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    Wednesday, 25 November 2020

    Home Radio Times Best Black Friday 2020 deals: Top offers live now from Amazon to John Lewis

    Best Black Friday 2020 deals: Top offers live now from Amazon to John Lewis

    Best Black Friday deals 2020

    Black Friday deals have well and truly arrived for 2020. Major retailers from Amazon to John Lewis, Argos to Nike and Very have already begun their Black Friday sales and savings early.

    This year Black Friday officially takes places on 27th November, followed by Cyber Monday on 30th November (this weekend). But, as a year unlike any other, the rules have been thrown out the window and most retailers have decided not to wait until 27th to share their bargains.

    Due to the extra online demand, retailers are keen to pace out delivery, which explains why deals have gone live so early. Prices should be more than competitive this year too, as everyone is shopping online. The downside? Stock issues. We’re already seeing limited PS4 stock, and the Nintendo Switch, Dysons, the Ninja Foodi and Apple AirPods are also selling out in places.

    Our top Black Friday deals for 2020 right now include the Dyson V8 cordless vacuum going for £299 at Currys and up to 28% off the Apple Watch Series 5 at Amazon, including the 40mm Space Grey GPS and cellular model seeing savings of £119.35 (now £379.65).

    The RadioTimes.com experts will be updating this page with all the latest Black Friday news and the best UK deals – this is your ultimate guide to the cheapest Black Friday bargains.

    With just a few days left of deals, if you know what you want and you see it within your target budget, go for it now. With stock issues, we can’t guarantee deals will return later or that you’ll get them as cheap.

    These are today’s best bargains and discounts for Black Friday 2020.

    Best Black Friday deals 2020:

    If we had to choose just a few discounts, these would be our picks of the best Black Friday deals that you can currently get your hands on. Scroll down for which retailers have launched their sales and the best prices on more top products.

    Black Friday deals: quick links

    Best TV Black Friday deals

    Black Friday wouldn’t be Black Friday without TV deals. The best TV deals are often found at retailers like Currys, Argos or AO.com, but Very is giving them a run for their money this year with a great 4K TV offer. We’re also starting to see TV bundle deals, such as a free LG 43-Inch TV with the Google Pixel 4A at EE.

    If you’re confused with all the acronyms, just remember that the best to worst picture quality (in order) is: 8K, 4K/Ultra HD, Full HD, HD ready and standard definition. QLED in a nutshell means greater brightness, OLED means better contrast generally and lower power usage. Below, we’ve rounded up our top TV Black Friday deals, as well as the best offers on streaming sticks like Roku and the Amazon Fire TV Stick.

    55-Inch TV best Black Friday deal: Samsung QE55Q70T QLED, 4K Ultra HD Smart TV | £1,299 £899 at Very (save £400 or 30%)

    QE55Q70T 55 inch Samsung TV

    Black Friday is a good time to buy a new TV – there are always plenty of televisions seeing price cuts. TVs are a personal choice and your final pick will depend on how much you are willing to spend and which features you absolutely can’t forego. But also, importantly, the size of the screen and how large your living room is. According to Statista, Samsung was the most popular TV brand in the UK in 2019, followed by LG and Panasonic. Given this, we’ve found the cheapest deal on the Samsung QE55Q70T 55-Inch smart TV which is seeing big savings this Black Friday. 

    Buy now for £899

    65-Inch TV best Black Friday deal: Samsung UE65TU7100 Smart TV | £499 at AO.com

    Samsung 65-Inch TV deal

    If a 55-Inch screen isn’t quite big enough for your ideal set-up, don’t worry, we’ve also found the best 65-Inch Black Friday TV deal. It’s always worth checking the prices on the manufacturer’s website and comparing a few different retailers (or stopping by here, as we’ve done the hard work for you). For example, the Samsung UE65TU7100 65-Inch Smart 4K Ultra HD TV is on sale at £499 at a number of retailers and that’s generally down from £699 – a decent £200 saving. On Very’s site, however, the original price is listed at £899, which may be a little misleading. At AO, you can also get £50 off a soundbar when you buy this TV. The picture quality of older shows and films is upgraded with this smart TV, plus sound settings are automatically adjusted based on what you’re watching.

