When is Black Friday and when do sales start? Experts predict 2024 trends

Each year, the Post Wanted team prepares for Black Friday and Cyber Monday months in advance: finding the best deals, consulting retail experts and reviewing out the best products that are worth your time and money.

Of course, this is something we commit to daily, but Black Friday is the hallmark of holiday shopping, the first dip in the pool, so to speak. It’s the time of year where all brands large and small — from Amazon and Wayfair to Target and Walmart — offer hefty percentages off, exclusive savings and all the products you need to win Best Gift-Giver of the Year.

According to a recent Bain & Company report, U.S. retail sales between Black Friday and Cyber Monday are “forecast to rise 5% year over year to $75 billion ‘for the first time ever.’” This comes as no surprise, as online shopping offers ample convenience, shopping options and research opportunities compared to in-person shopping.

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Not to mention, many shoppers plan their Black Friday purchases weeks in advance, which is why the Post Wanted team is committed to highlighting the best early deals and seasonal products to shop now, like a cozy winter coat or that new cordless vacuum you’ve been wanting for years.

Ahead, we put together our finest research and consulted retail experts to dish the 411 on all you need to know about Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2024. With tips on how to best prepare, how to save the most money and what to focus your buying efforts on, we’re confident you’ll come out of Thanksgiving weekend feeling your very best.

When is Black Friday 2024?

Black Friday 2024 will take place on Nov. 29. This falls the day after Thanksgiving as it does annually, always landing on the fourth Thursday of November.

Following suit is Cyber Monday 2024, which will be on Dec. 2. It takes place the Monday after Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

“Black Friday is a major shopping event, timed to coincide with the day after Thanksgiving and often heralded as the start of the Christmas shopping season,” Chris Beer, consumer and tech analyst at GWI, exclusively shared with the New York Post. “While Black Friday was originally focused on in-store sales and Cyber Monday was focused on e-commerce sales, in practice both now have extensive online elements.”

Beer shared that 42% of Americans plan to take part in Black Friday this year, and 33% plan to take part in Cyber Monday. And, just 15% of Black Friday shoppers buy products exclusively offline. 

When do Black Friday sales start?

Most “official” Black Friday sales typically start on Black Friday itself, or Nov. 29th. However, many retailers begin their promotions even earlier, with some launching sales on Thanksgiving Day and even in the weeks leading up to Black Friday.

In recent years, online deals have begun even sooner, as retailers try to attract shoppers with early discounts.

“Over the past several years, we’ve seen significant changes in the holiday sales periods; rather than being confined to just two days, retailers now start sales earlier and extend them longer,” Ally Anderson, director of strategy and insights at LTK with more than 10 years of experience in digital marketing strategy, shared with The Post. “This shift aligns with consumer shopping habits, which have evolved to start holiday shopping earlier in the season. Our recent LTK holiday shopper study confirms this, showing a growing trend of consumers kicking off their holiday purchases well before Black Friday. According to the study, 58% of the general population will start shopping by the end of October.”

Black Friday 2024 shopping predictions, per experts

Below, you’ll find exclusive commentary from our conversations with retail experts, as well as our expertise after years of reporting on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Spending expectations amid inflation

“In recent years there’s been a lot of talk about ‘de-influencing,’ whereby consumers think more critically about making nonessential purchases, and adjacent trends as well, like ‘underconsumption core,’” Beer noted.

These resonated with consumer sentiment when inflation was relatively high, but consumers are now more receptive to influencer messaging. “We’ve seen meaningful growth year-on-year in the number of Americans who are influenced by what’s trendy, are interested in influencers or who take note of what influencers and celebrities are wearing,” he added. “So after a couple of years on the relative sidelines, influencers will be an important source of information during the event once again.”

The prices people spend will, of course, vary, but Beer’s data shows the most common spending bracket is between $100 and $250, with a quarter of shoppers falling into this range. “This might be a single mid-range purchase or a few lower-cost treats that people have been waiting to purchase on a discount,” he explained. 

Anticipated deals

For Black Friday 2024, electronics are predicted to see soaring heights. “There’s a handful of products that are showing particularly high growth in demand, with smartwatches (+94%), VR headsets (+76%), food processors (+72%) and hair styling tools (+67%) all seeing big spikes in the number who plan to buy them year-on-year,” Beer added.

We can also expect major savings from retail giants like Amazon, Best Buy, Target, Walmart and Wayfair.

