BLACK Friday is nearly here and bargain obsessed Brits will be looking for the best deals across a range of products in the run up to Christmas.
Originally an annual US-only event, Black Friday is now the biggest shopping event of the year, with tens of thousands of brands and retailers taking part as excitement around the annual sales bonanza reaches fever pitch.
You can find deals on every type of product- ranging from tech gadgets to services, beauty sets and clothing.
And as it falls just over one month before Christmas, it is the ideal time to get the bulk of your Xmas list done for less
You can also keep track of all the hottest deals and discounts by checking out best Black Friday deals guide all this month.
Read our Black Friday live blog below for the latest info and deals…
- Joseph Gamp
You can bag 3 months of Amazon Audible for just 99p
Since it's usually £7.99 per month after a 30-day free trial period, you'll be saving £14.99: not bad at all.
Audible works on a basis of one download a month, across any titles regardless of length or cost.
So you can listen to anything from Stephen Fry narrating Harry Potter to Michelle Obama reading her memoir for just 33p a title.
With less than one week to go until Black Friday, Amazon has launched a great Audible offer.
Right now, new subscribers can get the first three months for just 99p.
Audible, 99p for three months – sign up at Amazon
- Joseph Gamp
Some stores are yet to make official Black Friday announcement
In the States, customers often queue for hours, even days to get their hands on the best bargains.
Many stores have yet to make an official announcement about Black Friday and if they will open on Thanksgiving night.
Several others such as Walmart, Sam's Club, Best Buy, and JCPenney will be closed for the holiday due to the pandemic.
- Joseph Gamp
Tips for the bagging the best Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals
PREPARE Research the items you want to buy and find out the cheapest price. Websites like PriceSpy, PriceHistory and CamelCamelCamel will give you historical data on prices so you can see how much you should pay.
GET FOLLOWING Follow your favourite shops on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and sign up to its deals newsletter to get the latest on any offers. We post the best deals in our Sun Money FB group too.
CHECK FOR CODES Take a look at The Sun Vouchers, and see if you can get extra savings with discount codes.
- Joseph Gamp
Explained: When do Black Friday 2021 sales start?
Some UK retailers have already kicked off a month-long run of deals.
Very, AO, Boots, Superdrug and eBay have all launched official Black Friday sales for eager shoppers.
Generally if you are shopping online, key Black Friday deals will be available from midnight on November 26.
Some stores in the US open as early as midnight, but in the UK retailers will generally open early from 6am.
- Joseph Gamp
Amazing deal on Black+Decker Cordless Combi Drill
Argos have a stunning deal on a powerful top of the range Black+Decker cordless combi drill.
The stunning bit of kit comes with an 11-position clutch and two-speed setting and comes with other functions such as hammer and masonry work,
The drill comes with 80 accessories including the most common bits enables you to start tackling most common DIY drilling.
- Was: £120. Now: £80. Saving: £40 – buy here
Explained: How Black Friday got its name
Black Friday originally started the day before Thanksgiving in America and is regarded as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.
Recently, stores have stayed open for longer or opened early morning to cope with the demand.
Each year, big retailers like Amazon, Argos and Morrisons use Black Friday to give slash prices just before the holiday season begins.
Black Friday shopper warning after £15.4m scammed out of customers last year
Scam online shopping "bargains" that turned out to be too good to be true cost shoppers £15.4 million over Christmas last year, according to police.
Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime, received reports relating to 28,049 shoppers conned out of their money when shopping online over the Christmas period last year – an increase of almost two-thirds (61%) compared with a year earlier.
Ahead of Black Friday (November 26), Action Fraud is warning people to take extra care when shopping online.
Pauline Smith, director of Action Fraud, said: "If you think you have found a bargain that is too good to be true, it probably is. Stop and think before making a purchase, as it could protect you and your money.
"Always shop with official retailers and follow our simple advice to enjoy shopping online safely and ensure you are not left empty-handed this Christmas."
What's on offer at Decathlon?
Sports superstore Decathlon has set it's Blakc Friday deals live, with offers sure to grab the attention of sports fans everywhere.
The store is offering super deals on men's, women's and kids sportwear
Items in the sale include:
- Women's Eden Moana Underwired Minimiser Balconet Swimsuit Top, £12.99, was £24.99 – buy here
- Polar Ignite Wrist Smartwatch Rose Gold, £149.99, was £174.99 – buy here
- Men Asics Gel Windhawk 21 Running Shoes Black, £39.99, was £59.99 – buy here
- Men's running shoes Windhawk Gel Asics, £29.99, was £59.99 – buy here
- Men's synthetic mountain trekking padded jacket, £39.99, was £49.99 – buy here
- Women's long-sleeved traditional sailing T-shirt, £12.99, was £22.99 – buy here
- Adidas kids' tracksuit, £24.99, was £39.99 – buy here
- 100 winter fleece cycling gloves in neon yellow, £4.99, was £7.99 – buy here
- Quechua hiking backpack, £24.99, was £29.99 – buy here
Majority of retailers will not slash prices in run-up to Xmas
Bira, which works with more than 6,000 independent businesses, said the majority of members will not slash prices in the run-up to Christmas.