    Buy now for £499

    Our Black Friday TV deals top picks and what not to miss:

    Black Friday streaming stick deals

    If it’s not a new TV you’re after, but rather a clever device to turn your old TV into something smarter, you’re in need of a TV streaming stick. There are a few on the market that bring you all your favourite streaming services in one place, all by plugging in something that looks like a USB stick. Cool, right? We saw early deals on Amazon’s Fire TV stick (which have now returned!) and Roku has launched their Black Friday offers. The Fire TV Stick Lite is back on sale for £19.99, so if it’s a budget option you’re after, the Roku Express is now the cheapest deal we’ve seen. We’re also on the lookout for deals across NOW TV and Disney+.

    Best Black Friday laptop deals

    When it comes to Black Friday best deals lists laptops are something of a staple. Whether you’re after a gaming laptop, a MacBook, or something for university, we’ve found some of the best Black Friday laptop deals. DELL has recently launched discounts on their Inspiron range and Lenovo has 25% off certain models in their Black Friday sneak peek sale.

    Apple MacBook Air (2020) | £1,449 £1,299 at Very (save £170)

    MacBook Air
    Very

    Traditionally, laptops have always been popular and, with so many retailers already launching early sales, we’ve already seen some great discounts available, such as this brand new, 2020 MacBook Air. Spec wise it’s 13 inch, 1.1GHz Quad Core 10th Gen Intel Core i5 Processor, 16Gb RAM, 256Gb SSD. There are also discounts on the MacBook Pro, DELL Inspiron and Huawei Matebook below if you aren’t an Apple fan.

    Buy now for £1,299

    Lenovo Yoga C630 13-Inch laptop | £929.99 £699.99 at Lenovo (save £230)

    Len

    Sometimes it pays to go direct when searching for Black Friday deals. We can’t find many other retailers with this £230 saving on the Lenovo Yoga C630 laptop. If it’s a lightweight, fast and versatile device you’re after, this might just be it. Weighing just 1.2kg and measuring 12.5mm thin, the Lenovo Yoga C630 is packed full of exciting features and claims to offer all-day battery life. Sign in with a fingerprint, draw on the screen with the Lenovo Pen and enjoy fast 4G/LTE connectivity.

    Buy now for £699.99

    More Black Friday laptop deals not to miss:

    Best Black Friday tech deals

    We’ve already shared our top picks on laptops above, but this year we’ve also got our eyes on the popular AirPods and iPhone 11 deals. If you’re looking for the sought after Nintendo Switch, you’ll find gaming deals and bundles further down this page. 

    Apple AirPods Pro | £249 £199 at Very (save £50 or 20%)

    Apple Airpods Pro

     

    Apple’s headphones, quite famously, don’t come cheap. The original AirPods (2nd generation) start at £159, while the AirPods Pro come in at an RRP of £249. For this extra cash, the Pro headphones give you noise cancelling and a customisable fit. If you’re looking for a big discount this Black Friday, you’re in luck. Apple AirPods have been a regular feature of the Black Friday 2020 sales so far. You can currently save £50 on the AirPods Pro at Very – this is the cheapest we’ve seen so far. Amazon also had them for this price, however, stock has run extremely low and you may only be left with used options. 

    Buy now for £199

    More AirPods low prices not to miss, the original AirPods are often credited as having better sound quality:

    • AirPods | £55 at eBay 
    • AirPods 2nd gen | £159 £124.49 at Amazon (save 22%)

    Apple Watch Series 5 40mm | £499 £379.65 at Amazon (save £119.35 or 24%)

    Apple Watch Series 5 Amazon

    The main Apple Watch ranges to look out for this Black Friday are the Apple Watch Series 6 (from £379, according to Apple), the Apple Watch SE (from £269) and the more budget friendly Apple Watch Series 3 (from £199). The SE and Series 6 ranges are newer, having launched this September. Therefore, we were predicting better discounts on the older Apple Watch Series 3, but are now seeing Apple Watch Series 5 discounts at Amazon. These also popped up briefly last week, so we’re glad they’re back.

