Black Friday sales season is quickly approaching. It's the biggest shopping holiday of the year and the best time to find deals on just about everything. If you're hoping to save on gifts and essentials in 2025, this is upcoming sales event this is your best choice.
With that in mind, Black Friday has gone well beyond just one day of deals. Although many shoppers still tend to make the majority of their purchases over Thanksgiving weekendyou'll probably be able to find deals long before then.
When will Black Friday sales actually start?
Black Friday is November 28 this yearbut we expect sales to fall much sooner. Based on last year's results, we expect all major online retailers to begin offering “early” Black Friday deals in early November and continue through the week before Thanksgiving. Immediately after this, the “official” Black Friday sales begin.
Last year, Amazon was one of the the first retailers to launch sales on the Thursday before Thanksgiving weekend. If the company follows a similar scenario in 2025, it will put the official The start date for Black Friday sales is somewhere closer to Thursday, November 20th. this year.
No major retailers have announced sale dates yet, but it's probably safe to say that you'll be able to do most of your Black Friday shopping the weekend before Thanksgiving in 2025. In many brick-and-mortar stores, you can count on full discounts even earlier.
What to expect from major retailers
Given current tariffs and recent price increases in the US, it's difficult to predict exactly what kind of discounts we'll see during the 2025 Black Friday season. The IGN Deals team has been covering trade events all year, and we have a good idea of what you can expect, even if prices are higher than last year.
Amazon Black Friday
Amazon has one of the biggest Black Friday sales every year and typically offers discounts on almost everything. Based on previous Amazon sales such as Prime Day and Prime days of big dealsyou can expect the same discounts on Amazon devices that we saw earlier this year. The lowest prices are likely to be on Kindles and Fire TV sticks, as well as Echo speaker sets. Amazon is also promoting some pretty cool discount on Luna controller and subsequent packages during each major sale this year. These specific discounts will most likely be exclusive to Prime members.
In addition to Amazon devices, the online retailer also automatically matches prices of popular products offered in other stores. This means you can expect discounts on things like Apple devices, LEGO sets, laptops, TVs, and just about every other brand that isn't exclusively owned by another major retailer. Amazon's Black Friday sale will typically offer the same low price (or lower) than any of its competitors on these types of items.
To get a better idea of what to expect this year, you can take a look at Last year's Amazon Black Friday ad.
Walmart Black Friday
After Amazon, the next biggest Black Friday sale you can expect will be at Walmart. These discounts will be available both in-store and online, but the online savings should start a little earlier. Walmart usually has some of the best deals on Apple devices like iPads and AirPods. You'll also typically find some of the lowest prices of the year on Walmart exclusives like Onn electronics, select Vizio TVs, and select gaming PC configurations (see below). recent GeForce sale) and certain household appliances.
Walmart has also had some great deals on the Nintendo Switch in the past that Amazon couldn't match. We expect to see this again this year, most likely in new Switch 2 games or Pokémon cards. Expect some of these discounts to be available in advance for Walmart+ memberswhich was the case for other major sales this year.
In addition to popular tech and games, Walmart also offers discounts on groceries, clothing, and toys. Walmart is especially known for offering particularly good deals on LEGO, but inventory tends to be quite limited.
You can check Walmart's Complete Black Friday Ad from last year for more information.
Best Black Friday Buy
Best Buy's Black Friday sale typically has the best selection of tech deals during the holiday season. Many of these discounts will be priced comparable to Amazon and Walmart, but they'll likely still sell the same Apple devices, TVs, and video games as everywhere else. You can probably also expect some kind of gaming console deal on PS5/PS5 Pro and Xbox Series X. continued rise in pricesthis could This simply means receiving a free Best Buy gift card with your purchase, but it will still be a better deal than paying full price without any additional benefits.
In addition to consoles, video games, and video game accessories, Best Buy is also one of the best places to buy portable gaming PCs and laptops. With the recent release ROG Xbox Ally XBest Buy was the only retailer with stock. You can probably expect price cuts on previous generation ROG Ally devices at Best Buy this year, as well other popular portable devices. We also expect competitive pricing on new laptops with the latest 50-series GPUs.
For more information on what to expect, check out Last Year's Black Friday Best Buy Ad.
Target Black Friday
Target's Black Friday sale is usually very similar to Walmart's annual Black Friday sale. Expect similar discounts on video games, toys, Apple products and home appliances that you'll find everywhere. Where Target tends to differentiate itself from its competitors is with its exclusives. The retailer partners with many different home brands and is usually only where you can buy these items at a discount during the Black Friday shopping season. This makes it a great place to shop if you are planning to buy any decor item for your home.
Target also continually offers unique discounts on select toys sold by Amazon. doesn't have managed to match the price. The most recent example is LEGO Sale on New 2025 Sets. Amazon did match prices for several sets, but not All of them. We expect this to happen on Black Friday as well, so you'll want to check retailers for prices on the most popular toys.
Read more about what to expect this year. Targeted Black Friday Advertising since last year.
Costco Black Friday
Costco is something of a wildcard for the Black Friday season. Costco's Black Friday sale typically offers some of the best deals around, but it's less consistent in what savings it offers each year. What we do know is that Costco always offers deep discounts on furniture, jewelry, and electronics. The same discounts you find at Amazon on some TVs and video games will likely be available at Costco. You can also count on higher warehouse discounts, such as Kirkland Signature jewelry or various furniture items that are only available for a limited time.
In addition to things like toys, gifts, and household items, Costco usually has pretty decent grocery deals during the holiday season. They can usually be found around Thanksgiving on things like turkey, appetizers and other items. You'll still have to buy in bulk, but the extra savings are usually worth it.
For more information on what to expect this year, check out our extensive Costco Black Friday Advertising since last year.
It may seem silly to start planning your Black Friday shopping now, but it will help you save a lot of money when the time comes to actually start shopping. Here are a few Black Friday Tips Things to consider before the event:
- Set a budget – To avoid overspending, it is important to keep track of how much money you can actually spend. When everything is on sale, it's easy to buy more than you need, simply because things are at their lowest prices of the year.
- Create a shopping list – Knowing exactly what you're trying to find discounts on is a great way to avoid unnecessary purchases. It can also make it easier for you to compare prices between retailers or set alerts for price drops in advance.
- Compare prices – Retailers like Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart make it easy to shop there. However, these retailers do not Always get the best price for the items you are looking for. Be sure to compare prices online before purchasing anything that costs more than you need.
- Research before you buy – If you are making an expensive purchase, be sure to do at least a little research before purchasing it. It means to search independent reviews or evidence from reliable sources about these products. For example, you don't have to trust Amazon reviews.
- Be careful with search results and AI summaries – Search platforms like Google tend to be littered with advertising links in the results, as well as AI summaries that are potentially biased. Be careful not to click on advertisements if you are looking for reviews or looking for specific products by price.
