# When is Black Friday 2026? 27 November, and UK sale dates Black Friday 2026 is Friday 27 November and Cyber Monday is Monday 30 November. See when UK sales start, how to spot fake discounts and your returns rights. Black Friday 2026 falls on Friday 27 November in the UK, and Cyber Monday follows on Monday 30 November. Many shops start their deals well before the day, some at the start of November. Which? research found that most Black Friday deals are matched or beaten on price at other times of the year, so a deal is only worth taking if it passes a few quick checks. ## The date and how long it runs Black Friday is the day after US Thanksgiving, which lands on Thursday 26 November in 2026. [Which?](https://www.which.co.uk/news/black-friday/) confirms Friday 27 November, with the weekend running to Cyber Monday on 30 November. The single day is now a small part of the event. Which? notes that many retailers start discounting early in the month, which is why some people call it "Black November". Other retailers keep their offers to the Black Friday weekend only. You have weeks, not hours, to buy. ## When UK Black Friday sales start in 2026 The first big sales have started. [MoneySavingExpert reports](https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/black-friday-and-cyber-monday-alert-service/) that Currys and Boots began on 28 October, Argos on 30 October and Smyths on 3 November. Amazon announced on 10 November that its 2026 Black Friday Week and Cyber Monday sale runs from 19 November to 30 November. Expect more shops through November and a main push in the week before Friday 27 November. | Retailer | 2026 start (checked 10 Nov) | 2025 start (for reference) | | --- | --- | --- | | [Amazon UK](/blog/amazon-black-friday-2026-uk) | [19 to 30 November](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/amazon-black-friday-cyber-monday-deals-2026) (12 days, announced 10 Nov) | Black Friday Week from 20 November to 1 December; early essentials deals from 13 November | | [Currys](/blog/currys-black-friday-2026-uk) | [Black Friday sale](https://www.currys.co.uk/black-friday) started 28 October and is due to run to 1 December, reports MoneySavingExpert | 30 October (Currys press release) | | [Very](/blog/very-black-friday-2026-uk) | [Countdown page](https://www.very.co.uk/black-friday) to Black Friday 2026. No earlier start date given | 3 November to 1 December (Very's own page) | | LEGO (UK shop) | [Insiders Weekend 21 to 22 November; Black Friday event 27 to 30 November](https://www.lego.com/en-gb/black-friday-deals) | 28 November to 1 December | | [Argos](/blog/argos-black-friday-2026-uk) | Started 30 October, reports MoneySavingExpert | End of October, reports MoneySavingExpert | | Boots | Started 28 October, reports MoneySavingExpert | Not checked | | [Smyths](/blog/smyths-black-friday-2026-uk) | Started 3 November, reports MoneySavingExpert | Not checked | | [John Lewis](/blog/john-lewis-black-friday-2026-uk), [GAME](/blog/game-black-friday-2026-uk), [Pokémon Center UK](/blog/pokemon-center-black-friday-uk) | No start date published (checked 10 Nov) | Not checked | Retailers can change these dates at any time. The 2026 Amazon dates come from [About Amazon](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/amazon-black-friday-cyber-monday-deals-2026) and the 2025 dates from [Amazon UK's 2025 press release](https://press.aboutamazon.com/uk/news/retail/2025/11/its-the-season-for-savings-amazons-black-friday-week-offers-deep-discounts-on-customer-favourite-brands-from-20-november-until-1-december). The Currys, Very and Argos 2025 dates come from each retailer guide linked in the table. For Boots, Smyths and the rest, no single 2025 start date is confirmed. Check each shop's own Black Friday page, as dates change every year. ## Who takes part Most large UK retailers run some kind of Black Friday event. The eight retailers in Which?'s latest price tracking were Amazon, AO, Argos, Boots, Currys, John Lewis, Richer Sounds and Very, and all of them ran Black Friday deals. Which? also links to Black Friday pages from Apple, Samsung and Dyson. Each shop sets its own dates and rules, so check its own page. Offers change every year, and this guide was last checked on 10 November 2026. ## Is Black Friday worth it? Black Friday is worth it for something you already planned to buy, if you check the price first. It is a poor reason to buy something you had not thought about. Which? has tracked this for years: - In 2020 it followed 201 deals at six retailers. 99.5% were the same price or cheaper at other times of the year, and only one product was at its cheapest on Black Friday alone. - In 2023 it followed 227 deals. 92% were the same price or cheaper at other times, and around 40% were cheaper. - In its Black Friday 2024 analysis of 175 home, tech and health products, it found no deals at their cheapest price of the year on Black Friday. 35% were cheaper after the sale period. These are separate studies with different products and retailers, so treat the figures as a pattern rather than a precise rate. The pattern holds: the sale price can be a good price, but it is rarely the lowest one. ## How to tell a real discount from a fake one A real discount compares the sale price with a price the shop really charged. A fake one compares it with a price that was only on the shelf for show. Which?'s 2023 research found that for six in 10 deals, the "was" price applied for less than half the time the product was on sale in the previous year. For 14 deals, the "was" price was one the retailer had not charged at all in the previous 12 months. So a big "save 40%" badge tells you very little. Check these instead: - **The "was" price.