If you’ve spent any time on the internet in the last few years, then you’ve probably heard of Black Friday, the shopping bonanza that theoretically takes place just after Thanksgiving. So when is Black Friday 2017? And what else do you need to know about it?
When is Black Friday 2017?
This year Black Friday takes place on Friday, November 24, which is the day after Thanksgiving. You’ll want to keep your eyes open for deals ahead of time, however, because many retailers now offer pre-Black Friday deals to try to gain an early sales advantage in the battle for your holiday dollars.
Black Friday is also followed by Cyber Monday. Find out more about that in our “When is Cyber Monday 2017?” article.
What is Black Friday?
The term Black Friday was reputedly coined in Philadelphia in the 60s to refer to the huge disruption caused by pedestrians and vehicles the day after Thanksgiving, but more recently it’s become better known as the discount bonanza that kickstarts the holiday season.
While it still drives a ton of footfall to bricks-and-mortar retailers, in the last few years it’s become an even bigger online phenomenon. According to the National Retail Federation, more than 154 million consumers shopped in stores and online during Black Friday weekend 2016, spending an average of $290 per person.
What can I buy on Black Friday?
Pretty much everything imaginable. As a gaming site, we keep a close eye on 4K TVs, consoles, games, accessories, laptops and PCs, smartphones and tablets, but seemingly every retailer in the world now uses Black Friday as an opportunity to drive some additional business. You’ll see a lot of stuff discounted to clear, but also some new items discounted to draw attention to that retailer.
For example, you might see a small discount offered on something brand new like the Xbox One X – most likely a software bundle – but you’ll probably see far more deals on the original Xbox One and the Xbox One S, which retailers will want to sell through before they become less enticing to consumers.
What were the best deals on Black Friday 2016?
One of the most popular deals of 2016 was the $99 Limited Edition Super Mario Black and White 3DS consoles. Nintendo created these variants in limited quantities and they quickly became must-have items for fans and collectors. They continue to sell for hugely inflated prices on eBay to this day.
One of the best deals we saw came from Dell. For some reason, the PC manufacturer was selling the Xbox One S 500GB Battlefield 1 bundle with a free copy of Gears of War 4 and an extra Xbox One controller for $249.99, a $160 saving over the cost of buying those products individually at the time.
On the software front, we found it pretty hard to turn down the PS4 version of id Software’s excellent DOOM remake for $19.99 on Amazon. That’s a competitive price for a new copy today, but at the time it was a complete steal.
Where can I find Black Friday deals?
Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Dell, Target… Everyone will be offering deals this November, so we’ll be doing our best to gather the absolute best deals for you right here. We’ll be keeping an eye out for 4K TVs, consoles, games, accessories, laptops and gaming PCs, smartphones and tablets. If there’s something you particularly want, let us know and we’ll go hunting! In the meantime, save those pennies – you’re gonna need them.
