Black Friday – The Best Smart Home Deals Plus Everything Else You Need to Know

Looking for a quick deal? Here are some quick links to the content below: 1. Our Best Black Friday Smart Home Deals a) Best Black Friday Robot Vacuum Deals b) Best Black Friday Smart Doorbell Deals c) Best Black Friday TV Deals d) Best Black Friday Smart Plug Deals e) Best Black Friday Smart Surveillance Camera Deals f) Best Black Friday Smart Thermostat Deals 2. Black Friday – A Shopping Holiday 3. Is Black Friday Worth It? Can You Really Save Money? 4. When Is Black Friday and Will There Be One in 2020? 5. Are There Any Early Bird Black Friday Offers? 6. FAQ a) What Is Black Friday? b) Is Black Friday better than Cyber Monday? c) 5 tips for Black Friday d) Are Black Friday deals real? e) Do prices go up before Black Friday? f) Can I get cashback on Black Friday deals? g) Can I get vouchers for retail stores like Amazon and Walmart on Black Friday? 7. Some Interesting Black Friday Facts a) How does Black Friday affect the economy? b) Do all countries have Black Friday? c) Is Black Friday dangerous? d) Has anyone died on Black Friday? e) Will there be crowds outside stores for 2020 Black Friday? 8. Black Friday Is the Time to Buy

Update: Nov 20^th 2020

Although iRobot and Shark are not the only robot vacuums you can find on Amazon, these two brands are the only that offer discounts worth mentioning at this point. What’s interesting, the discounts directly target their premium models, allowing you to snatch a class-leading robot vacuum at a reasonable price.

iRobot Roomba S9 (19% off, save $100.99)

Roomba S9 is iRobot’s flagship robot vacuum, boasting more powerful suction and the three-stage cleaning system. This is ideal for cleaning thick carpets, as it first lifts, then loosens, and finally eliminates debris and pet hair. Besides that, S9 also comes with vSLAM navigation that allows it to quickly learn the layout of your home, providing for efficient cleaning sessions. Originally sold for $999.99, you can now find it for $899.00 on Amazon. That’s 19% off, which saves you a little over $100.

iRobot Roomba i7+ (20% off, save $201.99)

This self-cleaning robot vacuum is one of the best units you can buy. Thanks to a generous 20% discount on Amazon, you can get Roomba i7+ for $798 instead of $999.99. A deal even better than the S9.

iRobot Roomba i7 (29% off, save $200)

This is one of the most premium robot vacuums you can buy. Although it’s not the i7+ model with the self-cleaning feature, it’s nonetheless one of the best such devices around. And with Amazon’s price slice of almost $200 (from $699.99 to $499.99), this purchase is a real no-brainer.

iRobot Roomba E5 (34% off, save $130.99)

Being probably the best-buy robot vacuum on the market, the Roomba E5 is definitely worth considering. Especially if you plan to save yourself some money by not going for premium models. With a $130 discount at Amazon, you can get a Roomba E5 for as low as $249.00, instead of paying the original price of $379.99.

iRobot Roomba 981 (3% off, save $16)

One of the iRobot mid-tier products, Roomba 981 offers great performance and plenty of features at a decent price. Originally $589.00, this robot vacuum had a decent offer of 17% off, saving you $100, just a few days ago. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, the price dropped by some 3%, ending up at $573, thus saving you no more than $16. Check it out on Amazon.

iRobot Roomba 960 (31% off, save $200.99)

Buying a Roomba 960 this Black Friday is a great way to save $200. Its original price was $649.99, but now you can snatch it on Amazon for a quite affordable $449.00. That’s an especially big discount since this is a direct competitor to the Shark IQ RV1001, which, at the end of the day, isn’t better than Roomba 960.

Shark IQ RV1001 (15% off, save $69)

Shark IQ RV1001 is the premium model of iRobot’s direct competitor. Since it doesn’t include the self-cleaning feature like its bigger cousin RV1001AE, this allows it to enter the best-buy territory for robot vacuums. Currently selling on Amazon for $379.99, you get a $69 discount from the original price of $449.00. That’s 15% off.