    Buy for £379.65

    More Apple Watch Black Friday deals:

    Fitbit Inspire 2 with free Google Nest Mini| was £108.99, now £79.99 at Currys (save £29 or 27%)

    Fitbit Inspire 2
    Fitbit Inspire 2
    Fitbit

    In the Curry’s Black Friday sale you can currently get your hands on a FITBIT Inspire 2 fitness tracker (which is waterproof tracks activity, calories, heart rate and more) plus a Google Nest Mini thrown in for free. The second generation smart speaker has higher quality sound than the previous model and comes with Google Assistant built-in to help you around the home. The bundle costs £79.99 for both items which would usually cost £108.99 separately, which means you’d be saving £29 in total. If you don’t fancy the black, it also comes in white or desert rose.

    Buy now for £79.99

    More smartwatch Black Friday deals not to miss:

    New Amazon Echo Dot | £49.99 £28.99 at Amazon (save £20)

    New Echo Dot
    New Echo Dot
    Amazon

    It’s only just come out but the new Amazon Echo has already had it’s priced cut so it’s less than £30 in Amazon’s early deals. It’s a great saving considering it’s new and sits at the £50 mark. All Amazon devices have about 45 per cent off at the moment too.

    Buy now for £28.99

    Also on offer at Amazon:

    Oral-B Genius 8000 Electric Toothbrush | was £279.99 now £89.99 at Amazon

    Genius 8000 toothbrush rose gold

    We’ve typed that price correctly, don’t worry, there’s £190 off the Oral-B toothbrush, that’s 68% off. An electric toothbrush has become the coveted Black Friday deal for us all over the last few years, with huge savings to be had. This one comes with three brush heads and five modes, including PRO clean, whitening, gum care and sensitive. You’ll see other electric toothbrushes around but we’d recommend this deal if you’re looking for a great saving. The cheaper Oral-B Smart 4 4900 Electric Toothbrush is also on offer, two for £69.99 (black and pink as a “gift for men and women”).

    Buy now for £89.99

    Best Black Friday phone deals

    Black Friday wouldn’t be Black Friday without phone deals, whether that’s a new contract slashed in price or a SIM-only bargain. Three has a SIM-only deal worth checking out, and with the new iPhone 12 the iPhone 11 has had a price drop whether if you’re looking for a contract. Android fans should take a look at the Google Pixel 4 at Vodafone too for a cheaper monthly plan in the Black Friday sale.

    iPhone 11 top deal: iPhone 11 64GB, Virgin – unlimited minutes and texts, 100GB data | £34 a month, £0 upfront 

    iPhone 11 deals

     

    With the arrival of the iPhone 12 this year, many are hopeful for discounts on older models, such as the iPhone 11. It can be pretty overwhelming to trawl through phone deals, given there are so many possible combinations of data, minutes, storage, colours – the list goes on. If you’re in the market for a new phone, we’d recommend checking out our Black Friday phone deals and sim-only deals pages and our full iPhone Black Friday guide. But if we were forced to choose a top iPhone 11 contract, it would be Virgin’s 100GB plan, which comes in at £34 a month with zero upfront cost. Better still, it comes with a pair of the brand-new Apple Airpods Pro. If you’re a self-confessed data junkie, take a look at the EE plan below.

    Buy now for £34 a month, £0 upfront

    Don’t miss these iPhone Black Friday deals too:

    iPhone 12 Black Friday deals

    Even though it’s only just appeared on the scene, iPhone 12 is already making it into our Black Friday deals to watch. Ok, we’ll admit there aren’t huge savings, but that’s to be expected with such a new device. If you’re heart is set on the latest iPhone then these are the top Black Friday iPhone 12 deals we’ve found available right now:

    SIM-only deal with Three – 12 months, unlimited data, calls and texts | £17 per month 

    Already have a handset, but not the plan? This SIM-only deal from Three is well worth consideration.

    Three gave us some of our best deals last year, thanks to the strength of its SIM-only packages, so it’s no surprise it’s made another appearance with this astonishing £17 p/m offer. Unlimited data plans always catch our eye, but this has the added benefit of being the cheapest one we’ve seen. It was originally priced at £19p/m, which was itself a highly competitive offer – but the extra £2 discount makes this a real gem.

