Black Friday 2026: Date, Store Hours and Early Sales So Far

Black Friday 2026 is on Friday, November 27, 2026, the day after US Thanksgiving, and UK retailers use the same date. In-store deals traditionally start when doors open that morning, but the sales now begin weeks earlier: Walmart's first Black Friday event opens online at 12:01 a.m. ET on Thursday, November 12 (9:01 p.m. PT on November 11), and Target's early Black Friday deals run November 5 to 7.

Below is what major retailers have officially announced as of October 26, 2026, with the date of each announcement, plus the latest spending forecasts and official advice on avoiding scams. We do not list deals or prices.

When is Black Friday 2026?

The US Office of Personnel Management lists Thanksgiving Day as Thursday, November 26, 2026. That puts Black Friday on November 27 and Cyber Monday on November 30. If you are planning the holiday itself, see our guide to Thanksgiving 2026 and what is open.

Black Friday has stretched well beyond one day. Amazon's 2025 Black Friday Week ran from November 20 to December 1, according to its US announcement, and Amazon UK ran a 12-day event over the same dates. Those were last year's dates. Amazon had not announced its 2026 Black Friday event as of October 26.

Shoppers are starting early as well. In a National Retail Federation (NRF) survey of 8,094 adults taken October 1 to 7, 43% said they planned to begin holiday shopping before November, up from 42% last year. Even so, 64% said they were likely to do most of their shopping over Thanksgiving weekend.

Early sales and store hours announced so far

These are the only dates and hours we could confirm on retailers' own sites as of October 26, 2026. Expect more announcements in early and mid-November.

Walmart

• Early Black Friday Deals, November 12 to 15: online from 12:01 a.m. ET and in stores from 6 a.m. local time. Walmart+ members get early access to "hot Deal drops" from 12:01 a.m. ET on November 12. Announced October 26, 2026.
• Black Friday Deals, November 23 to 29: online from 12:01 a.m. ET on Monday, November 23, and in stores from 6 a.m. local time.
• Cyber Monday, November 30 to December 2: online from 12:01 a.m. ET.
• Thanksgiving: Walmart said on October 7, 2026 that its stores will be closed again on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Walmart has not published separate opening hours for Black Friday itself.

Target

Target said on October 21, 2026 that it will post a new Deal of the Day from November 1 through December 24. Its early Black Friday deals run November 5 to 7, followed by limited-time offers every weekend. The release did not mention Thanksgiving or Black Friday store hours.

Best Buy

Best Buy's holiday preview of September 14, 2026 said only that "Savings start in October." It gave no Black Friday dates and no holiday hours.

Amazon

Amazon's autumn sale, Prime Big Deal Days, ran October 6 to 7, 2026, from 12:01 a.m. PDT (3:01 a.m. EDT) in 22 countries including the US and UK, Amazon said. Its Black Friday dates are still to come.

Costco

Costco directs members to each warehouse page for hours and upcoming holiday closures. The pages we checked on October 26 showed regular hours only, with no Thanksgiving or Black Friday entries yet.

UK retailers

No major UK chain had posted 2026 Black Friday dates on its own site by October 26. Argos says only that the countdown is on and that deals will appear in the run-up. Amazon UK announced last year's dates on November 13, 2025, so a mid-November announcement would fit the pattern, but that is not confirmed.

How much will shoppers spend?

The main forecasters measure different things, so their numbers cannot be compared directly.

• NRF, October 15, 2026: the NRF forecast calls for November and December retail sales to rise 4.2% from 2025 to about $1.013 trillion. It counts stores and online but leaves out car dealers, gas stations and restaurants. NRF puts 2025 sales at $972 billion, up 3.1%, and expects 325,000 to 375,000 seasonal hires.
• Adobe, September 28, 2026: Adobe Digital Insights expects US online spending of $275.1 billion from November 1 to December 31, up 6.7%. It forecasts $12.9 billion online on Black Friday (up 9.2%), $6.9 billion on Thanksgiving Day and $47.5 billion across Cyber Week, the five days from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday.
• Salesforce, July 20, 2026: the Salesforce 2026 predictions give no dollar total yet. They forecast that AI chat agents will drive 20% of holiday e-commerce traffic and that retailers will spend an extra $3 billion worldwide subsidising free shipping.

Adobe also expects average discounts to peak at up to 30% off list prices during Cyber Week, after reaching up to 14% in early November and up to 21% just before Thanksgiving. Those are category averages from its data, not specific offers.

Black Friday online spending by year

Adobe's year-end reports show steady growth with one dip. US shoppers spent $9.0 billion online on Black Friday 2020, according to Adobe's 2020 recap. That slipped to $8.9 billion in 2021, when early October deals spread spending out, Adobe reported. It then climbed to $9.12 billion in 2022, $9.8 billion in 2023, $10.8 billion in 2024 and a record $11.8 billion in 2025.

Black Friday has grown faster than Cyber Monday for two seasons running, although Cyber Monday is still the bigger online day. In stores, Black Friday remains the busiest day: the NRF counted 80.3 million in-store and 85.7 million online Black Friday shoppers in 2025, within a record 202.9 million over the five-day weekend.

How to shop safely

Official agencies on both sides of the Atlantic give similar advice. This is general information, not personal financial advice.

