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If there’s one thing you hear over and over again Black Friday and Sibling Sale days are approachingthere are no “real deals” to be found anymore. While the days of congregating outside a big box electronics retailer after stuffing yourself have certainly fallen by the wayside, that doesn’t mean you can’t save big on Black Friday.
I’ve been closely involved in this particular shopping event for over a decade, and although the rules have changed, there are still plenty of ways to save. Here’s what we’ve learned along the way, and the tools you can use to make sure you save as much as possible this year.
When does Black Friday start?
If you’re reading this, Black Friday has more or less already begun. Some of the same discounts you’ll find across Amazon, Walmart, and others are the same discounts you’ll find at the end of November. That doesn’t mean these deals aren’t worth exploring, and it certainly doesn’t mean there won’t be a much larger selection of things you can save on as we get closer to Black Friday. Here’s what we know about the big sales announced so far:
Amazon
While we’re still waiting for an official announcement from Amazon regarding its Black Friday plans, the retailer always has a big presence at the event. Last year, Amazon’s Black Friday event technically ran from November 21st to November 29th, but we found quite a few deals at the lowest price of the year starting on November 1st and staying at that price until the end of Cyber Monday. It’s a good idea to check Amazon regularly before an officially announced event so you can save before everyone else.
Walmart
Not only will you find discounts on everything from TVs and gaming accessories to kitchen appliances and outdoor gear at Walmart, but you’ll be able to start shopping long before Black Friday. Walmart is hosting two big sales in November, one running on the 14th and 28th and called “Whoknewville.” These sales are expected to be online and in stores, but Walmart is also planning a separate online sale for Cyber Monday that will be online only.
Best buy
There are some Black Friday deals already available at Best Buy, if you’re an early bird. October 31 marked the beginning of Best Buy’s month-long Black Friday event, which has been filled with what the retailer calls door surprises that are released every Friday through November 20. After that final day, many of the sales from previous sales days will return and will remain on sale with new Black Friday deals until November 29th. Best Buy will then move to Cyber Monday sales through December 1st.
For more Black Friday retailer ads, Check out the full list from our colleagues at BlackFriday.com.
How can I save as much as possible during Black Friday?
For as long as sales have existed, there have been companies that have been caught marking up the price on something two weeks before the sale and then bringing that product back to its regular price in order to call it a discount. We’ve all seen or heard about this happening, but the good news is that we live in the year 2025 and there are some tricks you can use to make sure you don’t get ripped off when trying to save some cash.
Trust us, we’re here to help
CNET’s team of shopping experts spends every day researching sale prices on products and services of all kinds. We know what a good deal looks like, and we will never show you a deal that is artificially inflated or not worth your time. Helping you save money is the main reason we sit in our offices every day, and during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we look through tens of thousands of discounts to make sure you only see the good ones.
You can also get great deals sent straight to your phone every day through our site Transaction text setand send you more deals directly during Black Friday.
Track prices
Use a tool like Keepa to monitor products like the DJI Phantom 4, which has seen some big price fluctuations.
Some retailers have become so large, or able to update prices so quickly, that we now have publicly available third-party tools to check a product’s pricing history. Here are the ones we recommend:
- CamelCamelCamel: One of the oldest and most reliable Amazon price history tools. All you have to do is paste the link from your Amazon product into this site, and it will show you the price history.
- Gopher trail: Same basic idea, enter the link and see the history. This price history tool focuses on Walmart’s price history, with some caveats. These tools work best with products sold by Walmart itself, which means third parties selling through Walmart don’t always work.
- Save: You can also use this tool to track prices on Amazon, but this tool has a very good Chrome extension that will show you price history without having to leave the Amazon page you are currently on. Just scroll down to the Keepa extension, and you’ll be able to see your price history.
Keep an eye out for coupons to make your Black Friday deals even better
Before the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping days begin, keeping an eye on coupons that can be used at any time is a great way to save even more. Each retailer does this a little differently, but there are some general tips that can help you at any time.
- Annual digital services: We usually see at least one or two great deals Popular streaming services, VPN applications And even online gaming during Black Friday. Before you click that buy button, be sure to check for any additional coupons that will allow you to save if you buy a full year up front instead of just saving for the first two months of service.
- Amazon coupons: Price trackers and AI tools often miss Amazon coupons, because they are clickable on the page with the product rather than something that is always entered at checkout. Make sure to look under the price on the Amazon page to make sure you don’t miss out on any more discounts.
- RetailMeNot: Our associates spend all day, every day, finding the most secret coupons possible for almost every retailer. Many of these can be applied in addition to Black Friday sales, so be sure to check in with RetailMeNot before checking out.
How does price matching work during Black Friday?
It’s okay to compare prices while you’re in the store. If you find a better deal, you can often ask the retailer to match a competing store’s price.
This always seems like a good idea, but the truth is that price matching has a lot of caveats and exceptions that you need to be aware of. This is especially true during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Each retailer handles price matching a little differently, and here’s what we know so far:
- Walmart: Last year, the retail giant did not allow price matching for products purchased earlier in the month. If you buy something from Walmart and the price drops as we approach Black Friday, there probably won’t be any way to match the price.
- Best buy: Shoppers have been able to price match successfully in past years, so we expect that to still be possible on Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year.
- Costco: Historically, Costco has not allowed price matching for any shopping event either in stores or online. This event is unlikely to change.
- goal: In past years, price matching has been encouraged for most products at Target. Black Friday and Cyber Monday price matching will likely be possible this year.