    Buy now for £17 a month

    Don’t miss these SIM-only Black Friday deals:

    Best Black Friday gaming deals

    As well as TVs and other tech, gaming is a popular buy when it comes to Black Friday deals. With two new consoles in 2020, the PS5 and the Xbox Series X, you’d be right to hope for offers on previous models. And of course, we can’t not mention the Nintendo Switch, which was out of stock on and off this year. Now stock is back, we’ve got our eyes peeled for the best Nintendo Switch deals – discounts on Prime Day were popular, but savings were limited.

    Nintendo Switch neon + Just Dance 2021 (or choose game) |£323.99 £294.99 at Smyths (save £29 or 9%)

    Just Dance 2021 Switch bundle

    The multiplayer-ready Nintendo Switch has been difficult to get your hands on this year. Although it’s finally back in stock, we’re not yet seeing huge price drops on the console. We advise you to move fast if you do spot a good offer. Our current pick of the best bundles available is the neon Switch with Just Dance 2021 for £294.99, saving you £29 at Smyths. You can also swap Just Dance 2021 for a different game, but given its RRP, it’s the best value choice in this bundle. You can also keep an eye on our Nintendo Switch Black Friday page for accessories, bundles and games.

    Buy now for £294.99

    Further Nintendo Switch deals not to miss:

    Nintendo Switch Lite with Animal Crossing Horizons | £238.99 at Amazon

    Nintendo Switch Lite and Animal Crossings Horizons
    Nintendo Switch Lite and Animal Crossings Horizons
    Amazon

    Yes, we’re giving you another Nintendo Switch deal, but why not? The Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite sold like hot cakes in the UK’s first lockdown, everyone wanted one – young and old. Animal Crossing: New Horizons was also the only game anyone could talk about. If you’re looking for a family friendly console this is your pick. It’s not quite at the powerful graphics level of the Xbox or PS5, but the Switch more than makes up for it with oodles of fun, genius game concepts and the ability to bridge the gap between parents and kids. Plus it’s portable. The Nintendo Switch Lite is a slightly cheaper and on-the-go option too.

    Buy now for £238.99 at Amazon

    PS4 500GB console in stock | £249 at Currys

    PS4 bundle FIFA 21

    It’s been tricky to get your hands on the PS5 with each round of pre-orders selling out extremely quickly. For those hoping to bag a PS4 at a discount, it’s not exactly been a walk in the park to find a cheap bundle in stock, either. It’s worth remembering that the RRP of the PS4 is £249 and if you’re looking for a bundle, don’t forget to check the RRP of the games thrown in. We’ve searched major retailers like Argos and Smyths and we can’t currently find a PS4 bundle in stock – there are still plenty of games available, however. Keep checking our PS4 Black Friday deals page as we’ll update this with the best PS4 offers when new stock lands.

    Buy now for £249

    More PS4 deals not to miss:

    Xbox One in stock | £229.99 at Argos (save £20 – limited stock)

    Xbox One
    Microsoft

    With the Xbox Series S and X now on sale the older gen Xbox One is a hot product to keep your eye on. They’re going to be hard to come by as the last of the stock shifts, but there are still a few deals you can snap up for Black Friday. Retailers seem to have a fair bit of the white console in stock to shift so we’d recommend adding it to the must-watch list if you’re looking for a console deal. Amazon also has the Xbox One S 1TB Fortnite Console with Forza Horizon 4 and Spyro bundle for £320.97 if you want more of a bundle. Xbox One games will also crop up in deals in the lead up to Black Friday.

    Buy now for £229.99 at Argos

    Best Black Friday TV and internet packages

    BT broadband and BT Sport packages

    BT are the latest to launch their Black Friday sale on broadband and TV packages. Though, you can also find phone deals if BT is your provider of choice. To watch all the Premiere League games this season, you’ll need Sky Sports, BT Sport and recently, you even had the option to buy a few more via pay-per-view. If you forked out the extra £14.95 per match while football is being played behind closed doors, you may be in the market to make some savings on your sports and TV package. Luckily, many of the big providers have offers – it seems common to see discounts for 3 months this Black Friday (NOW TV Sky Sports pass also recently saw 50% off for 3 months).

