Black Friday Has Already Begun: Top Early Deals, How to Shop Them and What to Watch For

Retailers have opened the floodgates: Black Friday discounts are no longer confined to the Friday after Thanksgiving. Major sellers — led by Amazon but including Walmart, Target, Best Buy and specialist merchants — have rolled out "early Black Friday" promotions across electronics, kitchen appliances, home goods and holiday giftables. Shoppers can find genuine low prices now, but experts also warn that not all early markdowns are equal. Here’s a guide to the best current offers, the categories most likely to see deeper cuts, and tactics to avoid paying for a fake deal.

Headliners: standout early bargains

A sampling of notable early reductions being advertised across retailers this week:

• Dyson V9 Motorbar cordless vacuum: marked down to about $270 from $600 in a sale many editors called a record low.
• Shark AI Ultra self-emptying robot vacuum: advertised around $300 (about $299 off regular price) on several sites.
• Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025): appearing as low as $750 in early promotions — a $100+ discount from recent retail price points.
• Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro: discounted to roughly $320 from $400 at multiple sellers.
• Apple AirPods Pro 2: early reductions around $80–$100 off (prices vary by region and seller).
• Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet and Fire TV streaming sticks: common deep discounts (tablet often near $55; Fire TV 4K sticks in the $23–$30 range).
• Nespresso/Breville coffee machines and KitchenAid attachments: frequent mid-hundreds-to-low-hundreds markdowns across listings.

These examples combine reported prices from several major retail roundups and testing sites. Availability and specific savings vary by retailer and country; many of the best prices are limited in quantity.

What categories are moving first — and which still might get cheaper?

Retail analysts and deal editors say the earliest and steadiest reductions typically fall into predictable groups:

• TVs, laptops and gaming gear: historically see some of the deepest cuts around Black Friday proper, but early wins do appear on last-year models and open-box units.
• Small and midsize kitchen appliances (air fryers, stand mixers, countertop ovens): often discounted early and again during the peak sale period.
• Robot vacuums and cordless vacuums: notable early markdowns on name brands, with some models already at all-time low prices.
• Home goods, bedding and seasonal décor: heavy early promotions as retailers try to capture early holiday shoppers.

Wirecutter and other testing teams note that while many early prices are genuinely lower than at any point earlier in the year, it isn’t always true — some retailers inflate baseline prices in the weeks before a sale to make discounts look larger.

How to separate real savings from hype

Deal editors and shopping experts offer consistent advice:

• Have a list and a price history: know what you want and monitor historical prices. Tools and browser extensions can track price fluctuations, but manual checks across retailers also help.
• Act on truly exceptional prices: if a product hits a verified all-time low and it’s on your list, buy it. Inventory can evaporate quickly.
• Watch for membership-only pricing: some deals (Costco, for example) require a membership to access the lowest advertised rate.
• Beware of “was” pricing tricks: experts warn retailers sometimes raise an item's listed price shortly before a sale so a discount appears larger. Independent price trackers or past-sale knowledge are useful countermeasures.

Retail expert Trae Bodge sums it up simply: "Always do your homework!" And RetailMeNot's Stephanie Carls points to a pattern shoppers can rely on: "TVs, laptops, gaming consoles and large appliances usually hit their lowest prices around Black Friday." Use both pieces of advice — research, but be ready to act.

Timing, policy and logistics to consider

• Black Friday date: The official Black Friday 2025 date is Friday, Nov. 28, but the promotional window this year stretches across November and sometimes into October — a phenomenon often called "Black November."
• Price-protection and price-match shifts: Some retailers have scaled back or eliminated price-match guarantees during the holiday season. That makes timing and price tracking more important.
• Shipping and returns: early deals can mean long shipping windows or different return policies. Read the fine print before you click "buy."
• Warranties and service: for higher-ticket items (appliances, TVs, laptops), verify warranty coverage and whether the seller is an authorized retailer — rebuilding a return or repair claim after the fact can be harder with third-party sellers.

Quick shopping playbook: buy now vs. wait

• Buy now if: you see a verified all-time low on something you've researched and need (cordless vacuums, certain robot vacs, tested kitchen appliances and giftable tech accessories have shown genuine early lows).
• Consider waiting if: the item is a hot-ticket electronics launch or high-end TV where major retailers often produce their deepest discounts around Black Friday proper. Also wait if the price history is unclear or if the offer requires questionable add-ons.

Practical tips to make early deals work for you

• Build and sync a wishlist across retailers so you can spot price drops quickly.
• Clip on-page coupons and check promo codes before checkout.
• Use retailer and card protections where offered (extended return windows or price adjustments, when available).
• Compare seller ratings and return windows for third-party listings on marketplaces.

Bottom line

The early Black Friday window offers real opportunities: well-tested vacuums, kitchen gear, and selected tech are already at compelling prices, and many editors are flagging specific models as the lowest they've seen. But the extended sales calendar also brings copycat discounts and marketing tactics that can exaggerate savings. Savvy shoppers will do the legwork — set alerts, compare across retailers, and buy smart when a verified low price appears. If you’re organized, the early rush can mean fewer last-minute scrambles and better odds of checking people off your holiday list without paying full price.

For ongoing deal roundups and vetted picks, follow specialist testing and shopping teams as the season progresses — they’ll continue to update verified lows and best-in-class recommendations as new promotions go live.