Anticipated top products

While deals on products are expected to vary, there are a few top-button items to look out for that we’ve noticed a trend pattern of being on sale year after year:

• According to LTK’s 2024 Holiday Shopper Study, the top gifting categories trending with consumers this year include:
  • Entertainment: Entertainment-focused gifts, like games, music and books, are a top-ranked gifting category. Across the general population, Millennials and Gen Z, shoppers are loving a fun, activity-based gift.
  • Fashion: Unsurprisingly, fashion is also a top category this year — trending for both gifts for others and self-gifting. When it comes to specific fashion items, jeans, boots, dresses and sneakers are all current top searched terms on the LTK platform.
  • Beauty/Personal Care: Gen Z’s affinity for beauty and personal care items carries over into their holiday shopping, with Gen Z shoppers ranking it as their number one gifting category this year. Beauty is a top gifting category across the board with shoppers, trending with the general population and Millennials, as well.
  • Self-Gifting: Treating yourself to something special and self-gifting continues to be a major trend this year. Beauty and personal care ranks as the number one category across the board when it comes to self-gifting, followed closely by fashion and entertainment gifts.
  • Home & Holiday: As we get into the holiday hosting season, shoppers are looking to spruce up their own homes and gifts for their loved ones’ homes too. From home decor to furniture to holiday decorating, home items are a top gifting and self-gifting category, and Anderson is seeing this on the LTK platform too, where “Christmas tree,” “home,” “dining tables” and more are top searched terms by shoppers right now.

How social media and AI may impact Black Friday 2024

While social media plays a role in inspiring purchase decisions, it’s used predominantly to find the best deals. The main ways that consumers use social media when planning for Black Friday are to look for the best prices (55%), read product reviews (26%), and to create wishlists (25%), per Beer. 

“Adoption of AI in shopping events is still low, but if and when it’s used, it’s likely to be for similar reasons to social media — to find the best prices,” Beer noted. Uniquely, 47% of Americans would use an AI chatbot when shopping online to compare prices, while 35% would use it for deal alerts. “Regardless of whatever the vogue technology is, consumers are likely to use it to search for a good deal above all else,” he said. 

Trust in creators is up 21% this year, and creators rank as the No. 1 trusted source over social media and celebrities across all generations, per Anderson. That’s likely why we’ve seen such significant growth in people shopping from creators, across all generations and why sales through creators outpace the general market during the holidays.

“This year, 31% of the general population and 94% of LTK shoppers plan to search on LTK for holiday content and inspiration,” Anderson shared. “Creators make shopping easier and less stressful during this busy time.” Oh, and of course, the Post Wanted shopping team is taking the guesswork out of holiday shopping with our curated gift guides.

Is Black Friday or Cyber Monday better?

Ah, the golden question. Now that more people are online shopping as opposed to heading to their brick-and-mortar retail stores at 6:00 in the morning (remember when!), Black Friday and Cyber Monday are oftentimes synonymous. However, there are some key differences.

Black Friday is a great time to shop for items on your list as discounts are always subject to change, or worse — that item you have in your cart may only be on sale for a limited time. That said, just because something is on sale during Black Friday doesn’t guarantee it will be on sale during Cyber Monday, so if you see something on an epic sale, we recommend grabbing it.

However, from our experience, the sales on Cyber Monday are typically 5 to 10% better on Cyber Monday, and Cyber Monday has a greater chance of honoring free shipping on your final cart. For instance, a brand that may be 20% off sitewide for Black Friday is commonly 25% or 30% off sitewide come Cyber Monday. This isn’t a universal rule, though a trend we have been noticing year after year.

Should I shop online or in-store during Black Friday?

Our biased answer — shop online, because Post Wanted’s homepage is chock-full of all of the best products and services worth your time and money. However, there are pros and cons to both streams of shopping.

Online shopping offers unmatched convenience, not to mention you’ll be avoiding long lines and crowds. It’s also easier to price compare from your couch or bed instead of heading into a store and searching for the same product on your smartphone.

Additionally, many retailers restock online frequently, giving you access to a wider range of products.

With in-store shopping, you can likely take home your product that day if it’s in stock. There may also be some unique deals, especially by the checkout counter, should you decide to take your shopping IRL. Plus, being a part of the Black Friday action can be a one-of-a-kind, exciting experience.

Or, you can opt to do a little bit of both. You may want to head to the stores on Saturday and Sunday as you’ll typically find smaller crowds and more availability as products are restocked. Our advice? Take Black Friday and Cyber Monday from home, with a cup of your favorite coffee, laptop in tow.

For over 200 years, the New York Post has been America’s go-to source for bold news, engaging stories, in-depth reporting, and now, insightful shopping guidance. We’re not just thorough reporters – we sift through mountains of information, test and compare products, and consult experts on any topics we aren’t already schooled specialists in to deliver useful, realistic product recommendations based on our extensive and hands-on analysis. Here at The Post, we’re known for being brutally honest – we clearly label partnership content, and whether we receive anything from affiliate links, so you always know where we stand. We routinely update content to reflect current research and expert advice, provide context (and wit) and ensure our links work. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.