    Sky packages

    Sky’s Black Friday deals have now gone live and if you’re looking for a new contract there are a few bundles worth checking out. Sky also has deals on a range of smartphones including the new iPhone 12.

    Sky Black Friday deals not to miss:

    Virgin Media broadband packages

    Virgin Media’s Black Friday deals are available until 30th November, that’s Cyber Monday. There are savings on TV, broadband and mobile phones, but we’d recommend the M100 Fibre Broadband package, it’s an 18-month contract for £24.99 a month. It’s a basic package but has an average download speed of 108 Mbps which is more than enough to binge The Crown – and it’s normally £44 a month. If you need something that packs more punch the M500 Fibre Broadband package has £20 off, it’s now £42.99 a month with 516 Mbps average download speed.

    Buy and shop Virgin Media now

    Best Black Friday deals for appliances

    Homeware is another category that sees big discounts during Black Friday. Shark vacuums are already featuring in many retailers’ sales, while deals on popular kitchen appliances are starting to appear.

    Dyson V8 Absolute Pro cordless vacuum cleaner | £399 £299 at Currys (save £100)

    Dyson Black Friday deal

    Dyson deals can be some of the most popular during Black Friday. However, we’ve definitely seen Shark’s range of vacuums giving Dyson a run for its money this year. The patient or Dyson-loyalists can now get their hands on a £100 saving on the Dyson V8 Asbolute Pro vacuum cleaner. It features 40 minutes of run time and easily transforms into a handheld vacuum for countertops and tight spaces.

    Buy now for £299

    Also available at:

    Shark Cordless Stick Anti Hair Wrap Vacuum Cleaner | £349 £199 at Amazon (save £150.99 or 43%)

    Shark Cordless stick vacuum orange

    Vacuum cleaners are a must-watch deal in the Black Friday sale and Shark’s range have been seeing discounts at Currys, Amazon and AO.com. This cordless Shark vacuum cleaner also turns into a handheld unit if you can’t quite reach those tough spots. Like the Dyson above, the run time is 40 minutes.

    Buy now for £199

    Not for you? Try these great vacuum deals:

    Swan Retro Espresso Coffee Machine | £99 £73 at Amazon (save £26.99 or 27%)

    Swan coffee machine

    If futuristic coffee machines aren’t your style, we may have found the ideal solution. Swan’s retro espresso machines are seeing price drops for Black Friday at Amazon. This stylish machine is compatible with easy serve espresso (ESE) pods and ground coffee and features a milk frothier so you can make much more than just espresso. Multiple colours are on sale, but it’s the grey that’s cheapest (was £99.99, now £73), followed by the baby blue (£75).

    Buy now for £73 at Amazon

    Other great coffee machine Black Friday deals:

    Ninja Foodi Electric Multi-Cooker | £199.99 £149 at Very (save £50 or 25%)

    Ninja Multi-Cooker
    Ninja Multi-Cooker
    Amazon

    Another one to watch, the Ninja Foodi proves popular in any sale let alone Black Friday. This £50 discount on the 6 litre is a nice saving at Very – AO had it too, but it’s now sold out. The multi-cookers offer an all in one option for those tight on time – that’s air frying, grill, slow cooking, pressure cooking. You’ll be giving Mary Berry a run for her money in no time (disclaimer: we can’t guarantee that). In their Ninja Foodi review, our friends at BBC Good Food gave it a 4.5/5 so we’re sold.

    Buy now for £149

    Looking for more cooking offers, check out these other must-see offers:

    Kenwood KHC29 BOWH Prospero Stand Mixer | £199.99 £99.99 at Argos (save 50%)

    Kenwood
    Argos

    With The Great British Bake Off on the TV – and the final looming – you may be feeling inspired to get your bake on. This Kenwood mixer is a great way to make the whole process easier, and it’s half price at Argos right now. This model is compact and great for the budding baker who doesn’t have much counter space. While it’s not in the popping colours we’re used to on TV (a la Nigella and Nadiya) it’s a steal at this price.

