Mega e-commerce retailer Amazon runs exciting sale events all year round, but the site has a way of making Black Friday especially significant for deal-hunters.
Ultimately, the way to get the best deals is to know the ins and outs of the event.
That includes when it starts and ends, how long it lasts, what items see the biggest discounts, and even how to search for the items you want.
So if you want to get the most out of this sale event, here is your complete guide to Black Friday Amazon!
When Does Amazon Black Friday Start?
Amazon’s Black Friday event is expected to start on Friday, November 19. No, you’re not reading that wrong!
While Black Friday falls on November 26, I expect Amazon will start its big event a week before the actual day.
They did this in 2020 when they announced the sales would run from November 20 to the 27th.
I can’t imagine they would walk back to a more limited format, especially considering how successful last year’s week-long sale was.
How Long Is Amazon Black Friday Sale In 2024?
In 2024, Amazon’s Black Friday sale is expected to run the length of an entire week, from Friday, November 19th to 12 pm November 26th (a.k.a., Black Friday proper).
I think this is a wise move; it gives shoppers more time to earmark items they want and convince them to buy them.
What Deals You Can Expect On Amazon Black Friday?
Amazon has received some flack in previous Black Friday years for allegedly featuring their own products ahead of anyone else’s (especially small businesses).
But, since it’s their site, you can always expect to find deals, front, and center, on their many digital devices.
These include:
- Echo Devices with Alexa, including Echos, Echo Dots, Echo Dot with Clock, Echo Show
- Kindles (e-readers), including both the standard products and Fires
- Fire Sticks
- Ring Video Doorbells
In some cases, I wouldn’t be surprised to see these up to 50 percent off, but otherwise, at a healthy 20-40 percent discount.
Of course, the Amazon brand now extends far beyond just digital devices.
According to various consumers, shoppers can expect deals on AmazonBasic label items, including:
- Gaming Accessories
- Office Products
- Mattresses
- Furniture
- Dog Supplies
- Skincare
- Nutrition and wellness products
- Snacks and pantry essentials
- Men’s and Women’s Fashions
Along with an extensive list of Amazon products, there are also other products that we expect to see large sales of. Below are just some of the product categories where shoppers can save big.
- Fashion
- Beauty and Personal Hygiene
- Toys and Games
- Household
- Kitchen
- Office
- Home Improvement
- Electronics (including TVs and gaming accessories!)
- Tools
- Lawn and Garden
- Appliances
- Sports Gear
- Outdoors Gear
- Books, of course!
- Pet Items
- 3D Printers
- Scientific Equipment
- Automotive
- Whole Foods discounts
- Amazon gift cards and credit cards
- Warehouse/Woot! Deals
Additionally, Prime members will still receive free Prime delivery on applicable items.
Depending on your location, that could even mean one-day or same-day delivery, on top of all those amazing deals!
Get something that wasn’t quite what you were expecting or hoping for.
Amazon Black Friday also includes extended return windows; this year will probably mirror last year’s and stretch into the end of January 2022.
What To Buy On Amazon Black Friday?
I believe Amazon products like the Echo devices and Kindles are some of the best items to buy during their Black Friday sale.
Sometimes the older models of Dots are marked down 40 to 50 percent!
Electronics are also hugely discounted, including TVs and laptops.
Amazon’s Black Friday event is also a great time to scoop up steals on smaller kitchen appliances (think: air fryers, Instant Pots).
I’ve also seen great deals on beauty and hygiene products – make-up, hair styling tools, electric toothbrushes, etc.
Is Amazon Black Friday Really Cheaper?
Good news – Amazon Black Friday does offer lower prices on thousands of items.
A price comparison research site found that Black Friday deals on Amazon were cheaper than even their Prime Day deals a good 30 percent of the time.
If the idea of overpaying (sometimes the prices will go up before the sale, so it looks like a discount, even though it isn’t) rankles you, there are some things you can do.
First, if you know exactly what item you want, put it in your cart a week or two before the sale is supposed to begin.
Every time you open the cart, you should get a notification if there is a price change. Watch to see if it goes up in the days before the Black Friday sale.
Some numerous sites and apps track item prices. Using CamelCamelCamel, for example, will show you if the TV you’re eyeing is actually a good deal.
Is Black Friday A Good Time To Buy Appliances On Amazon?
Black Friday is a good time to buy appliances on Amazon, significantly smaller kitchen appliances!
All the world has gone crazy over air fryers and Instant Pots, and these two appliances are generally well-discounted any time Amazon runs a sale.