Shark ION R85 (14%, save $55)

Another decent discount from Shark, this time it’s for one of their mid-tier models. If you have a set budget, and don’t want to spend those additional $40 for RV1001, R85 is another best-buy option to consider. Starting at $399.99, now you can get it for only $344.99. Check out its Amazon page and save $55.00 on this purchase.

Smart doorbells are a convenient piece of tech. Combining a usual door chime with a real-time video feed over Wi-Fi, you’ll be able to see exactly who’s ringing your bell. As far as Black Friday deals go, this might seem like the best time to buy one.

At this moment, Amazon doesn’t offer that many deals on smart doorbells. Hopefully, this will change in the coming days. For now, here are some offers you might consider for a pre-Black Friday purchase.

Ring Video Doorbell 3 + Echo Show 5 (48% off, save $139.99)

Amazon offers a special bundle including Ring Video Doorbell 3 and Amazon Echo Show 5 smart home video speaker for only $149.99. That’s a pretty serious $140 drop from the regular $289.98 price.

Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus + Echo Show 5 (47% off, save $149.99)

Just like with their basic video doorbell model, Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus is also available in the bundle with the Echo Show 5 video speaker. If you’re looking for a doorbell with a few more features packed in, then this deal will be perfect for you. It brings better motion detection as well as four-second video previews. The bundle is available on Amazon for $169.99, allowing you to save an amazing $149.99. That’s a 47% discount from the $319.98 list price.

HeimVision 2K Video Doorbell (19% off, save $21)

Although not one of the premium brands, HeimVision’s 2K Video Doorbell provides precise images thanks to the resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. Besides the great video quality, you also get night vision mode, motion detection, smart alerts, and two-way audio. Currently selling for $89.99 on Amazon, this is a great opportunity to get yourself a smart doorbell at a 19% discount and save $21 in the process.

Arlo Video Doorbell (No discount at the moment)

Arlo’s smart doorbell is one of the most popular devices of its kind. Aptly named Video Doorbell, it provides HD-video quality, a full-screen 1:1 viewing angle of 180 degrees, motion detection, and much more. One of the leaders in smart home surveillance, Arlo offers their recognizable video doorbell for only $123.00 on Amazon. Considering the list price of $149.99, you can save $26.99 on this deal, which amounts to some 18% off.

Update: At the time of writing, this product wasn’t on discount anymore. Be sure to check in with us again, as we’ll update the information when a better deal appears.

If you’re looking for deals on established brands like Samsung, LG, or Sony, their Amazon store fronts seem to be empty at the moment. This could be a sign of upcoming discounts, but it could also be a marketing trick to build up the anticipation. Nevertheless, if you’re in a hurry to buy yourself a TV, check out the models below.

65” Insignia NS-65DF710NA21 (No discount at the moment)

Insignia is a budget-friendly TV brand operating under Best Buy which provides some impressive specs at a fairly low price. This Insignia model comes with a 65-inch 4K UHD screen and an integrated Amazon Fire TV streaming system. Being a 2020 model, you can expect a pretty decent performance at a super-reasonable price of $449.99. That’s $100 off from the list price of $549.99. Check it out on Amazon.

Update: At the time of writing, this product wasn’t on discount anymore. Be sure to check in with us again, as we’ll update the information when a better deal appears.

40” Proscan PLDED4016A (23% off, save $70)

This 40-inch TV from Proscan is another value-oriented model, a perfect fit for anyone who doesn’t need a smart TV and doesn’t care about 4K images. Using a Full HD 1080p screen of pretty decent quality, you can find this Proscan model on Amazon for $229.99. That’s 23% off the base price of $299.99, which saves you $70.00.

