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UPDATE: Nov. 21,Yoshihiro Tanbara Archives 2024, 10:00 a.m. EST This story has been updated with new information about Amazon's Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.

Despite Amazon's best efforts with its much-hyped Prime Day events, Black Friday remains the biggest shopping holiday of the year by far. It always takes place on the fourth Friday in November (and the day after Thanksgiving), which happens to fall abnormally late in the month this year. For consumers, that means two things: There's a shorter-than-usual window for last-minute Christmas shopping, but more-than-usual leeway for scoping out Black Friday deals in advance. Plan accordingly.

I'm a Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable, and I've been covering Black Friday sales since 2019. Here's what I think you need to know about them in advance to strategize and score the best deals this season.

When is Black Friday 2024?

With Thanksgiving slated for Thursday, Nov. 28, Black Friday is happening on Friday, Nov. 29this year.

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That being said, most major retailers have already begun rolling out "early Black Friday deals" well ahead of time (that is, weeks in advance). Some will draw things out even longer with Black Friday discounts that bleed into the following weekend. In practice, Black Friday is not restricted to a rigid 24-hour timeframe.

SEE ALSO: Amazon Prime Day vs. Black Friday: When are the deals better?

The same goes for Cyber Monday, a similar but more online-centric shopping holiday that happens the same weekend. (It's scheduled for Monday, Dec. 2 in 2024.) Most retailers will shift into Cyber Monday mode by the Sunday after Black Friday, if not earlier. The entire weekend's festivities are typically referred to as "Cyber Weekend."

Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target have already gotten the ball rolling on their Black Friday sales this year. Here's what their schedules look like this year.

Black Friday at Best Buy

Best Buy dropped an initial batch of early Black Friday deals on Friday, Nov. 8, and its official Black Friday sale will start on Thursday, Nov. 21 (or eight days ahead of schedule). Its Cyber Monday sale then begins on Sunday, Dec. 1.

The electronics retailer is also offering holiday doorbusters on select tech every Friday through Dec. 20, with early access the day prior for paid My Best Buy members (Plus and Total). Shoppers can preview upcoming doorbusters in its new online Black Friday Sneak Peek hub.

These doorbusters are available in limited quantities while supplies last, but don't worry too much if you miss out. In a press release, Best Buy said that past doorbusters "will return" alongside new deals on Friday, Nov. 22 and actual Black Friday on Nov. 29.

As this is all happening, Best Buy continues to launch limited-time deals and restocks in its mobile app as part of its Drops program throughout the holidays. Upcoming Drops include an AnkerMake 3D printer (Nov. 14) and the Mashable-approved Ninja Slushi (Nov. 15); they'll go live at 11 a.m. ET on their respective launch days.

SEE ALSO: Best Buy's early Black Friday deals have arrived: Save on TVs, laptops, gaming monitors, and more

If you're planning on scoping out Best Buy's Black Friday deals early, know that you're covered by its Holiday Price Match Guarantee in case anything you buy there gets cheaper down the road. Its Extended Holiday Return and Exchange Policy is also in effect; most items purchased at Best Buy through Dec. 31 can be returned up to Jan. 14, 2025.

In-person shoppers can take advantage of Best Buy's extended holiday store hours — check your local store's listing for specifics.

Best Buy Black Friday hours

Best Buy's brick-and-mortar stores will be open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time on Black Friday. Feel free to camp out like old times, but no pressure: An FAQ page on the Best Buy website notes that "[while] there are usually a small handful of Black Friday Deals that are only available for shoppers in a physical Best Buy store, most deals during Black Friday 2024 can be found both online and in store."

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Best Buy stores will be closed on Thanksgiving Day.

Black Friday at Walmart

Walmart's "Black Friday Deals" events have returned with a few edits for 2024.

The big-box store's first holiday sale kicked off online and on its mobile app on Monday, Nov. 11. Paid Walmart+ members could start adding deals to their carts at noon ET, or five hours before they opened to the general public at 5 p.m. ET. (That's two extra hours of members-only early access compared to last year.) Select deals from the sale will make their way to Walmart stores at 6 a.m. local time on Friday, Nov. 15.