Is Black Friday A Good Time To Buy Furniture On Amazon?
I believe Black Friday is not the best time to buy furniture on Amazon.
Judging by the list from BlackerFriday.com, only Zinus furniture is singled out for its discount (and that, only 30 percent of select pieces).
You might have better luck on Wayfair during their Black Friday sales (and they often offer fast, free shipping, too).
Is Black Friday A Good Time To Buy Gadgets On Amazon?
Black Friday is absolutely a good time to buy gadgets on Amazon, especially Amazon-brand gadgets.
While the sale prices might not drop quite as low as they do during Prime Days, they get pretty close, and the discounts and fast Prime shipping are well worth it.
Amazon is also expected to discount the highly desirable Apple items, like Airpods, watches and iPads, smart home products (smart bulbs, doorbells, etc.), and phone accessories.
How To Search Amazon Black Friday Deals?
There are multiple ways to search for the best Amazon Black Friday deals.
Some of them even bring the deals to you – no legwork on your part necessary.
If you want to sit back and let Amazon tell you what’s on sale (and then decide if you’re interested), you can sign up for text alerts or push notifications from Amazon’s app.
There are also deals sites and Facebook groups – I’m partial to Cheap As Bleep, on Facebook – that scour the site for the best markdowns.
You can join the Cheap As Bleep Facebook page and turn on notifications for that post when the parent post for each day’s Black Friday deals goes live.
This will ensure that you see all the different deals and discounts each day of the week.
If you prefer to go treasure hunting yourself, here are some helpful and handy tips.
Know What You Want
The massive amounts of deals mean that if you go into the app or website without any purpose or direction, you’re going to be majorly overwhelmed.
So instead, come up with a list of items you’re interested in already. This could be either a general product (a 55” TV, for example) or a specific item.
Either way, you can type the name of an actual product into the search bar instead of getting stuck in the infinite maze of Amazon’s major departments.
Shop Lightning Deals
Lightning Deals are limited-time sales on desirable products that typically only last a few hours at most.
These can be some of the most lucrative discounts and a good place to start if you have no specific item in mind.
One thing I like about these is that Amazon does catalog them by department.
So if you vaguely know you’re interested in seeing deals on TVs, you can navigate to electronics and then TVs, and you’ll see all the pertinent lightning deals.
Shop Amazon Directly
Jeffrey van Camp of Wired.com also had an excellent search tip: Once you enter a search term and receive results, set the Seller filter to Amazon.com.
With Amazon as the seller, you’re likely to see better quality, more reliable results.
I would also add the four-star rating and up filter, too. You can trust that an item is good if thousands of people say so.
Can You Choose To Pay In Installments During Amazon Black Friday?
As far as I can tell, Amazon does still offer their convenient, no-interest installment payment plan on certain items during sales holidays like Black Friday and Prime Day.
Nowhere in the full monthly payment terms and conditions is it written that the plans are exempt during these events?
So you could possibly benefit even further from Amazon’s Black Friday deals by paying even less monthly if you choose an installment plan.
How Does Amazon Black Friday Work?
Amazon’s Black Friday event is a week-long series of sales, discounts, and deals.
Starting the week before the official Black Friday, on November 19, through the actual day of November 26, Amazon marks down a huge selection of items.
Shoppers don’t have to be Prime members to benefit from the deals, but Prime members can get early and exclusive access to Lightning Deals and free Prime shipping.
When Does Amazon Black Friday End?
Amazon Black Friday is expected to end at 12 pm on Friday, November 26th.
This is the actual Black Friday date, but not to worry – if you know Amazon, you know that while the event might technically end, the deals aren’t likely to go away that day.
With Cyber Monday just over the weekend hump, don’t be surprised if many, if not all, of the deals stay active over Saturday and Sunday, too.
How Long Does Amazon Black Friday Last?
Amazon Black Friday is expected to last an entire week, running from November 19th through November 26th.
While Amazon hasn’t yet made an official announcement concerning the length of the event for this year, based on last year’s event, it seems likely the company will follow the same format.
To learn more about how you can save while shopping on Amazon, you can see our other guides on if Amazon accepts coupons, if Amazon accepts EBT, and Amazon warehouse deals.
Conclusion
Amazon Black Friday deals always impress and is shaping up to be another stunner.
While Prime members receive the most benefit, with early access to deals and Amazon’s fast, free shipping, non-members can still take advantage of the low prices.
Remember, you’ll have an entire week, from November 19 through the 26th to find and make your purchases for the upcoming holiday season – or to treat yourself.