32” Samsung QN32Q50RAFXZA (20% off, save $102)

This rather small 32-inch smart TV from Samsung is practically the only model they offer at a discount for now. Although there are much better deals for 4K TV’s with much larger screens, it’s important to keep in mind that this is Samsung’s super-quality QLED 4K screen. Selling originally for $499.99, you can now get it on Amazon with a 20% discount amounting to $397.99. That’s a little over $100, which seems like a decent saving for a QLED 4K TV.

75” Sony XBR75X800H (No discount at the moment)

This 4K Ultra HD LED Smart TV from Sony is one of the more premium models in this category. An interesting offer available at Amazon includes a serious bundle selling for a list price of $2,059.92. With Black Friday deals, you can now get it at a 48% discount for “only” $1,073.00. That’s almost $1,000 that you can save.

As well as the TV, this bundle includes a 2.1-channel surround sound soundbar from Deco Gear. Offering Bluetooth, wireless, and NFC connectivity, this is a great addition to this 75” TV. Add to that a Deco Gear flat wall mount, a surge adapter with six power outlets, and a streaming service software bundle, and this deal becomes hard to beat.

Update: At the time of writing, this product wasn’t on discount anymore. Be sure to check in with us again, as we’ll update the information when a better deal appears.

65" LG 65NANO90UNA (No discount at the moment)

If you’re looking for a top-tech LG TV, this 65-inch model brings all benefits of their proprietary NanoCell screen. With full support for HDR and a built-in Alexa capability, this 4K UHD smart TV now sells for $696.99. Considering its list price of $996.99, this Amazon deal can save you $300.

Update: At the time of writing, this product wasn’t on discount anymore. Be sure to check in with us again, as we’ll update the information when a better deal appears.

50” VIZIO V505-G9 (Product currently unavailable)

For anyone looking for a large 4K TV under $500, this model from VIZIO might seem like the perfect buy. Again, benefiting from one of Amazon’s offers, you can save some $60 on this VIZIO TV. Starting at $362.74, now you can buy it for $299.99. A true bargain, considering the 50” screen. And as a cherry on top, this is a smart TV with a lightning-fast VIZIO SmartCast navigation menu.

Update: At the time of writing, this product wasn’t on discount anymore. Be sure to check in with us again, as we’ll update the information when a better deal appears.

40” Hisense 40H4F (2020 Model) (22% off, save $60)

Although not a 4K TV, this is a chance to get a pretty decent 40-inch 1080p TV with an integrated Roku streaming system. With a starting price of $269.99, now you can get it on Amazon for $209.99, and save yourself $60.

Smart plugs are the easiest way to start transforming your home into a smart one. By placing multiple smart plugs into your regular power outlets, you can connect various devices. This allows you to control your devices remotely from your smartphone or a computer.

Unfortunately, currently there aren’t many models to consider on Amazon. That being said, there’s one top-quality brand that has some serious deals on their products. A long-time manufacturer of quality network equipment, TP Link has three of their smart plug models on discount.

TP Link Kasa – Single Outlet Smart Plug (33% off, save $5)

This quality smart outlet from TP Link sells on Amazon for only $9.99 at the moment. Besides many useful features, you can also control this smart outlet with voice commands. It supports Amazon Alexa, Google Home, as well as IFTTT integrations. Use this opportunity and get the 33% discount from the list price of $14.99, saving you $5.00.

TP Link Kasa – 3-Outlet Smart Plug Power Strip (25% off, save $10)

A step up from their single outlet model, this power strip from TP Link comes with three smart outlets and surge protection. Just like its one-outlet sibling, you can control this smart device using voice controls. Amazon currently sells it for $29.99 instead of $39.99, which is a 25% discount.

TP Link Kasa – 6-Outlet Smart Plug Power Strip (25% off, save $20)

Further increasing the number of smart outlets, this six-port power strip allows you to connect several devices at the same time and control them from your smartphone. Selling for $59.99 on Amazon, you can save $20 with this purchase from the original price of $79.99.

