Technology

When do Black Friday sales actually start? Official sale times for Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Target

Mashable's shopping experts are tracking 2026 Black Friday sales at Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and Target. Here's when to shop the best deals.

By Bianka Runolfsdottir Mashable 11 Nov 2026 Americas

If all the emails flooding your inbox weren't enough of an indication, we're closing in on the biggest shopping holiday of the year. Black Friday technically doesn't happen until the dishes from Thanksgiving are scrubbed and put away. But retailers have gotten antsy over the years, kicking off their sales days or weeks in advance. Heck, the whole month of November is basically Black Friday at this point.

If you're hoping to do some discount shopping this holiday season, knowing precisely when to shop each major retailer's official Black Friday sale is key. To help you best strategize this season, we've rounded up the essential dates and times below.

When is Black Friday 2026?

Black Friday always lands on the day after Thanksgiving and the fourth Friday in November. In 2026, that happens to be on Friday, Nov. 27.

As you've probably noticed, however, most major retailers began rolling out early Black Friday deals as soon as the calendar switched to November. Likewise, some will draw things out even longer with Black Friday discounts that last far past the official shopping holiday. Black Friday is no longer a single 24-hour extravaganza; it's a full season.

Cyber Monday, the more online-centric shopping holiday, falls on the Monday after Black Friday. In 2026, that's on Monday, Nov. 30. Most retailers shift into Cyber Monday mode by the Saturday after Black Friday. It's silly, really, but the lines between the two deal-shopping holidays have been blurred beyond recognition.

When do Black Friday sales actually start at each retailer?

Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target tend to have the biggest Black Friday (and Cyber Monday) sales each year, so we've broken down all the nitty gritty details you need to know about each retailer's specific schedule in 2026. Plenty of deals are already live, but if you want to shop the official sales, here's the scoop.

Black Friday at Best Buy

For the second year in a row, Best Buy kicked off its holiday schedule scary early, with its first round of "doorBOOsters" dropping the day before Halloween. The electronics retailer will release new doorbusters on select tech every Friday leading up to the big day.

Best Buy's official Black Friday sale, aka the main event, will run in stores and online from Thursday, Nov. 19 through Saturday, Nov. 28. The calendar then flips to Cyber Monday on Sunday, Nov. 29 and runs through Monday, Nov. 30.

Best Buy Black Friday hours

Best Buy's brick-and-mortar stores will be open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time on Black Friday. Want an old-school Black Friday experience? You can camp out at stores if you want to score high-demand items, but Best Buy will employ a ticketing system for customer and employee safety.

All Best Buy stores will be closed on Thanksgiving Day.

Black Friday at Walmart

Walmart announced plans for three major Black Friday calendar events for 2026. The first is an Early Black Friday Sale, which will take place from Nov. 12 through Nov. 15. The main event, aka the official Black Friday deals event will kick off Monday, Nov. 23 and last through Sunday, Nov. 29.

Deals will be live online only from Nov. 23 through Nov. 26, so in-store shoppers will have to wait until Black Friday proper. Walmart's Cyber Monday sale will take place from Monday, Nov. 30 through Wednesday, Dec. 2 online only.

During both the early and official Black Friday events, select online-only deals will be reserved for Walmart+ members exclusively for the first 24 hours, while supplies last. If you're not a Walmart+ member and want early access to these doorbusters, you can sign up for $12.95/month or $98/year. Trial members are not eligible for early access.

Walmart Black Friday hours

Walmart stores will be open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. local time on Black Friday. They'll be closed on Thanksgiving Day.

Black Friday at Target

Target launched its first holiday savings event on Nov. 5, with early deals on holiday decor, kitchen appliances, and toys. Its Deal of the Day program also kicked off on Nov. 1 and will run through Dec. 24. Shoppers can score a new featured deal every day of the week until Dec. 24. So far, we've seen 50% off Stanley tumblers and $30 off Apple AirTags.

The official Black Friday shopping event, however, has not properly been announced. If Target follows a similar schedule as last year, we speculate that it'll kick off on Sunday, Nov. 22, and run through Saturday, Nov. 28. The best deals will likely drop exclusively from Nov. 26 through 28 for Black Friday proper. We'll update this with the latest information once it's revealed.

Target Circle 360 members will likely get early access to select deals, as in years past. The savings season will wrap up with Target's Cyber Monday Event from Nov. 29 through Nov. 30 (most likely), featuring online-only deals.

In 2025, Target made the in-store shopping experience worth it by offering the first 100 guests in line a free limited-edition iridescent tote bag, some with gifts inside valued up to $350. We'll be on the lookout for an in-store shopping incentive this year — stay tuned.

Target Black Friday hours

Target stores will open at 6 a.m. local time on Black Friday. Closing times vary by location (check your local store). They'll be closed on Thanksgiving, as is company policy.

Black Friday at Amazon

As in years past, Amazon is hosting a "Black Friday Week" savings event that will kick off on Thursday, Nov. 19 at 3:01 a.m. ET and run through Cyber Monday on Nov. 30. Banners will probably change over from Black Friday to Cyber Monday on Saturday, Nov. 28.

Daily themed deals will drop throughout the event, with "double drops" on Black Friday and Cyber Monday proper at 3 a.m. and 11 a.m. ET.

You don't need to be a Prime member to shop Amazon's Black Friday sale, but it certainly doesn't hurt. There will likely be Prime-exclusive discounts sprinkled here and there throughout the event.

Amazon will also air its fourth annual Black Friday NFL game on Nov. 27 via Prime Video. (The Pittsburgh Steelers host the Denver Broncos, with kickoff slated for 3 p.m. ET) New discounts on toys, electronics, and apparel will be up for grabs during the game. Fans can shop simultaneously as they watch with an enhanced "Shop the Game" experience. There will also be an NBA on Prime doubleheader to follow (Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers vs. San Antonio Spurs).

This story was first published by Mashable. Read the original report

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