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Black Friday 2021: early deals are already here

(Image credit: Future)

Black Friday 2021 and Cyber Monday 2021 aren't officially here until the last weekend of November, but we're seeing great deals starting to appear earlier than ever. Retailers have increasingly been starting their sales early, and it seems that Black Friday 2021 will be no exception. And you can find the best current deals right here.

The weekend of Black Friday 2021 and Cyber Monday 2021 is expected to be the biggest sales event of the year, and one worth paying attention to if you're considering investing in pretty much any tech products. And as you'll see below, on some items you might not have to wait until the official date itself.

Based on past Black Friday sales, we expect to see more incredible offers come up on everything from the best Nintendo Switch deals and Apple Black Friday deals to Black Friday savings on Adobe software and drawing tablets. To make sure you get the best Black Friday deals, you need to be prepared. Read on for everything you need to know, and bookmark this page because we'll be updating it regularly as new deals appear.

When is Black Friday 2021?

Black Friday falls on the weekend after Thanksgiving in the US. That means that Black Friday 2021 falls on 26 November. Cyber Monday follows right on its heels three days later on Monday 29 November.

At least, those are the "official" dates. The reality is that retailers have been anticipating the hype and launching Black Friday deals earlier and earlier to get in ahead of the competition. Black Friday 2021 appears to have unofficially started earlier than ever with several major retailers already offering massive Black Friday deals.

While many retailers may save their most exciting deals for the official Black Friday weekend, in the US, Amazon has launched advance Black Friday deals in its Epic Daily Deals, while Best Buy is promising Black Friday prices guaranteed and Walmart is offering Black Friday Preview deals. See below for a selection of the best early Black Friday deals in the US and then in the UK – note that stocks can often go quickly!

Best early Black Friday deals: US

Skip to best early Black Friday deals: UK

Best early Black Friday deals: UK

Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2021: What deals can we expect?

The deals we saw during Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2020 were among some of the best we've seen since Creative Bloq started covering the retail event. Retailers usually offer Black Friday deals on older models but in 2020 we event saw deals on Apple's new M1 MacBook Pro and MacBook Air laptops.

We also saw Adobe knock an impressive 20% off its Creative Cloud suite, and there were some unbeatable Nintendo Switch deals, in both the UK and US. Based on previous years, we expect Black Friday 2021 to see deals on a whole range of items, including top tech, creative software, furniture and home essentials. There really is something for everyone during this dedicated weekend of sales, so no matter what sort of deal you're looking for, you're sure to find something of interest.

That said, there may be some limitations on this year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday events due to the current global supply problems. Chips in particular are in short supply, causing distribution problems for a lot of tech products. With less supply overall, and customers unable to get their hands on many items they want, retailers may be less likely to offer big deals on some tech products.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2021: How to find the best deals

With so many retailers participating, and so many products at reduced prices, how can you make sure you find the best Black Friday deals? And how can be sure that it really is a bargain you're getting?

First off, bookmark this page! We'll be updating this page regularly to link directly to retailers' best Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday deals. This will save you from having to scour dozens of different ' sites, and potentially thousands of different products to find the Black Friday savings that are really worth snapping up.

Another good idea is to start thinking about exactly what you might want to buy. That way you can start tracking the price now and you'll recognise a genuinely good deal when you see one. You can also start checking which retailers stock the products you're after. That way you'll know exactly where to check when the sales start rolling (see below for our list of retailers to watch on Black Friday).

Black Friday 2021 sales: Retailers to watch

Most major international retailers hold Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales of some kind. For reference, here is a list of the retailers who offered some of the biggest and best deals in 2020. We can be fairly confident that they'll be taking part again this year, and we'll be linking directly to their best deals on this very page as soon as they start appearing.

Adobe – we saw discounts on Creative Cloud in 2020.
AO – UK deals on home appliances
Argos – Savings on a range of items in the UK
Amazon – we've already seen record deals on AirPods, OLED TVs and more.
ASOS – expect more good savings here
Best Buy – already offering Black Friday prices on 4K TVs, laptops, iPads, and more
B&H Photo – expect Black Friday savings on cameras and other tech
Currys PC World – great tech savings in the UK
Emma mattress – great Black Friday savings on mattresses
John Lewis – expect good UK Black Friday deals
Microsoft Store – expect savings on Microsoft products
Nike – save up to 40% off shoes and clothing
Target – huge deals on TVs, toys, Dyson, Keurig, and more
Very – UK savings on clothing and gifts
Walmart – already has deals on TVs, toys, vacuums, and more
Wayfair – up to 50% off Christmas decorations!

Does Apple have Black Friday deals?

Yes, it usually does – but not in the way you might hope. Apple does join in but rather than offering discounts on its devices, it usually offers gift cards. If you spend money at the Apple store, you get a gift card to redeem at the Apple store at a later date.

Last year, you could get up to $200 / £160, but you had to buy a MacBook to get the top gift card. It's a welcome bonus, but not the same as a saving on the device you wanted to buy. As a result, if you're looking for an Apple Black Friday discount, you're generally better off looking at other retailers that sell Apple products (see above) rather than heading directly to Apple itself.

To make things easier for you, we also have a dedicated page where we'll be highlighting all the best Apple Black Friday deals.

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