This time of year sees shoppers start the countdown to one of the biggest sales on the calendar and this year is no different. Black Friday 2026 is on November 27, the day after Thanksgiving, and is considered the start of one of the busiest shopping periods of the year. Between the exact dates, the deals worth waiting for, and a few tips to shop smarter, here’s what’s worth knowing before the countdown begins.
Mark your calendar for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
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Black Friday always lands on the day after Thanksgiving, which puts it on November 27 this year, right on schedule for the fourth Friday of the month. Black Friday Deals tend to dominate headlines for the whole weekend, but the sales don’t stop there. Cyber Monday follows three days later on November 30, giving online shoppers a second wave of discounts focused heavily on tech and electronics. Together, the two events bookend one of the busiest shopping stretches of the year.
The duration of the sales is not clearly defined
Despite the name, Black Friday hasn’t been a one-day event for a long time now. Retailers typically start teasing early deals a week or two out, then stretch the action across the entire weekend and straight through Cyber Monday, sometimes even into the following week. Black Friday shopping has quietly turned into a season rather than a single date, which means catching an early deal before the 27th is usually a safe bet.
Where the Black Friday name comes from
The origins of the name trace back to 1960s Philadelphia, where police used it to describe the chaos of traffic and crowds that flooded the city the day after Thanksgiving. Retailers later reframed the phrase around their ledgers, tying it to the day their books flipped from red ink into black thanks to a surge in holiday spending. Whatever story you believe, the tradition has stuck around for over seventy years, mostly because shoppers never stopped loving a good deal.
What’s likely to go on sale this year
Every category gets in on the action come late November, but tech usually leads the charge. Smartphones, laptops, and headphones tend to see some of the steepest markdowns of the year, right alongside clothing sales and home goods discounts. This Black Friday, Back Market offers refurbished iPhones, Samsung Galaxy phones, MacBooks, and iPads with warranty and guaranteed quality, which makes it a smart stop for anyone chasing a flagship device without paying flagship-new prices.
The best place to shop for discounted electronics
If you’ve been wondering where to buy an iPhone on Black Friday without gambling on a sketchy listing or an inflated “was” price, refurbished marketplaces are worth putting at the top of your list since every device gets tested and graded before it’s sold, so you know the exact condition you’re paying for going in, and a solid warranty means any issue that pops up later doesn’t come out of your pocket. It’s a straightforward way to land meaningful savings on the phone, laptop, or tablet you actually want.
A little planning can be very beneficial once the deals start coming in. Set a budget before you start browsing, so a flashy discount on something you never needed doesn’t talk you into an impulse buy. Compare prices across a few retailers instead of trusting the first banner you see, and check the return policy and warranty terms before checking out.