    Buy now for £99.99

    Kenwood kMix KMX760CH Kitchen Machine | £549 £249 at Currys (save £300)

    KitchenAid
    Currys

    Kenwood is another top brand in stand mixers, proving popular in the Black Friday sale every year. Currys has jumped in with some early Black Friday offers including this swish offering in stainless steel. It includes three accessories and has different levels of pulse function. There are other colours in the range like Rose Gold if you’re all about ‘in colours’. Amazon also has the Kenwood KMix Stand Mixer in the sale for £299, down from £429.99 – that’s 30% off, saving you £130.99.

    Buy now for £249

    Looking for more home and appliance offers? These are the best we’ve seen so far:

    Not found something you like? Read on for gift ideas and quick offers from the big brands.

    Best Black Friday gift deals 

    With concerns growing over getting presents in time for Christmas with shops being shut, we’ve rounded up some of the best early deals on toys and gifts that you can buy online.

    Christmas advent calendars

    Given everything that 2020 has thrown at us, it’s no surprise we’re keen to get into the festive spirit early. If you haven’t got an advent calendar sorted yet, we’ve got some suggestions at great prices. And don’t miss 38% off artificial and pre-lit trees at Amazon.

    How to make the most out of Black Friday: shopping tips

    Black Friday is a great time to snap up some truly great deals, especially when it comes to home tech and gaming, as we saw on Amazon Prime Day. However,  it can be a chaotic, pressure-selling environment which can easily feel overwhelming as buyers are bombarded with deals. 

    Here are some handy tips to help you make the most out of Black Friday and find the best deals.

    1. Remember what you’re looking for. While you may want to browse the sales and see what pops up, if there is something you are particularly looking for, we advise searching for this first. Try to avoid being side-tracked by other offers which could lead to you missing out on what you really want.
    2. Act Fast. Sometimes there will be short-term, flash deals, as we saw on Amazon Prime Day with lightning deals. In these instances, some products are on offer for a limited time or with only a limited amount of stock. Exceptionally short-term deals like these should be clearly labelled as such so you will know you need to act faster than usual.
    3. Know the RRP. You don’t need to know the price of everything, but if you’re hoping to get your hands on something specific such as a new games console or smartphone, it will pay to have an idea of what the standard price usually is so you know whether this is a good deal or not. Some retailers will raise prices in the weeks leading up to Black Friday so they can boast bigger discounts on the day which won’t save you as much as they claim. You can download The Camelizer toolbar extension which will show you how much Amazon products have cost over recent months, meaning you can see whether it is particularly low for Black Friday.
    4. Check your deal. A cheap deal doesn’t always mean a good deal and for certain products you will need to make sure it works for you. For instance, there are plenty of Black Friday broadband deals available but you will need to check the speeds and availability in your area. Other deals on phone contracts or TV streaming subscriptions may offer slashed monthly prices, but check in the small print how long the contact is for and whether the price changes at any point during this period before committing.
    5. Shop around. Sales events can be stressful as retailers will try to pressure you to make a purchase as quickly as possible. Unless it is a flash deal about to run out imminently, you should have time to do a quick search on the item you are looking at to check it’s not available anywhere else for less before you pay up.
    6. Look out for price-matching. Some retailers like John Lewis guarantee to match a price if you find a product being sold cheaper by another retailer.
    7. Bookmark our pages. We are continuously updating our Black Friday deals selections with the best offers so you don’t need to hunt through multiple sites to find the most exciting savings.
    8. Be wary of scams. Fake Amazon reviews are said to have increased this year. Be sure to check reviews on other retailer websites if choosing to shop on Amazon. Be wary of email scams and never give out personal information, such as a credit card details, over email. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.

    Where to find the best Black Friday deals

    There are plenty of retailers taking part, but we’re keeping track of the best deals for you. Whether that’s technology, consoles, games, electricals, toys or homewares. We have guides on the best Black Friday deals.

