Are you wondering what the Black Friday date is for this year? The major shopping holiday always falls the day after Thanksgiving, which means it's on Friday, November 25 in 2022.
Based on previous years, most Black Friday sales start on Thanksgiving Day (or even before) and extend throughout the Black Friday weekend and into Cyber Monday. Pre-Black Friday deals start popping up in early November — and some even in October. Given the prevalence of early sales in 2021, we expect to see plenty of retailers offering weeks-long and even month-long Black Friday sales in 2022.
In 2021, it was more rare for a retailer to be open on Thanksgiving than closed. We expect this trend to continue in 2022. We already know Target will be closed on Turkey Day 2022, as the retailer announced in 2021 that it would close its doors for Thanksgiving Day every year.
Black Friday 2022 predictions
Given the many twists and turns of events the world has experienced over the past couple of years, it can be hard to predict exactly what will happen during the Black Friday shopping season in 2022. Still, based on Black Friday 2021 and current emerging shopping and market trends, we can get a sense of what might occur during Black Friday 2022.
More in-store shopping
At this point in time, most stores are operating the same way they did before the pandemic started – with mask requirements lifted and no social distancing requirements. Shoppers, too, have returned to relatively normal in-store shopping routines. In June, CNN reported that in-store sales increased at a faster rate than online sales in May 2022. While online orders still make up a large portion of sales, we expect in-store shopping to be more prominent in 2022 than it was in 2021 or 2020.
We also expect the tradition of shopping in-store early on Black Friday to make a bigger comeback this year, even if the bulk of sales take place online.
Some supply chain issues – but less than 2021
Delays and limited stock, as a result of global supply chain issues, were a big concern during Black Friday 2021 – and throughout the holiday season. While these issues haven't been remedied entirely, a Bloomberg report shares that the situation doesn't appear to be as dire in 2022.
Sales continuing to start early
That being said, because shoppers are aware of the supply chain issues from last year, they will likely start shopping earlier in the season this year – with retailers taking note.
The "Black Friday creep" that we've witnessed over the past couple of years is likely to continue in 2022. In 2021, we saw retailers host several pre-Black Friday sales, starting as early as October, and we expect this trend to hold strong. The entire span of Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday will also remain as one long savings event in 2022. While some doorbusters and hot items will last only minutes on Black Friday itself, plenty of online deals will remain available throughout the entire long weekend. And some products that sell out quickly on Black Friday will make repeat appearances throughout the weekend.
Inflation impacts
Inflation continues to drive up prices in the U.S. and around the world. This will impact not only the sale prices people see in their favorite stores during Black Friday but also their shopping habits.
As a result of inflation, finding great deals, looking past flashy promotions and assessing the actual price and money saved will be all the more critical for shoppers during Black Friday 2022.
Resale and trade-in
Resale platforms continue to grow in popularity, and while individuals won't be hosting Black Friday sales on their own gently-used items, sites like Poshmark and eBay may host more sitewide promotions. Meanwhile, as more retailers start to launch their own trade-in programs, we expect promotions around shoppers trading in their items for discounts to grow during Black Friday 2022.
As a result of inflation, finding great deals, looking past flashy promotions and assessing the actual price and money saved will be all the more critical for shoppers during Black Friday 2022.
Retail memberships
Black Friday shopping perks for those with retailer memberships was a growing trend in 2021, and we expect this to continue through Black Friday 2022. While Amazon shoppers are familiar with the perks that come with a Prime membership, including exclusive deal access and free shipping, Walmart shoppers might not have been as aware of the Walmart Plus membership program prior to Black Friday 2021. Walmart's 2021 Deals for Days Black Friday savings events provided Walmart Plus members three hours of early access to deals. This headstart was particularly helpful for those looking to add the most sought-after items to their carts, like gaming consoles.
Buy now, pay later
We also expect retailers to host promotions during Black Friday 2022 around their buy now, pay later programs – as more shoppers look for interest-free options to break down the cost of their purchase into more budget-friendly monthly payments.
What the Black Friday 2022 season holds remains to be seen. We will be sharing all the latest news and insight surrounding Black Friday 2022 to guarantee you get the best deals possible.
Past Black Friday dates
- Black Friday 2015 was on Friday, Nov. 22, 2015.
- Black Friday 2016 was on Friday, Nov. 25, 2016.
- Black Friday 2017 was on Friday, Nov. 24, 2017.
- Black Friday 2018 was on Friday, Nov. 23, 2018.
- Black Friday 2019 was on Friday, Nov. 29, 2019.
- Black Friday 2020 was on Friday, Nov. 27, 2020.
- Black Friday 2021 was on Friday, Nov. 26, 2020.
Future Black Friday dates
- Black Friday 2023 is on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023.
- Black Friday 2024 is on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024.
- Black Friday 2025 is on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.
- Black Friday 2026 is on Friday, Nov. 26, 2026.
Want to learn more about the biggest shopping day of the year? Check out our Black Friday history and stats page.
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