XODO WP1 2-Pack (50% off, save $20)

If you’re looking to upgrade your home with two more smart plugs, then this offer from Amazon might be right for you. For only $19.92 you get a 50% discount on these smart plugs from XODO. Considering the starting tag of $39.99, this is truly a great deal.

TECKIN Smart Plug (4-pack) (35% off, save $16)

If you need to cover several positions in your house with smart plugs, then this offer from TECKIN might prove quite interesting. Offering four individual smart plugs for only $29.99, Amazon lets you save $16 off the original price of $45.99 – a 35% discount.

Keeping your home safe becomes much easier with smart surveillance cameras. Offering a wide range of security features, these little devices are pretty easy to install as well. The main benefit smart cameras bring is access to their video feed in real-time over an app on your smartphone or computer. That way, you can keep track of activities both inside and around your house, depending on where you’ve placed them.

For anyone looking for the best deals on smart home surveillance cameras, Amazon has some pretty neat deals at the moment. It’s worth pointing out that Arlo, one of the best smart cameras you can buy, has a couple of deals themselves.

Arlo Pro 2 – Two Camera System (30% off, save $225)

If you’re looking for the best deal on Arlo cameras, you should definitely check this two-camera pack on Amazon UK. Starting at £569.99 ($750), Amazon offers this bundle for only £398.99 ($530). That’s 30% off, which saves you a decent amount of £171 ($225).

Arlo Pro 3 – Two Camera System (26% off, save $131.20)

This premium model from Arlo sells for only $368.79 on Amazon, which is a 26% discount. Considering the list price of $499.99, this is an opportunity to save a little over $130. A pretty decent saving considering this is one of the best smart surveillance cameras out there.

Arlo Ultra – Two Camera System (9% discount, save $54.85)

Another entry from Arlo, the Ultra is their flagship model boasting crisp 4K video resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. This premium home surveillance camera normally costs $599.99, but you can find it on Amazon for $545.14. Although not a huge discount (9%), at this price point it saves you almost $55, which is not bad at all.

Ring Spotlight Cam Battery (3-pack) (25% off, save $147.03)

Being one of the main competitors to Arlo, Amazon’s Ring offers three smart cameras at almost the same price as one Arlo Ultra. Of course, not as premium as Arlo, Ring’s battery-powered Spotlight Cam is a pretty decent device. Current price for the three-camera pack on Amazon is $449.97. This 25% discount from $597.00 saves you $147, which is truly a great deal.

Blink Mini Indoor Surveillance Camera + Echo Show 5 (12% off, save $15)

This Amazon deal on the Blink Mini Indoor camera seems pretty decent. For $109.98 you get both the Blink Mini camera and Amazon Echo Show 5 smart speaker with a display. Considering the $124.98 list price of this bundle, you can save some $15, which is 12% off.

The camera itself comes with the 1080p Full HD resolution and smart motion detection. It connects over your home Wi-Fi network to its Blink app and you can control it using voice controls. The Echo Show 5 smart speaker with a 5.5” display enhances the experience even further. Using Alexa voice commands you can check on the weather, play music, listen to podcasts, and even watch your favorite shows.

EZVIZ C6N Indoor Surveillance Camera (No discount at the moment)

This indoor smart camera from EZVIZ comes packed with various features. First of all, it provides a 360-degree viewing angle along with a pan and tilt motion. Coupled with its smart motion detection, it’s capable of auto-tracking moving objects inside your home, like pets, babies, or anything else you’d like.

Along with a 1080p Full HD resolution and a night vision mode, EZIVZ C6N seems the best buy in the indoor camera category. That’s especially true when you consider the 27% discount on Amazon that saves you $15 off its original price of $54.99. For just $39.99, you get a pretty decent smart surveillance camera for your home.

Update: At the time of writing, this product wasn’t on discount anymore. Be sure to check in with us again, as we’ll update the information when a better deal appears.