    Amazon Black Friday | AO Black Friday | Apple Black Friday | Argos Black Friday | Currys PC World Black Friday | Dell Black Friday | Dyson Black Friday | EE Black Friday | GAME Black Friday | iPhone Black Friday | John Lewis Black Friday | LEGO Black Friday | Nintendo Switch Black Friday | NOW TV Black Friday | Samsung Black Friday | Sky Black Friday | Smyths Black Friday | Very Black Friday | Black Friday phone deals | Virgin Media Black Friday |

    How does RadioTimes.com prepare for Black Friday?

    We’re monitoring the price (RRP) across a large range of products in the run-up to Black Friday, including the most popular items from last year, such as the Nintendo Switch. That means we’ll recognise a genuinely good deal when we see one, and will keep updating this page with the cheapest and best deals.

    When is Black Friday 2020?

    Black Friday falls on 27th November this year, meaning it’s less than a month before Christmas Day. The event began as a US tradition and therefore always falls on the Friday after Thanksgiving, which is always the last Thursday in November. Cyber Monday follows on the first Monday after Black Friday every year, so this year it’s on 30th November. 

    The two events used to be markedly different in that shoppers would rush to the high streets for Black Friday, whereas Cyber Monday was exclusively reserved for online deals.

    Black Friday has always tended to lean more towards tech products while Cyber Monday was more about online only deals, though this is no longer the case. As so much of Black Friday is now also about online shopping, the two events are often simply branded as Black Friday weekend. Now that a new lockdown has been announced, shoppers won’t be able to bag discounts in store during Black Friday, pushing more focus to online sales.

    This year, we’ve been seeing a whole month of offers. Pretty much all the big retailers have already launched their Black Friday 2020 sales and many, like Currys, have been price-matching early deals so shoppers can buy earlier with confidence. Amazon Black Friday was one of the first to kick off early sales in late October, despite the fact that Prime Day took place a mere 10 days or so before. 

    When will Black Friday end?

    Black Friday ends on Monday 30th November, or Cyber Monday. Though, some deals may hang around a little longer.

    Black Friday officially kicks off at midnight on 27th November (i.e. late night Thursday). Many deals last the entire weekend, and some will be exclusively available on Monday 30th November, for Cyber Monday.

    While those are the official dates, Black Friday 2020 is already well underway with most retailers launching their sales early.

    How will Black Friday 2020 be different?

    Black Friday 2020 looks to be bigger than ever. With non-essential shops closed in England, more savvy shoppers are turning to online Black Friday deals and we have seen retailers matching this demand, while trying to make up for a lack of footfall in stores. 

    According to a forecast by the Centre for Retail Research, total retail sales in 2020 will fall overall by 4.6% compared to 2019 (or a reduction of £17,281m). This need to make up for lost time is likely to be a key contributing factor to why deals have started so early this year. Despite it being an incredibly difficult few months, money.co.uk reported that 4 in 10 of us plan to spend £200-£300 more this year, compared to 2019. And, according to Statista, we go bigger in the UK for Black Friday than any other country in Europe.

    Online retailers such as Amazon, AO.com and Very, will likely have an advantage over the traditionally high-street brands because their online and delivery processes are more established. This should give them the opportunity to offer lower prices and maintain the promise of speedy delivery.

    However, with this increased demand online, there is a possibility that we see more delays on delivery services and a strain on stock (the PS4 is already running low). This is another reason why retailers may have chosen to start deals earlier and ensure those Christmas presents arrive in time. In previous years, retailers have saved their best deals for Black Friday itself, however with retailers more eager to attract shoppers and concerns around delivery, there is a chance we could already be seeing the best offers.

    Will Black Friday be better than Prime Day?

    Prime Day is an Amazon-exclusive event which means you’re limited to what’s on sale on the retail giant’s site. There’s also naturally a lot of discounts on Amazon-own products like Echo smart speakers and Kindles. While some brands like Currys did launch counter offers during Prime Day, many other retailers wait for Black Friday to release their best deals. This means there’s much more variety at Black Friday and you’ll be able to find offers on everything from fashion to services like broadband.

    Tech and home appliance deals are common on both Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day and we are seeing some overlap between the sales. For example, Shark vacuums dropped prices on Prime Day and they are proving a hot product on multiple sites for Black Friday. We also know that Amazon has said that shoppers won’t see better prices on Black Friday for items that were already on sale at Prime Day. In other words, you could see the same products fall to the same prices once again.

