In a few short weeks, the world's biggest shopping event is set to return for another year. Over 96 bargain-filled hours, hundreds of retailers will be slashing their prices by up to 90% with some big-ticket items going for a fraction of their RRP. Here's everything you need to know, including the best sites to bookmark, online shopping tips and the dates to mark in your calendar.
What is Black Friday?
Black Friday is the biggest shopping events on the US calendar, with retailers offering huge, unheard-of discounts on thousands of consumer products. Over the past few years, Aussie retailers have been getting in on the action too - so expect to see plenty of deals from Myer, Big W, Target, Kmart. Australia's online merchants will also be embracing Black Friday, including Amazon, eBay, Catch and scores of lesser known e-stores.
When is Black Friday in Australia?
Black Friday officially takes place on the Friday after the US Thanksgiving holiday. In 2019, the date to mark in your calendar is November 29. However, as we have previously noted, the actual sales period is a lot looser, with many retailers releasing deals in advance and/or extending their discounts well into the following week. (There's also the similar 'Cyber Monday' event on 2 Decemeber, which is specifically geared towards online-only deals.)
In other words, you can expect plenty of bargains between November 26 and October 3 with the bulk of deals appearing on the aforementioned Friday and Monday. Also note that the US is a day behind us, which means their Black Friday lands on our Saturday - so keep an eye out for US deals that provide international shipping.
What sort of deals can we expect?
There's always an element of hyperbole attached to Black Friday, especially in the mainstream press. You should therefore take all those hysterical news reports about $5 large-screen TVs with grain of salt.
With that said, there are always plenty of bargains on offer if you use judicious timing and know where to look. For example, it is likely Amazon and eBay will be running members-only flash sales on popular tech products. So you need to be prepared and you need to be fast.
In the olden days, Black Friday was the big day for holiday shopping. You got up early, drove to a participating store, and got in line just like everyone else who wanted to get a good price on a new TV, frying pan, or popular kids’ toy of that moment. But as we’ve grown more accustomed to shopping online, the Black Friday ‘one day only’ shopping deals have slowly and steadily expanded.
Black Friday sites to bookmark
Pretty much every Australian retailer with an online store will be running some kind of Black Friday promotion. With that said, there are always a few heavy hitters that tend to provide the lion's share of killer bargains. Here are a few sites to keep a close eye on.
Amazon Black Friday deals
In America, Amazon accounts for more than 50 per cent of all Black Friday sales and its swiftly taking over in Australia too. Just like last year, there will be tens of thousands of deals available, spanning video games, fashion and beauty, electronics books and everything in between. You can find more information .
Attention online shoppers! Amazon is throwing its first Black Friday event in Australia tonight, with tens of thousands of bargains appearing at the stroke of midnight. Here's everything you need to know about Amazon's Black Friday sale: including a sneak peak at some of the deals on offer.
eBay Black Friday deals
Alongside Amazon, eBay will have one of the biggest Black Friday sales in Australia. We're expecting some absolutely killer bargains as eBay's major partners look to beat last year's deals. For those who missed it, that included 50% off board games, up to 40% off big-brand TVs, 60% off bestselling video games and ultra-cheap fashion and footwear.
Catch Black Friday deals
Catch is always a good place to pick up a Black Friday bargain and 2019 should be no exception. If it's anything like last year, Catch's Black Friday deals should include Dyson vacuums, Google Home Minis, myriad fitness tracker and big brand sneakers.
Traditional retailers
As mentioned above, Australia's brick-and-mortar retailers will also be embracing Black Friday this year. You can expect to see big discounts from most of the old guard, including Harvey Norman, Big W, JB Hi-Fi, Target, The Good Guys, Myer, Kmart and various speciality stores like EB Games and Bunnings. If you'd prefer not to brave the crowds, most of the above merchants will also be running online sales. In fact, some have jumped the gun already.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the biggest shopping events on the US calendar, with retailers offering discounts of up to 90 percent on big ticket items. If you're stuck here in Australia, there's no reason why you need to miss out on the action. Here are seven online shopping tips for Black Friday and Cyber Monday bargain hunters.
