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Does Amazon do Black Friday? The answer is a resounding yes, but the site isn't your typical Black Friday destination. In fact, you may even be asking yourself, "How does Black Friday work on Amazon?" Read on to learn what goes on sale on Amazon on Black Friday, and how to score Amazon Black Friday deals in 2020.
What to Expect From Amazon Black Friday Sales in 2020
When Will the Amazon Black Friday Ad Be Released?
If Amazon follows its trend from previous years, it will release its Black Friday ad around November 16.
That said, the ad is less important for Amazon than for other stores. The ad tends to list certain highlights — particularly deals on Amazon-brand electronics like Echo and Fire TV devices — but it barely scratches the surface of all the offers that'll be available. Amazon Marketplace sellers and Amazon itself will discount thousands of items.
Will Amazon Be Open on Thanksgiving?
Amazon is always open online, though it also continues to expand its physical presence. Many Amazon Books locations and Amazon 4-Star stores are currently operating under reduced hours due to the pandemic. Check your local store's page to see what their hours are, or give them a call.
When Does the Amazon Black Friday Sale Start?
If you're wondering about Amazon's Black Friday schedule, know that the retailer seems to consider Black Friday a state of mind. It's already started its "Holiday Dash" for 2020, but we expect the official Black Friday deals to kick off the week before the shopping holiday itself, on November 20.
We expect the official Amazon Black Friday deals to kick off on November 20.
While you can find the occasional diamond in the rough in early November, the best Amazon Black Friday deals will appear closer to the holiday itself. Along with offers that last throughout Black Friday Deals Week, we expect Amazon to have select "one time only" deals that launch during the day on Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday.
When Is the Best Time to Shop During Black Friday?
During Black Friday week the past three years, we posted the most Amazon Staff Pick deals on Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Those are definitely the best days to shop. But it's worth checking Amazon periodically throughout the entire week, as many of the best deals will be Lightning Deals that are only available for a limited time.
Does Everything on Amazon Go on Sale for Black Friday?
Expect Amazon to feature discounts across a wide variety of categories. During Black Friday week 2019, we posted the most Amazon deals in the home and garden category, followed by electronics and computers.
Also worth a mention are gaming and toy deals. We saw more offers in this category from Amazon than from any other store during Black Friday week 2019. These offers included multiple Staff Pick deals on board games and video games.
SEE ALSO: What to Expect From Walmart Black Friday Sales in 2020
Amazon tends to have plenty of discounts on Kindle, Fire, and Echo devices, too — but they aren't guaranteed killer deals. For instance, last year we saw 3rd-generation Echo Dots for $22, or $57 for a 3-pack, which broke down to a per-item price of $19. We also saw the then-new 3rd-gen Echo drop to $60, and even saw some Kindle and Echo Show deals.
However, those Echo Show offers were only good if you wanted the 5.5" Echo Show 5 for $50 (or a 2-pack for $90), or the 8" Echo Show 8 for $80. If you were hoping for solid savings on the 10.1" 2nd-gen Echo Show, though, you would've been out of luck; we didn't see notable deals on that device.
While Amazon doesn't have typical "doorbusters," Lightning Deals are pretty much guaranteed to return. As always, we expect many of them to be popular and sell out in a flash. Amazon is known for offering one or two top-notch TV Lightning Deals during Black Friday. If you don't have lightning-like reflexes in your mouse finger, don't fret: there should be plenty of great deals that aren't so limited in quantity.
How to Get the Most out of Amazon Black Friday Deals
You can bag great deals from Amazon without a Prime membership, but Prime benefits can still come in handy. Members receive early access to select Lightning Deals, which can make all the difference for an item that's in high demand. The 2-day (or faster) Amazon Prime free shipping is a nice perk, too.
If you're interested in an upcoming Lightning Deal, download Amazon's app, then click "Watch this deal" to receive notifications when the deal's about to go live. (It's worth making note of the time yourself for any deals you really want, as we've noticed this feature can be buggy when the app is under heavy load.)
Some Lightning Deals are claimed in minutes (or seconds!), which can be stressful because shoppers can't see prices in advance. But don't worry — after you add a Lightning Deal item to your cart, you'll have a few minutes to think the price over and decide if you want it. A timer will pop up to show you how long you have to complete your purchase. And even if an item shows as 100% claimed, don't hesitate to add yourself to the waitlist. Many people who added the product to their cart may not follow through with their purchase.
Another reason to download the app is that Amazon sometimes offers discounts during the holiday shopping season to users who opt to shop via that method rather than on the website. For example, last year users could earn up to $60 in Amazon credit just by buying through the app.
Finally, in the spirit of giving, don't forget that when you shop eligible items via AmazonSmile, Amazon donates 0.5% of what you spend to the charitable organization you choose.
What About Amazon's Cyber Monday Sale?
When Does Cyber Monday Start for Amazon?
Amazon likes to kick off its sales as early as it can, so we expect their Cyber Monday event to start the day after Black Friday and go through Cyber Monday itself. The online retailer should also offer "one time only" deals on Cyber Monday.
What Will Be on Sale? What Will Be the Best Deals?
Amazon is the biggest online retailer in the U.S. — you can expect it to feature thousands of deals during Cyber Week. Look for discounts on clothing, electronics, housewares, toys, tabletop games, movies, and more.
Look for Amazon discounts on clothing, electronics, housewares, toys, movies, and more during Cyber Week.
The most popular deals Amazon offered last year encompassed a wide variety of categories. For instance, a 20-film DVD set of the Best of Warner Bros. Best Pictures was only $24. We also saw an August Smart Lock for $55, $500 off the Samsung Galaxy S10 or Note10 (which came bundled with new headphones!), and a Seagate 2TB external hard drive for $50.
One particular deal to watch for: Amazon frequently offers a rare dollar-off book coupon during Cyber Week. Last year, the coupon cut $5 off $20 purchases of physical books. A separate deal gave you a $5 credit when you spent at least $20 on eBooks.
Readers, what will you be shopping for on Amazon during Black Friday 2020? What are the best deals you scored last year? Let us know in the comments below!
Related DealNews Blog Posts:
- What to Expect From Target Black Friday Sales in 2020
- Top 6 Stores for the Best Online Black Friday Deals in 2020
- Black Friday Previews 2020: See All Our Deal Predictions!
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