” says Shand.

However, you shouldn’t wait too long before shopping, especially as popular products can sell out quickly. It’s wise to take advantage of deals on in-demand items as soon as you see them, especially toys and tech from big-name brands like Apple, Lego and Nintendo.

Retailers may add brand new deals to their listings on Cyber ​​Monday because they are competing for your shopping cart. So if you’re doing some shopping now, consider browsing again this weekend and on Monday in case a new deal catches your eye.

Should you shop in store or online on Black Friday?

There are pros and cons to shopping in-store and online on Black Friday. Ultimately, it’s a matter of personal preference – here are some factors to consider when making your decision:

1. Shopping online is more convenient than shopping in store and it is easier to compare prices on different websites. Retailers also tend to offer a wider variety of discounts online, says Shand.
2. Retailers want to make in-store shopping on Black Friday a special experience for their customers and can therefore offer exclusive offers and gifts when purchasing at their locations, says Porwal.
3. When you shop in-store, you can try on, touch and take items home the same day. You can also purchase products online and pick them up in stores, depending on where you shop.

Can you return Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday purchases?

Unless otherwise specified by the retailer, you can return purchases on Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday, says Porwal. In most cases, items you purchase on clearance will be subject to a retailer’s standard return policy. However, always read the fine print in case there are exceptions. If something is final sale and cannot be returned, retailers will specifically tell you that, says Shand. Also, look for expanded return options that some retailers offer around the holidays, says Porwal.

What is Travel Tuesday?

Travel Tuesday is dedicated to selling travel-related purchases such as flights, hotels and cruises. You may also see deals on travel-related products like suitcases and toiletry bags. Travel Tuesday takes place the day after Cyber ​​Monday, which is December 3, 2024.

Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday shopping tips

Planning is key when shopping on Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday. This way you can focus on what you’re looking for and ensure you’re getting the best deals possible. Below are some expert tips to ensure you are successful at the events.

Don’t wait to buy what’s on your wish list

During Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday, online and in-store shopping traffic peaks. Products usually sell out quickly. So once you find a great deal, add it to your cart and check it out. If you don’t, you may miss out on the discount, especially since you don’t know if stock will be restocked.

Sign up to receive notifications about sales and offers

During Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday, retailers are constantly offering deals. Signing up for email lists, app push notifications and SMS messages will keep you up to date with what’s new, says Porwal. This also gives you the best chance of buying a popular product – retailers are likely to let shoppers know when it goes on sale so they can buy it straight away.

Create a shopping list

Big savings events are geared toward impulse purchases — retailers are betting that shoppers will be tempted by deals and add more items to their carts than they originally planned. That’s why making a shopping list is important: It keeps you organized and helps you focus on the products you need or have a budget for, says Shand. Some people prefer a classic pen and paper list, but it’s easier to bookmark links or add items that interest you to your cart.

Consider purchasing with a credit card

If you use a credit card to shop on Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday, you may be able to earn points or take advantage of exclusive rewards. Certain cards allow you to get cash back at certain retailers, while others also offer welcome bonuses or points.

Compare prices and rewards on retailer websites

Retailers compete for your shopping cart on Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday by “price hunting” each other—meaning that an item sold at multiple retailers is likely to have the exact (or near-exact) price everywhere. In these cases, deciding which retailer to buy from comes down to details like shipping price, stackable promo codes, extended warranty offers, and where to redeem or earn maximum rewards points, says Porwal. Also weigh different retailers’ cash back offers that can help you make money while you shop, says Shand.

To make price comparison easier, I recommend using tools like Keepa, CamelCamelCamel and Honey. They help you monitor prices before and during sales and send you notifications about price drops for specific products. You can also integrate items into these tools to see if their prices were lower at another point in the year. If this were the case, you may want to wait before purchasing.

Consider extended returns and price adjustments

If you purchase an item that requires a specific size, e.g. For items such as clothing, shoes, or bedding, read the retailer’s return policy before checking out. You don’t want to get stuck with something that doesn’t suit you. Therefore, it is important to know how long the return window is and whether the retailer has any exceptions to its policies.

Also, don’t forget about price matching. Some retailers will match the price of a product to that of their competitors if you find an item at another store for a lower price within a certain period of time. However, price matching programs may exclude purchases on Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday. So read the fine print.

Meet our experts

At NBC Select, we work with experts who have expertise and authority through relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are provided independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.

• Mackenzie Shand is a shopping expert at RetailMeNot, a deals and cashback discovery site.
• Vipin Porwal is the CEO and consumer savings expert at Smarty, a cashback browser extension.

Why trust NBC Select?

I’m a reporter at NBC Select covering Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday since 2020. I wrote NBC Select’s Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday story and often cover major shopping holidays. For this article, I interviewed two experts and researched shopping trends and consumer spending data.