    Many sites, like John Lewis, also price-match their products which means you have more flexibility on where you spend your cash. It’s worth remembering, however, that 2020 has been a year like no other. Stock is already becoming an issue for products like the PS4, so if you see a good deal and it’s in budget, it might be worth snapping it up.

    Are Black Friday deals real?

    Yes, Black Friday deals are real. The deals are agreed with the brands and retailers so aren’t just flash sales even though that’s how they come across.

    Sudden price drops are also used, which is more based on an algorithm. Take Amazon, for example, with its lightning deals. Price-matching is also popular, with John Lewis and Currys PC World both running a price match promise.

    The main issue isn’t so much whether deals are real but how good they are. Keep an eye on prices in the lead up to the day to ensure you are getting the best Black Friday deal you can. Sometimes you will see some items are cheaper after Black Friday, sometimes with price drops on Cyber Monday, but this is a usual practice too. The best thing to do is grab a deal if it is cheaper than usual and it’s a product you already wanted. You can read more about the difference between Black Friday and Cyber Monday in our guide.

    Can Black Friday deals be returned?

    Legally, you have the same rights to refund faulty items bought on sale as you do when they’re bought full price. If the item isn’t faulty – for instance, if you decide you simply didn’t like the product – then you need to check with the retailer. In the UK you need proof of purchase if you want to return an item, but if you just want a repair or to exchange you don’t need the warranty. You can read more in our guide to Black Friday returns.

    Origin and history: What is Black Friday?

    Back in November 1951, Black Friday was first mentioned. The Factory Management and Maintenance journal used the term to describe people calling in sick the day after Thanksgiving so they could get that extra day off.

    US police also used the phrase Black Friday and Black Saturday to describe the intense traffic that happens around the season.

    There was also a movement in 1961 from local government to change the shopping season to Big Friday or Big Saturday, but it never took off. The term Black Friday was seen as more fitting as it represented a shopping spree that pushed retailers ‘back into the black’ money-wise.

    What products will be on offer for Black Friday?

    We have already seen many retailers encouraging shoppers to use the Black Friday sales to buy early Christmas presents. And, according to research by Google, they might be right to do so. The data from Google showed that 22 per cent of Brits were considering their Christmas purchases three to six months before the big day last year. With new lockdown restrictions and pressure on deliveries, it may well be wise to get shopping earlier than usual. 

    Expect offers on home appliances such as coffee machines, too, as well as big name brands such as Le Creuset and Nespresso. Some of John Lewis‘ most popular discounts have returned for 2020, such as 20% off LEGO and savings on Le Creuset and Dyson.

    PS5 pre-orders and sales proved extremely popular, so we expect the console to continue to sell, with or without any deals. Much like last year, any discounted stock of the Nintendo Switch is likely to go fast, so we recommend taking advantage of Nintendo Switch Black Friday deals fast, if you haven’t been lucky enough to get your hands on one in recent months. Nintendo Switch deals were among the best sellers last year.

    Game-wise, expect FIFA to be among the top deals, especially as FIFA 21 is out, and soon to be joined by the new PS5 and Xbox Series X – so expect PS4 and Xbox One deals.

    Another big release of 2020 has been the long-anticipated iPhone 12. iPhone 11 deals are already appearing, so it might be a good time for an upgrade to the previous model.

    Apple has also announced the new Apple Watch 6, and Apple Watch SE. With new items on their way, we expect the older Apple Watches to have deals on them. During Prime Day, Fitbits and Samsung wearables were also on sale.

    And what about smart home tech? We’ve already seen Amazon cut prices on its entire Fire TV Stick range – we don’t know if these products will see more offers later in November. Perhaps the retail giant (who was one of the first to launch early Black Friday deals back in October) is reserving Black Friday weekend for its other smart devices.

    Want more offers? Keep checking this guide for the best and cheapest deals as well as the latest news in the lead up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. For more tech deals check out the technology section.

    Wondering what to watch? Visit our TV Guide.



    from Radio Times https://ift.tt/2JaSfrq
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