EZVIZ C3WN Outdoor Surveillance Camera (No discount at the moment)

When it comes to outdoor cameras, EZVIZ C3WN provides great value at only $49.99. With $20 off the base price of $69.99, this deal on Amazon is worth checking out. Being an outdoor surveillance camera, C3WN will work in any weather, regardless of the time of the day. After the sunset, the camera automatically switches to night vision mode, providing a clear Full HD view up to a hundred feet away.

Thanks to its motion detection and tracking features, you can even define specific areas which the camera should focus on. That way, you can keep track of the most relevant locations around your house, making sure there aren’t any blind spots in its live feed.

Update: At the time of writing, this product wasn’t on discount anymore. Be sure to check in with us again, as we’ll update the information when a better deal appears.

EZVIZ C3N Outdoor Surveillance Camera (No discount at the moment)

Similar to the EZVIZ outdoor camera described above, C3N introduces one additional feature – Smart Spotlight Color Night Vision. This allows the camera to automatically switch from its black and white monitoring to full color night vision, as soon as it detects human movement.

Using the H.265 compression standard, this camera creates files that are almost half the size of the usual H.264 compression. Thanks to this, the streaming bandwidth requirements are also much lower, allowing for a crystal clear uninterrupted 1080p video feed. EZVIZ C3N is available on Amazon for $59.99, a $10 discount from its original price.

Update: At the time of writing, this product wasn’t on discount anymore. Be sure to check in with us again, as we’ll update the information when a better deal appears.

Toucan Outdoor Surveillance Camera (31% off, save $31)

This weatherproof outdoor camera from Toucan delivers a 1080p Full HD stream and is capable of recording up to an entire day of video footage. If you opt for one of the Toucan Shield plans, you can further increase the amount of recordings it saves to the cloud.

Besides their video capabilities, Toucan outdoor cameras also include a two-way speaker system. So you can hear what’s happening in front of your house, as well as speak to any visitors. Now selling for $68.95 on Amazon, you can save $31 from the list price of $99.95 with this deal.

If you want to further improve your home and make it smarter, you might consider one of the smart thermostats that are available on discount this Black Friday. These devices help you automatically maintain the temperature in your home, while providing some serious electricity savings at the same time.

At this point, none of the top players in the smart thermostat market offers any discount worth mentioning. Regardless, here are three models that come at some serious discounts that are pretty close to 50%.

GLAS Smart Thermostat by Johnson Controls (40% off, save $100)

The GLAS smart thermostat from Johnson Controls is definitely one of the most attractive such devices available today. Using a transparent glass screen, this device not only looks good, but it also comes with a lot of useful smart features developed by Microsoft. Considering the starting price of $249, you can save $100 with this 40% Amazon discount – GLASS now sells for only $148.85. That’s almost half the price.

Emerson Sensi Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat (43% off, save $55.31)

Another high discount of 42.55% brings down the Emerson smart thermostat’s price from $129.99 to only $74.68. Being one of the most affordable such devices, this is a great opportunity to save yourself a little over $55. Check its Amazon product page to take advantage of this deal.

Honeywell Wireless Wi-Fi Thermostat (45% off, save $113)

This smart thermostat from Honeywell is currently selling on Amazon for $136.99. A very good deal that reduces the price by 45% from the original price tag of almost $250. This is a great way to save over $110.

Honeywell Lyric T5 Smart Thermostat (23% off, save $30)

For anyone looking for the best budget-saving smart thermostat, Honeywell Lyric T5 is definitely one to consider. Especially when you factor in the 23% discount currently available on Amazon. Selling for $115.89, this $30 discount from its list price of $149.99 is worth considering.

Although it’s one of the cheapest smart thermostats out there, Honeywell Lyric T5 comes packed with features. It supports one week scheduling, geofencing, basic learning functions, and smart alerts. If you want to control it using voice commands, you can do that using Amazon Alexa or Apple HomeKit.

