Autumn is in full swing, meaning we’re edging ever closer to the biggest shopping event of the year: Black Friday. With millions of deals set to drop across tech, beauty, fashion, TVs, mattresses, kitchen appliances and more, the mammoth sale is your best chance to bag a bargain.
From Lego, Charlotte Tilbury, Zara, Asos and Missoma to Nintendo, Ninja, Shark and Cult Beauty, almost all our favourite brands take part – and retailers go just as big (see Amazon, Boots, Argos, John Lewis & Partners, Currys and more).
The annual November event has its roots in mid-20th-century America, with retailers marking the start of the Christmas shopping season the day after Thanksgiving. Black Friday has since evolved into a major international shopping event that typically runs from Friday right through to Monday (dubbed Cyber Monday).
The 2023 sale will take place between 24-27 November. As always, IndyBest’s team of discerning deal hunters will be on hand throughout the event to bring you the biggest and best deals. Ahead of this year’s Black Friday, you’ll find everything you need to know about the sale here, from important dates and shopping tips to the best deals from last year.
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Black Friday takes place the day after the US holiday Thanksgiving, over the final weekend of November. Last year, it fell on 25 November. In 2023, it will take place from Friday 24 November through to Monday 27 November (Cyber Monday).
Black Friday is an annual shopping event that originated in the US to mark the start of the Christmas shopping season. While it was once just a one-day sale, it’s now evolved into a four-day bonanza, with deals across tech, beauty, home appliances, fashion and toys.
The first use of Black Friday dates back to 1950s Philadelphia, where the local police department coined the term to describe the huge traffic jams, overcrowded pavements and mobbed stores in the city on the day after Thanksgiving.
If you miss out on bagging a Black Friday deal, the sale continues over the weekend before concluding on Cyber Monday – which is your final chance to score a saving. The main difference between the two sales is that Cyber Monday – as the name suggests – only takes place online, while Black Friday sees deals both online and in-store.
Typically, the best deals on tech and home appliances can be found on Black Friday, while Cyber Monday sees bigger savings across beauty, fashion and toys – so, this is worth bearing in mind when ticking off your pre-Christmas shopping list.
Black Friday isn’t about buying a lot of things, it’s about saving on items you really want. To avoid overspending, make and stick to a shopping list, so you only buy things you actually need.
It’s also helpful to save products on wish lists and create accounts with retailers and brands, to make check-out easier and quicker on the day.
Shopping during the sales can be exciting, however, figures released by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) indicate that, in 2021, consumers were scammed out of £15.3m during the sale bonanza and Christmas shopping period (November 2021 to January 2022) – with an average loss of £1,000 per person.
As a result, the NCSC has issued advice to online shoppers – including setting up a two-step verification on accounts and using random-word passwords to prevent cyber scammers from gaining access to shopping, bank or email accounts.
It’s just as important to research online retailers and read reviews for sites you haven’t used before. Within the IndyBest Black Friday guides, we will only be showcasing the best deals from reputable brands and retailers.
Finally, the NCSC recommends using payment platforms, such as PayPal, Google, or Apple Pay, for extra protection when paying for your orders. As a final bit of advice, whenever you pay, look for the closed padlock icon in the web address bar, which means your connection is secure.
If last year’s sale is anything to go by, there’s a lot to get excited about ahead of the 2023 event.
Last year, you could get an iPhone 13 (O2.co.uk) for £30 up front with six months of free airtime (usually costing £51.98), and save £20 on the 2022 Apple iPad (£484, Amazon.co.uk).
There were also big savings on Lego up for grabs, including 31 per cent off the Harry Potter privet drive set (£29.99, Amazon.co.uk) and 35 per cent off the Technic McLaren Formula 1 race car (£114.99, Very.co.uk).
