Black Friday 2026 falls on Friday 27 November, the day after Thanksgiving on Thursday 26 November, with Cyber Monday on Monday 30 November. But the sale itself started weeks ago. Retailers have stretched the event across most of November, and shoppers who wait for the single day may miss the best window for what they actually want.
The calendar so far
Lowe’s began on 29 October, and Best Buy and Costco followed on 30 October, according to sale guides checked on 2 November 2026. Target runs early Black Friday deals from 5–7 November, with daily offers through 24 December. Home Depot’s event runs 5–25 November, Kohl’s early access runs 6–8 November, and Walmart’s early event runs 12–15 November, with its main Black Friday event 23–29 November and stores opening at 6 a.m. on 27 November. Best Buy’s main event runs 19–28 November, and its Cyber Monday window follows. Amazon had not dated its Black Friday week as of 2 November. Walmart’s Cyber Monday event is scheduled for 30 November to 2 December.
What peaks when
Adobe Analytics forecasts cited in the guides put online spending on Black Friday itself at a record US$12.9 billion, within a US$275.1 billion holiday season up 6.7% year over year — a forecast, not a result, and one to treat with caution. The category pattern is consistent across guides: televisions, toys, apparel, appliances and furniture peak on Black Friday, while electronics and computers peak on Cyber Monday, with forecast discounts of up to 30% on electronics and 23% on computers. Buying a television on Cyber Monday, or a laptop on Black Friday, may mean paying more than the peak-day price.
Shoppers are spending more cautiously
A Bank of America 2026 holiday spending survey of 2,062 adults found 48% expected to spend about the same as last year, 39% expected to spend less, and only 12% planned to spend more. Just 17% planned to concentrate shopping around Black Friday, while 29% planned to do most of it in early to mid-December. The practical lesson is to make the list now, record today’s prices as a baseline, and buy when a price genuinely beats its recent low — whatever day that falls on.