Honeywell T9 Smart Thermostat + Smart Room Sensor (No discount at the moment)

If you’re looking for a smart thermostat that’s capable of controlling several rooms separately, look no further than Honeywell T9. Allowing you to create separate temperature control zones in your home, you can optimize the amount of electricity you use for heating or cooling.

What’s great about this smart thermostat is that it comes with a free room sensor. With a range of up to 200 feet, it can effectively optimize the temperature depending on whether there’s someone in the room or not. This high-tech smart thermostat is on sale on Amazon, with the price reduction from $199.99 to $169.

Update: At the time of writing, this product wasn’t on discount anymore. Be sure to check in with us again, as we’ll update the information when a better deal appears.

Ecobee3 Lite Smart Thermostat 2^nd Generation (12% off, save $20)

Ecobee3 Lite is one of the best smart thermostats for achieving good energy efficiency levels. Using proximity sensors, it can detect if there’s anyone in the room, allowing it to automatically optimize the temperature. Current deal on Amazon offers Ecobee 3 Lite for $149.00, means a $20 saving with this purchase. Considering the original price of $169.00, that’s a 12% discount.

Nest 3rd Generation Learning Thermostat + Temperature Sensor (6% off, save $14)

Starting at $249.00, this smart thermostat from Google is not exactly affordable when you compare it to the competition. Although this third generation Nest Learning Thermostat is now on sale on Amazon for $234.85, it doesn’t represent the greatest deal of all time. With this 6% discount you can save some $14 in the process.

Last-Minute Black Friday Deals?

Even if your Black Friday shopping goes according to plan, there’s also one more thing to check out before you’re done. Although retailers make an incredible amount of sales on this day, there will certainly be some leftover items on the shelves.

To clear these products from their stores, you can expect even more discounts coming your way. Of course, these items probably won’t be of premium quality, but nonetheless, there’s an opportunity to snatch a cheap gadget or two.

Black Friday – A Shopping Holiday

For several decades now, Black Friday has marked the start of the Christmas shopping season. It’s the time when retailers offer significant discounts in order to prepare their stock for the pre-Christmas shopping deadline.

With so many products on massive discounts, getting the best deal out of Black Friday has become a true art. To achieve this, there are many aspects you should consider, starting off with a precise list of things you want to buy. Of course, when you are in the market for a smart home device, the offers can prove overwhelming. Hopefully, this article will help you properly prepare for Black Friday 2020.

The main question on everyone’s mind is whether Black Friday shopping is worth the hassle. Although it’s a simple question, the answer is a bit more complex. First of all, it depends on what kind of deals you’re looking for. If you’re looking for an item that you planned to buy nonetheless, then Black Friday may be a great opportunity. Especially if you want to buy it online.

However, for anyone looking for those doorbuster deals, regardless of whether you need that product or not, things get more complicated. Most retailers offer incredible discounts on some products as a means of attracting customers. That being said, the numbers of these items are usually limited, since most of them sell well below the cost price. Although this might look like a bad strategy, retailers count these losses in their marketing budgets. The goal is simple – get as many people as possible to the store.

Of course, to get the best deal, you’ll have to appear in person at the sale point. Unfortunately, you’re not the only one thinking that way. Over the years, it became a common occurrence to have huge crowds outside stores waiting for the Black Friday shopping mania to begin. More often than not, eager shoppers pile up in front of the store’s door, sometimes even knocking it down to get that 80% off a TV. And that’s exactly where the term “doorbuster” comes from.

Considering all this, it may prove to be quite a struggle to drive to the store and wait in line for several hours. Of course, there’s also a potential battle with other shoppers over a limited product offer. If you’re not at the right spot at the right time, chances are you’ll go home empty-handed.

And that’s exactly where the risk of Black Friday shopping comes in. At least in the sense of making a good purchase. If you miss out on a super-discounted item, you’re left with a burning feeling in your pocket. In that case, people often decide to buy anything they can get their hands on as long as it’s on a discount – regardless of whether they need that item or not.

