The annual sales event is creeping up - and Amazon Black Friday always proves to be the destination for big savings on big name brands on the day itself. So add this date to your diary...
Black Friday is a phrase that installs fear or joy in a person - depending on how you choose to look at it. Many see the sales bonanza as a golden opportunity to save money for Christmas - snapping up deals on presents that would otherwise have been purchased full price.
Goodto.com's Money Editor Sarah Handley says: "Black Friday tends to fall about a month before Christmas so it’s a great time to pick up Christmas gifts for a fraction of the normal price. But these sales are designed to make money for the retailer, so it’s important to be savvy and check prices against other retailers to make sure you are actually getting a bargain.
"Remember that a discounted item is only a bargain if you were going to buy it anyway, so write a list of what you are looking to buy before the sales start - it’s helpful to also write down the ‘before’ price so you can get a sense of just how good, or possibly not so good, the deals are."
Whilst the origins of Black Friday began in America, the event travelled across the pond over a decade ago and has since became a staple in the retail calendar - alongside it's close relative Cyber Monday. We've weighed in on what Black Friday at Amazon looks like this year and the sort of deals we're expecting to arise, alongside those all important dates.
When is Amazon Black Friday? 2022 dates
Amazon's Black Friday event 2022 starts at 00:00am on Friday 25 November. Black Friday deals usually roll over into the weekend and into Cyber Monday too - which takes place on Monday 28 November.
Black Friday historically falls in November of each year, with 2022 being no different. The November weekend is thought to be chosen for a reason too - with the sale event falling after the American holiday of Thanksgiving.
Amazon is one of the most famous retailers partaking in Black Friday - and according to BlackFriday.com "few retailers do Black Friday quite as well as Amazon does. This online-only giant of a retailer offers deals in every product category imaginable."
The figures don't lie either with Numerator crowning Amazon as the top Black Friday retailer for a second year running. Their figures state that the Jeff Bezos business was behind 17.7% of US dollars spent on Black Friday in 2021.
Whilst Amazon is synonymous with the promotional period, it's worth noting that others get involved too. Argos, John Lewis, Currys, Target and Walmart are just some of the other big names you can expect deals from during the weekend.
What is Black Friday?
Black Friday is traditionally a 24-hour retail event that sees popular department stores (both online and in-store) slash the prices on hundreds of products, from electronics, kitchen essentials and home gadgets to beauty, personal grooming and fashion items.
Some offers can include up to 50% off the original RRP, whilst other deals include a saving of £100 or more. It's seen as a great opportunity for shoppers to save money on presents before Christmas. Or equally a golden time to invest in an otherwise expensive buy whilst on offer.
Black Friday has proved to be a successful event for the retail industry, with figures from Black Friday 2021 showing that UK customers alone spent a huge £9.42 billion over the sales weekend. Further analysis shows that the event has become a big deal digitally too - with 61.49% of sales from 2021 coming from online.
How much do prices drop on Black Friday at Amazon?
There's no set price drop on products during Amazon's Black Friday sale - but this being said you can usually expect discounts of between 20-70% off.
In 2021, for example we found electric toothbrushes with £200 off their original price. So there's definitely big savings to be had.
We recommend checking the price drop with any item you've got your eye on during Black Friday though - as Amazon flags any product with a price reduction as a 'deal' - whether that's 2p or £200.
Amazon Black Friday 2022 deals: What to expect
Based on Amazon's Black Friday 2021 offers, we're expecting similar deals on hundreds of products in 2022 such as electronics, homeware, kitchen equipment, cleaning gadgets, fashion, beauty items, toys, food and drink and pet products.
A perk of Amazon Black Friday is that the website stocks a number of big name brands across it's many, many departments - and these are often included in the sales. 2021 saw savings to be had on home buys from companies like Shark, KitchenAid, Ninja and Le Creuset. Apple, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba were some of the big names boasting tech offers with Amazon over the BF weekend. Whilst the likes of Elizabeth Arden and Clarins had great skincare deals alongside appealing designer perfume offers at Amazon too.
We've shared some of the deals we spotted in last year's Amazon Black Friday sale - so you can get a sense of what's to come:
How to grab a great deal during Amazon Black Friday:
Research in advance
If there is anything you have set in your sights, make a note of it now, as well as how much it is currently being sold for so you can check in when the sale starts and see what kind of bargain you could get.
As consumer expert at Resolver, Martyn James, explains: "I get lots of complaints about items in the sale that turn out to have been more or less permanently discounted on the website throughout the year. Others have questioned whether the items were ever available at the non 'sale' price."
This is why it pays to monitor the prices ahead of time, so you know if you're getting a true saving or not.
Set up alerts
In Amazon's Prime Day and Early Access Sale events in 2022, it let customers sign up for notifications - so that when the discount you’re waiting for is applied you’ll get pinged. The best way to keep on top of these notifications is to downlaod the Amazon app - so that the alerts will pop up on your home screen.
It's also worth familiarising yourself with the deals - some Amazon Black Friday offers run for days whilst Amazon’s lightning sales last mere hours. So be sure to check the timeframe you have for snapping up that bargain.
Take your time
You'll no doubt be inundated with messages of 'ending soon', 'hurry! 1 left in stock' and so on during Black Friday - adding to the sense of urgency to buy now 'in order to avoid disappointment'. But don't be sucked in by this - take stock and take your time. You could always add to your basket and then come back an hour later if you decide it's something you really can't say no to.
Don’t break the bank
A simple but very important message that some of us shoppers need to hear amongst the sale madness: "Remember that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are marketing events designed to make us spend more money," says consumer expert Jane Hawkes of ladyjaney.co.uk. "You’re not getting a bargain unless you wanted it in the first place, you’ve budgeted to buy it and now you’re getting it at a cheaper price."
When was the last Black Friday?
The last Black Friday took place on Friday 26 November 2021 - with the event drawing to a close after Cyber Monday on November 29. Last year's event marked the UK's 11th Black Friday, with the event believed to have started in Great Britain from 2010 onwards.
The success of Black Friday has led Amazon to put on special sales days of their own in recent years - from Amazon Prime Day to Amazon's Early Access Sale and the seasonal Amazon Beauty Haul.
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