Walmart's second Black Friday Deals event is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 25, and the same members-only early access formatting will apply. Select deals will eventually pop up in stores on Friday, Nov. 29, aka Black Friday proper.

SEE ALSO: Walmart's first Black Friday sale is live: Get $50 off the new Apple Watch, a 50-inch 4K TV for under $150, and more

Walmart has some "surprise deal drops" planned for the middle of these Black Friday Deals events, which is another new thing for this year's programming. (In 2023, the retailer just launched all of its doorbusters at the sales' onset.) Look for them on the Walmart website and mobile app.

Walmart's schedule wraps up with a Cyber Monday sale that runs from Sunday, Dec. 1 through Monday, Dec. 2, aka Cyber Monday proper. That event begins at 5 p.m. ET for paid Walmart+ members and 8 p.m. ET for everyone else.

Those who haven't signed up for Walmart+ yet can save 50% on an annual membership through Dec. 2.

Walmart doesn't offer any sort of holiday price match guarantee, but shoppers can return most items purchased there from now through Dec. 31 until Jan. 31, 2025, per its extended holiday return policy.

Walmart Black Friday hours

Walmart stores will be open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. local time on Black Friday, the day its second Black Friday Deals event goes in-person. They'll be closed on Thanksgiving.

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Black Friday at Target

Target's Black Friday sale will run from Sunday, Nov. 24 through Saturday, Nov. 30 online and in stores, bringing "twice as many Black Friday weekend deals as last year," according to a press release. (It hasn't confirmed its Cyber Monday plans just yet.) The bullseye brand previously hosted a new three-day Early Black Friday Sale from Thursday, Nov. 7 to Saturday, Nov. 9, and while that's long over, holiday deals are still plentiful there.

The bullseye retailer has revived its "Deals of the Day" program for the holiday season (live through Dec. 24), which features one-day discounts of up to 50% off and exclusives for members of Target Circle, its free loyalty program. Upcoming Deals of the Day star Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 camera bundles (Nov. 14), the Tineco Go Flex (Nov. 15), and beauty/personal care gift sets (Nov. 16).

These daily holiday deals are joined by rotating batches of weekly holiday deals that refresh every Sunday.

SEE ALSO: Target's Black Friday plans involve a new 3-day sale on top of daily and weekly doorbusters

Note that Target's Black Friday sale will coincide with its exclusive in-store launch of the official Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour Book and physical copies of Swift's double album The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology(with a limit of four per customer). They'll be available online the following morning while supplies last.

Target's Holiday Price Match Guarantee is now in play, and it covers almost anything bought there through Dec. 24. Target also price-matches Amazon and Walmart deals on certain items within 14 days of purchase, with some restrictions.

From Nov. 30 through Dec. 23, Target stores will have extended holiday hours from 7 a.m. to midnight local time.

Target Black Friday hours

Target stores will open at 6 a.m. local time on Black Friday. They'll be closed on Thanksgiving: Target CEO Brian Cornell made that a permanent company policy in 2021.

Black Friday at Amazon

Amazon will host a "Black Friday Week" savings event from Thursday, Nov. 21 to Friday, Nov 29 (syncing up with Best Buy's sale). That'll turn into its Cyber Monday event sometime the same day, which will run through Monday, Dec. 2.

The retail giant plans to offer "millions of deals across more than 35 categories" during these sales, per its press release, including themed daily deal drops that feature year-round lows on certain items. It teased brands like Beats, Sony, Ninja, and Yeti.

SEE ALSO: Walmart vs. Amazon: Which retail giant has the best deals?

Amazon will also air its second Black Friday NFL game on Nov. 29 via Prime Video. (The Kansas City Chiefs host the Las Vegas Raiders; kickoff is at 3 p.m. ET.) New discounts on toys, electronics, and apparel will be up for grabs during the game.

Topics Amazon Black Friday