Circle the date: Friday 28 November 2025. The biggest shopping moment of the year returns, and the strongest bons plans rarely wait for the afternoon. Data from previous seasons shows when prices truly drop, which retailers lead, and how fast the best stock disappears. That is the point: timing and proof beat hype.
In 2023, U.S. online Black Friday sales hit 9.8 billion dollars, a record according to Adobe Analytics, while Cyber Monday climbed to 12.4 billion dollars, both up year over year (Adobe Analytics, Nov. 2023). Over the same weekend, 200.4 million consumers shopped in-store or online, the highest ever measured by the National Retail Federation (NRF, Nov. 2023). Translation for 2025: expect heavy competition, brisk sellouts, and real discounts concentrated on specific days rather than everywhere, all the time.
Black Friday 2025 deals : date, retailers, and where the real savings land
Black Friday falls on Friday 28 November 2025, with Cyber Monday on Monday 1 December. Big-box leaders and marketplaces will push doorbusters early morning, then refresh at midday. The pattern has been consistent: early birds get the most popular models, while late shoppers face substitutions.
Adobe’s 2023 tracking found peak advertised discounts reached roughly 35 percent on toys, around 31 percent on electronics, and near 24 percent on apparel at their seasonal highs (Adobe Analytics, Holiday Shopping Report 2023). Those peaks did not hit on the same day. Electronics typically peaked later in the window, while TVs and small appliances leaned into Black Friday. That staggering matters for anyone chasing a specific product instead of a generic “deal”.
NRF’s 2023 readout counted a record number of shoppers across the long weekend, with strong online participation. High traffic created short promotional windows, surprise restocks, and rapid price swings. The practical takeaway for 2025: shortlist products now, save SKUs, and be ready to check out fast when the price dips.
Best bons plans by category in 2025 : TVs, phones, gaming, appliances
Past seasons offer a clean map for 2025. Retailers moved the deepest cuts in waves, and the same choreography tends to return. So the plan can be simple, data-first, and realistic.
Here is a quick, objective timing cheat sheet based on 2023 patterns cited by Adobe Analytics and major retailer calendars:
- Black Friday day : TVs, soundbars, small kitchen appliances, budget Android phones, entry gaming consoles with game bundles.
- Weekend window : toys and board games, video game titles, smart home accessories, mid-tier vacuums.
- Cyber Monday : laptops and monitors, premium headphones, software and subscriptions, storage drives and SSDs.
- Late-cycle promos : winter apparel and shoes, select home office gear, leftover TV models in limited sizes.
Two practical examples seen in 2023: premium noise-cancelling headphones fell sharply on Cyber Monday versus Black Friday, and all-in-one kitchen appliances saw aggressive bundles on the Friday itself. Both lines track with Adobe’s category peaks. If the target is a laptop, waiting until Cyber Monday often paid off. A family toy haul? Earlier in the weekend delivered larger percentage cuts.
Avoid the traps : mistakes that kill a bargain, with hard numbers
Headline prices can mislead. UK watchdog Which? reported in November 2022 that the vast majority of Black Friday deals it tracked were the same price or cheaper at other times that year, spotlighting the risk of fake strikethroughs and inflated “was” prices (Which?, Nov. 2022). Price history beats banners.
Common pitfalls repeat every season: confusing last year’s model number with the current one, skipping warranty specifics, buying bundles with filler items, and paying for inflated shipping. Model codes change by a single letter, yet features differ a lot. That hurts when the return window is tight.
Actionable fix: check price history with tools such as Camelcamelcamel or Keepa for Amazon listings, compare official model numbers on brand sites, and read the promo’s fine print on returns and price adjustments. Big retailers often extend holiday returns into January, but the policy varies by store and category, so verify the dates on the product page before paying.
How to act now for Black Friday 2025 : alerts, price tracking, and a quick plan
Build a short, focused wishlist with exact SKUs, not just “55-inch TV”. Save them at two different retailers to trigger competition. Turn on deal alerts in retailer apps, sign up to brand newsletters for early access, and set personal price thresholds. And yes, set alerts to recieve price drops overnight.
When the window opens, shop with a preloaded account, updated payment method, and a backup option if the cart fails. Cross-check the promo against historical ranges cited above: if a laptop discount is materially lower than Cyber Monday norms, waiting 48 hours can be rational. For toys or doorbuster TVs, hesitation usually means missing out.
One last piece to complete the puzzle: shipping and returns. Free returns can erase risk, but restocking fees on large appliances are real. Price match policies often exclude limited-time doorbusters. Read that line now, not after checkout. The smartest bons plans come from speed, yes, but also from knowing which rules govern the price you are about to win.
Sources : Adobe Analytics Holiday Shopping data, Nov. 2023 – National Retail Federation Thanksgiving Weekend results, Nov. 2023 – Which? Black Friday investigation, Nov. 2022.