Ultimately, Black Friday is a great opportunity to save money if you plan it out beforehand. Choose several items you’d like to buy and prioritize them. That way, you’ll make the right purchase and actually save some money on Black Friday deals.

When talking about Black Friday in retail terms, it’s usually the Friday after Thanksgiving. Depending on the exact date of Thanksgiving, Black Friday falls between November 23 and 29. However, Black Friday deals may start as early as Thanksgiving Day, depending on the retailer’s strategy.

As far as 2020 is concerned, Black Friday falls on November 27. But, considering the current COVID-19 situation, most retailers will probably focus on online sales instead of in-shop events. Depending on your city, state, or country, there might even be a ban on stores opening that day.

So, in order to prepare for the upcoming Black Friday, it’s important to know what kind of discounts you can look for. With that knowledge, you can plan your shopping strategy, making sure you get the items you really need. To help you with that, the sections below provide some of the best deals available for the essential smart home devices.

Although Black Friday is the main shopping event of the year, retailers don’t hold back on offering discounts even before that. The term “early bird” is used to emphasize super-early deals you can get online.

For example, certain products can go on sale early Friday morning or even midnight between Thursday and Black Friday. To be ready to hit the “Order” button, you’ll have to be on your computer or smartphone at the right moment. Achieving this is super-easy if you follow the websites and social media of retail shops and brand manufacturers. To maximize their sales, they’ll probably send you a newsletter with this info.

 

Black Friday marks the start of the Christmas shopping season. With everybody looking to purchase Christmas gifts, retailers realized they can attract more customers by offering products at discounted prices. Over time, discounts have become even more enticing than those you’d get during the last-minute sales right before Christmas.

Looking back at the history of Black Friday as a term, it dates back to 1960s Philadelphia. Back then, the Philadelphia police department coined this term to describe the huge number of cars and people on the streets. Considering they’re in charge of making the traffic flow as best as possible, this involved increased effort and working hours for the department.

Cyber Monday falls on the Monday after Black Friday. With only three days apart, Black Friday involves both in-shop and online sales, while Cyber Monday focuses exclusively on online shopping. Another difference is that Black Friday deals cover all kinds of products and services, while Cyber Monday is mostly tech-oriented.

However, Black Friday proves to be a better opportunity for shopping for more expensive and up-to-date items. Compared to that, Cyber Monday is ideal for smaller gifts, software, and various types of tech gear and gadgets. Although Cyber Monday had an average of 21% discount rate in 2019 compared to Black Friday’s 18%, neither pops up as a significantly better opportunity over the other. It all comes down to what kind of product you’re buying and for what purpose.

Before you embark on your Black Friday shopping adventure, it will be useful to take note of these five tips:

1. The first step is to make a list of products you plan to buy. Also, define your budget and stick to it. By doing so, you won’t spend money on just any product that’s on discount, ultimately undermining the benefits real discounts bring.
2. Always research the products you want to buy early on. This will help you avoid buying subpar products once the action starts.
3. Make sure to check the regular product prices on various online stores before Black Friday. Then you’ll know if you’re actually getting the best deal out of the offers or not.
4. One of the best ways to get information about Black Friday deals is to follow brands and stores on social media. Another great way of getting the “insider” information is to sign up for newsletters.
5. Finally, there are store loyalty programs you can consider. If you can find most of the items you want to buy in a single store, this can get you even more discounts in the end.

In most cases, they are. But beware of items at high discounts. Most products that get huge discounts are usually leftover stock, sometimes even from the previous year. So, it’s probable these would be sold at a discount regardless of Black Friday. After all, retailers need to clear their warehouses before new items arrive for Christmas shopping. Besides that, you should also be wary of lower quality items that receive some serious price reduction.

With all that in mind, it wouldn’t be wise to presume that you’ll get a brand-new premium device at a 75% discount on Black Friday. Quality items and new releases can go down some 10-20%, but that’s it. And even if they go below that, it’s probably a marketing trick to attract more people who probably wouldn’t come otherwise. If that’s the case, there will only be a small number of these items available on Black Friday.