Andrew Goodacre, chief executive of Bira, said: "The main reasons for them not wanting to take part in this is because they either don't agree with this idea, there are higher prices, and there is also insufficient volume to make the large discounting work.
"They also need to preserve their margins.This, coupled with many of our independents experiencing supply chain issues, this has proved to be a real challenge."
However, he added that Bira "remains concerned" about the rising costs and supply pressures making it difficult for independent retailers to meet demand ahead of the festive trading period.
- Joseph Gamp
More than 85% of independent retailers are BOYCOTTING Black Friday
About 85% of independent retailers will not take part in Black Friday, according to new figures.
The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) said its latest survey of members showed the majority will not be slashing their prices for Friday November 26.
The shopping day, which started in the US as a key Friday for Christmas shopping following Thanksgiving, is often a pivotal time for online retailers such as Amazon.
However, many under-pressure retailers have boycotted it in recent years.
It comes amid a significant reduction in discounting among retailers keen to support their profit margins, as they recover from the heavy toll of the pandemic and enforced closures.
Retailers have also weathered supply disruption and soaring costs in recent months.
- Joseph Gamp
Bank warns over Black Friday scams
Last year's Black Friday season saw a 17% increase in reported shopping scams with victims losing an average of £538, a report has warned.
More than half of Britons (59%) will change their usual behaviour in search of a good deal this festive season, and 38% are planning to shop the Black Friday sales around November 26 this year, the survey for Barclays found.
Almost a fifth of Black Friday shoppers (18%) said they felt pressure last year to buy items as quickly as possible – and 14% said they would shop on unfamiliar websites if they had particularly good prices.
Some 38% of Britons are planning to shop the Black Friday sales, the poll found.
However the poll also revealed that 12% of consumers would give their PIN to someone if they thought it was their bank and 25% would be likely to help if they were fraudulently asked to participate in an "internal bank investigation".
- Joseph Gamp
Make the Switch
Supermarket Morrisons have an amazing Black Friday deal on the Nintendo Switch that's too good to ignore.
The console, which usually costs £279.99, can be ourchased at the supermarket chain for £230.
And the price is £20 cheaper than the previous best deal on sale at Amazon..
Read more here.
- Joseph Gamp
Get cooking with an air fryer
A LEADING air fryer from kitchenware brand Tefal has been discounted by 30% the Black Friday sale at Morrisons.
The Tefal Easy Fry Compact Air Fryer is now priced at just £60, down from £90.
To find your nearest Morrisons use the location finder on its website.
- Joseph Gamp
What deals are Sky offering?
SKY has started to launch some of its Black Friday deals early in 2021.
We take a look and see if they're worth your money.
Read more here.
- Joseph Gamp
What is Cyber Monday?
Cyber Monday usually takes place the Monday after Black Friday each year.
The day falls on November 29 this year.
Black Friday is usually followed by a weekend of more discounting, which comes to an end at midnight on Cyber Monday.
- Joseph Gamp
Checklist: Best tips for navigating Black Friday 2021
Here are some tips to help you nab the biggest discounts come November 26.
- Avoid impulse buys and make a list of what you want and need to buy during Black Friday and stick with it!
- Check the RRP of items you're interested in a few weeks before the sales starts to compare discounts when they launch
- Compare prices of items between retailers as you my find it cheaper elsewhere and save yourself some extra cash.
- Use websites such as PriceRunner to check the cost of coveted items previously.
Explained: Amazon's early Black Friday event
Amazon has launched early Black Friday deals across all categories including its own-branded devices, tech, fashion and beauty.
The retailer is also offering 3 months of Audible membership for just 99p and for music-lovers there's three months free access to Amazon Music Unlimited.
Online shoppers can also maximise their savings during the sale by signing up to a cashback site.
When do the sales start?
Some UK retailers have already kicked off a month-long run of deals.
Very, AO, Boots, Superdrug and eBay have all launched official Black Friday sales for eager shoppers.
Generally if you are shopping online, key Black Friday deals will be available from midnight on November 26.
Some stores in the US open as early as midnight, but in the UK retailers will generally open early from 6am.
When is Black Friday 2021?
This year Black Friday will take place on Friday November 26.
Black Friday always falls on the Friday after the annual US Thanksgiving holiday, which is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.
This year we predict competition for deals will be fiercer than ever before.
Top 10 Best Black Friday Deals Right Now
We've had a hunt around the web, and these are the best deals we've found today (November 21):
- Shark Cordless Vacuum Cleaner, £189 (save £160) – buy here
- Simba Mattress, up to 50% off – buy here
- 3 months of Audible for 99p – buy here
- Emma Mattress, save up to 60% off with code "SUN" – buy here
- Charlotte Tilbury kits, 30% off – buy here
- Apple Airpods (2nd Gen), £99 (lowest price ever) – buy here
- iPhone 12 Mini contract with FREE AirPods – buy here
- M100 Fibre Broadband, £25p/m from Virgin – buy here
- Gymshark, up to 70% off – buy here
- Fire TV Stick 4k, £24.99 (save £25) – buy here
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