It's no exaggeration to say that Black Friday is one of the biggest shopping events of the year. All of the big UK technology retailers take part, with discounts on TVs, smartphones, Kindles, tablets, power stations, smart home equipment and more. So whether you're treating yourself or picking up a gift for a birthday or Christmas, it's a perfect time to pick up a bargain.
We're hoping for good things when it comes to all electronics deals and will be on the lookout for the best deals, offers and promotions. It's still months away, but we still recommend bookmarking this page for the best tech discounts that we find.
Black Friday is the day after the American Thanksgiving holiday and is the biggest retail sales day in the United States. Amazon imported the idea to the UK back in 2010, and it's now the largest shopping event of the year here too, overtaking Boxing Day. Most retailers offer big reductions of at least 20% on a lot of their stock over the weekend, and many discounts continue on Cyber Monday straight after the weekend too.
Officially, Black Friday deals start on Friday 24 November 2023. However, we know that retailers have expanded the event over the past few years and that it now spreads over several days. We think it's safe to speculate that some deals will begin to appear as early as mid-November.
We're sure you're wondering how many days Black Friday lasts. It may have once been a simple short sale, but it's far from a one-day deals event anymore. In our experience, most of the main deals start about a week early, and there's also Cyber Monday to note. This used to be an online-only portion of the sale period, but in reality, it just means that most deals should last until Monday 27 November 2023, depending on stock levels.
If you're looking to shop in stores rather than online, you'll find that the best deals are available from the official Black Friday date of Friday 24 November and that they'll continue over the weekend. It's worth knowing that this can be a very busy time to shop on the high street, so there's a real benefit to ordering online and getting whatever you need to be delivered. It's the ideal way to pick up gifts or treat yourself to that pair of headphones or Bluetooth speaker you've been holding out for.
There are a handful of retailers that specialise in tech to keep a close eye on this Black Friday: Amazon, Argos, John Lewis, Currys, AO, Very and GAME.
Don't forget that brands often hold their own sales that give you discounts if you shop directly from their websites, such as Samsung and Google, and if you're looking for phone deals, check out O2, EE, Vodafone, Three, Carphone Warehouse and Sky Mobile.
Even refurbished stores like Amazon Renewed, Back Market or MusicMagpie may get involved, too. To cut through the noise and marketing, we will be bringing you all of the best Black Friday deals!
One of the best aspects of Black Friday over other sale events, like Amazon Prime Day, is that loads of UK retailers take part. Pretty much all high street shops (and their online stores) have a sale in November to align with Black Friday.
It's not just tech - you'll be able to grab a bargain on kitchenware, fashion, coffee machines, furniture, appliances, beauty products and more. While we can't say (yet) which brands will have the best deals - we know from experience that most take part in some way.
There will be lots of Black Friday deals throughout November, but we find that the bests may be reserved for the official sale weekend. Tech and gadgets that may not have been discounted earlier in the month may suddenly be included in a store's promotions - but generally, pricing remains consistent across Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
A word of warning: pay close attention to pricing in the weeks leading up to the event as sometimes offers that appear impressive have been inflated ahead of Black Friday, then dropped down to a lower price for the event. Here at GH, we're committed to ensuring the offers we highlight are genuinely good deals, and that's why we have teams scouring the web for legitimate discounts.
The Black Friday sales apply whether you're visiting the store in person or shopping from the comfort of your sofa via a website - so you can shop online if you prefer. You'll specifically see the "cyber" branding on the first Monday after Black Friday (that date is officially known as Cyber Monday) although most of the offers, deals and discounts are not new, but usually just extended from the main event.