This can happen, especially with products from not-so-popular brands. To reach high discount levels on Black Friday, retailers might increase prices a couple of days before Thanksgiving. So, when Black Friday arrives, you’ll get those 70-80% doorbuster deals everybody rages about.

Depending on the sales strategy, a retailer might even bring the price up weeks before Black Friday. Naturally, this will mainly affect items that usually don’t sell well, pushing retailers to clear them from their stock as soon as possible.

Yes, you can. Of course, this will mainly depend on what credit card you’re using. That’s why it’s important to do a little research before Black Friday arrives, to make the best of the available cashback programs.

For example, some cards can be great for buying in large department stores, but not for online shopping. And, vice versa, you can find cards that are perfect for purchasing products from Amazon, Walmart, or Target.

Since this year’s Black Friday will mostly focus on online sales, you might want to get some coupon codes to further improve discounts. The best way is to follow retailers’ websites and social media, as well as subscribe to their newsletter. Then you’ll get first-hand deals from Amazon or Walmart.

Some Interesting Black Friday Facts

Black Friday is the greatest shopping day of the year. Combining Black Friday and Cyber Monday, expectations are that consumers are likely to spend almost $149 billion during these shopping days. Regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic that hit the world in 2020, this year’s projections predict some $285 million increase in sales compared to 2019.

When you divide these numbers by the number of potential buyers, you get an average of $665 per consumer. Another interesting figure in the economics of Black Friday is the percentage of the American population that will take advantage of sales deals. In 2019, 86% of the US population made purchases in this period. For 2020, this percentage is expected to rise to 88%. A truly remarkable figure.

Although a large number of countries around the world enjoy Black Friday deals, this doesn’t affect all of them. By some projections, some 50-65% of world countries participate in the year’s greatest shopping event. Out of 195 countries, that comes down to 129 countries, which is a lot on the world scale.

Although Black Friday might have some dark connotations due to its name, there’s nothing inherently dangerous with this shopping holiday. It’s just a part of the year that retailers use to drop the prices on items they want to clear by the end of the year.

Of course, with significant discounts comes the desire of consumers to get the best deal possible. Unfortunately, this can result in large crowds, stampedes, and occasional injuries. But, if you decide to stay at your home, online Black Friday deals are a super-safe way to buy whatever you want at great discounts.

Unfortunately, yes. As of 2006, there were twelve deaths involved with Black Friday, while another 117 people were injured in the process. Most of the deaths and injuries are related to gun violence caused by mass hysteria around Black Friday deals.

Some of the casualties and injuries also come from traffic accidents, while there were only two reported cases of death by stampede. For detailed information on the dark statistics of Black Friday, you can visit a website that pays meticulous attention to detail on this topic – Black Friday Death Count.

Although 2020 has been a pretty rough year for the entire world, the COVID-19 pandemic might have one positive outcome. With people avoiding mass gatherings, this year’s Black Friday will mostly move to online sales.

Hopefully, this will also have a positive impact on the number of injuries that stem from the shopping sprees on and around Black Friday. With Cyber Monday having been a regular thing for many years, it wouldn’t be surprising if Black Friday turned into Cyber Friday. In the end, these two might come together to create a Cyber Weekend. Which might not be a bad proposition, all things considered.

Now that you know all ins and outs of how Black Friday sales work, it’s time to prepare for this annual shopping frenzy. By writing down the list of items you want to buy, setting their priorities, and defining your budget, you’ll have the first step of the Black Friday mania covered. Once you start clicking online shops in search of products, keep in mind that high discount percentages don’t always represent a good buy.

It’s also worth doing some quick research on a product you know nothing about. The fact it seems cheap might not make up for its poor quality or performance. Sometimes, you can get a much better product if you pay that little bit extra.