• Pay by credit card where you can. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says credit cards offer the strongest protection and let you dispute charges for items that never arrive. The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) notes many credit card purchases are covered by the Consumer Credit Act.
• Refuse risky payment methods. The FTC warns against sellers who insist on gift cards, wire transfers, payment apps or cryptocurrency. The NCSC says never to pay by direct bank transfer.
• Check the seller first. Search the shop's name with words such as "scam" or "complaint". The FTC points out that "https" means a site is encrypted, not that it is genuine.
• Do not click deal links blindly. The UK police service Report Fraud warns that offer emails and texts can lead to fake sites; go to the retailer's site yourself instead.
• Secure your accounts. Use a strong, unique password for your email and turn on two-factor authentication, Report Fraud advises.
• Keep records. Save order confirmations and check them against your statements, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) suggests.

US shoppers can report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, report to Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040 (the old Action Fraud web address now redirects there) and contact your bank straight away.

What to watch for

• Amazon's Black Friday dates. Last year Amazon announced them on November 9 in the US and November 13 in the UK.
• Black Friday opening hours. No major chain has yet published store hours for November 27.
• Thanksgiving closures. Walmart has confirmed it will close; Target, Best Buy and Costco had not posted 2026 holiday hours on the pages we checked.
• UK start dates. Argos, Currys, John Lewis and Amazon UK have not announced theirs.
• Actual results. Adobe and NRF publish their first Black Friday figures within days; Adobe released its 2025 Cyber Week recap on December 2, 2025.

Planning for the following Monday? Read our Cyber Monday 2026 guide, and if you are sending gifts, check the Christmas 2026 shipping deadlines.

Frequently asked questions

What date is Black Friday 2026?

Black Friday 2026 is Friday, November 27, 2026, the day after Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26. UK retailers mark Black Friday on the same date, and Cyber Monday follows on November 30.

When do Black Friday 2026 sales start?

Many start well before November 27. As of October 26, 2026, Target has announced early Black Friday deals on November 5 to 7, and Walmart's Early Black Friday Deals run November 12 to 15, starting online at 12:01 a.m. ET. Amazon has not yet announced its 2026 dates.

Is Walmart open on Thanksgiving 2026?

No. Walmart said on October 7, 2026, that its stores will be closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Its Black Friday Deals event begins in stores at 6 a.m. local time on November 23.

How much will people spend on Black Friday 2026?

Adobe forecasts $12.9 billion in US online spending on Black Friday, up 9.2% from 2025. NRF expects total November and December retail sales of about $1.013 trillion, up 4.2%. These are forecasts and the actual figures will be published after the event.

What is the safest way to pay on Black Friday?

The FTC and the UK's NCSC both recommend paying by credit card where possible, because it offers stronger protection if an item never arrives. Avoid sellers who demand gift cards, wire or bank transfers, payment apps or cryptocurrency.

Sources

1. Federal Holidays, US Office of Personnel Management
2. Walmart Unwraps Three Major Holiday Shopping Events, Bringing Big Savings on Gifts and Seasonal Favorites, Walmart
3. New Ways to Shop, Holiday Traditions to Keep: Walmart is Ready for the Season, Walmart
4. Target Makes it Easier for Guests to Discover Stylish Holiday Gifts They Can't Wait to Give, Target
5. Best Buy brings more savings, hands-on tech experiences and ways to shop this holiday season, Best Buy
6. Prime Big Deal Days is back October 6-7: Here's what to expect, Amazon
7. It's the Season for Savings: Amazon's Black Friday Week and Cyber Monday Deal Events (2025), Amazon
8. Amazon's Black Friday Week Offers Deep Discounts from 20 November until 1 December (2025), Amazon UK
9. Find a Warehouse (hours and holiday closures), Costco
10. Black Friday Deals 2026, Argos
11. NRF Forecasts 2026 Holiday Sales Growth as Consumers Remain Resilient, National Retail Federation
12. Affordability Shapes Winter Holiday Shopping, According to NRF Holiday Survey, National Retail Federation
13. Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend Draws a Record 203 Million Shoppers, National Retail Federation
14. Adobe: U.S. Holiday Shopping Season to Hit Record $275.1 Billion Online, Rising 6.7% YoY, Adobe
15. Adobe: Cyber Monday Hits Record $14.25 Billion in Online Spending, Adobe
16. Cyber Monday Hits Record $13.3 Billion in Online Spending with Majority of Sales Driven by Mobile, Adobe
17. Cyber Monday Surges to $12.4 Billion in Online Spending, Breaking E-Commerce Record, Adobe
18. Adobe: Cyber Monday Drove $11.3 Billion in Online Spending, Breaking E-Commerce Record, Adobe
19. Adobe: Consumers spent $10.7 billion on Cyber Monday, $109.8 billion so far this holiday season, Adobe
20. A record-breaking Cyber Week 2020: Online shopping steals the show, Adobe
21. 2026 Holiday Predictions: A Unified Yet Fractured Journey, Salesforce
22. Online Shopping, Federal Trade Commission
23. Shopping Safely Online, CISA
24. Online shopping fraud, Report Fraud (City of London Police)
25. Shopping and paying safely online, National Cyber Security Centre

How we wrote this

GessyMorgan explainers are built from public reporting and official sources. This post draws on the 25 sources listed above, each linked where we use it. It was drafted with AI assistance and checked against those sources before publishing. We did not test products, attend events or interview anyone for this article. Facts are current as of October 26, 2026, and we update the post when they change.