** Is it the recommended retail price, a price the shop charged last week, or a price from last year? An RRP that nobody sells at is a weak comparison. Which? found two Oral-B toothbrushes at Boots that sat at or below their Black Friday price for over 96% of the year, despite "save" claims against the RRP. - **The time limit.** Countdown timers and "only 3 left" labels are designed to rush you. Which? advises you not to let yourself feel rushed. - **The seller.** On marketplaces, check who sells and ships the item, and be wary of counterfeits. UK law bans misleading price claims. The [CMA's guidance on unfair commercial practices](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/unfair-commercial-practices-cma207/unfair-commercial-practices) on gov.uk includes an example of a discount claim that is technically true but still misleads shoppers. Your own check is faster than enforcement. ## Check the price history first Price history shows what an item really cost last month, last spring and last Black Friday. Which? suggests using a price tracker, and some trackers cover Amazon listings only. You can also add the item to a retailer wish list or sign up to its newsletter, which can show price drops. Start now, not in the last week of November. A product you watch from October shows whether the Black Friday price is a genuine low. Some retailers also make price promises. For Black Friday 2025, Which? listed an AO price match, the Argos Price Guarantee, a Richer Sounds price beat, John Lewis Never Knowingly Undersold and a Currys "Our Lowest Ever Price" pledge. Check whether each one still applies this year. Our guide to [UK shops that price match](/blog/uk-shops-that-price-match) covers how these schemes work. ## Your returns rights on online orders If you buy online, by phone or by mail order, you can cancel for a limited time even when the item is not faulty. [GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/accepting-returns-and-giving-refunds) says you must tell the trader within 14 days of receiving the item, and you then have another 14 days to send it back. You do not need to give a reason. The trader must refund you within 14 days of getting the item back. It cannot deduct fees unless the item has been used or damaged, and it must refund standard delivery costs. The same page lists exceptions, including personalised items, perishables and sealed hygiene products. This right comes from the Consumer Contracts Regulations. Keep your order confirmation and note the day the parcel arrived. ## Why price errors and clearance can beat Black Friday The lowest prices of the year have little to do with the sales calendar. They come from clearance runs, end-of-line markdowns and pricing mistakes, and these can land at any time. Which? found no deal at its lowest price of the year on Black Friday 2024, and that fits what clearance does. Stock a shop wants to clear gets cut hard, whatever the date. A price error is a listing priced far below what the retailer meant, and it can appear on a Tuesday in March. Our guide to [price errors in UK retail](/blog/price-errors-uk) explains how they happen and what happens if a shop cancels your order. Clearance is worth watching at specific shops. See our guides to [Argos clearance](/blog/argos-clearance-uk) and [TK Maxx clearance](/blog/tk-maxx-clearance-uk) for how those markdowns work. ## Common questions ### When is Black Friday 2026 in the UK? Black Friday 2026 is on Friday 27 November. Cyber Monday is on Monday 30 November. Many retailers start their deals earlier in November. For Amazon's own event, see [Amazon Black Friday 2026](/blog/amazon-black-friday-2026-uk), and for the next big sale, [Boxing Day sales 2026](/blog/boxing-day-sales-2026-uk). ### When is Cyber Monday 2026? Cyber Monday 2026 is on Monday 30 November, three days after Black Friday on Friday 27 November. ### When do Black Friday sales start in the UK? Some UK shops have already started: Currys and Boots on 28 October, Argos on 30 October and Smyths on 3 November, reports MoneySavingExpert. Amazon's 12-day Black Friday Week and Cyber Monday event runs from 19 November to 30 November 2026. LEGO's UK shop runs its event from 27 to 30 November, with an Insiders Weekend on 21 and 22 November. John Lewis had not published a 2026 start date when checked on 10 November. ### Is Black Friday worth it in the UK? It is worth it for items you already planned to buy, when you have checked the price history. Which? has found for several years that most Black Friday deals are matched or beaten at other times of the year. Waiting is not always better, but you lose little by checking first. ### How do I spot a fake Black Friday deal? Look at the "was" price and ask how long the shop really charged it. Compare the sale price with a price history tool. Ignore countdown timers, which exist to make you decide fast. ### Can I return something I bought on Black Friday? For online, phone and mail-order purchases, yes. GOV.UK says you can cancel within 14 days of receiving the item, then send it back within a further 14 days. The shop must refund you within 14 days of receiving the item back. ## Where this fits Black Friday is one sale among many. To buy at a real low, you need to hear about it when the price drops. [SAVR](/savr/) alerts you when a UK retailer cuts a price far enough to matter, including clearance and pricing mistakes, whatever the date. Each big retailer has its own guide: [Argos](/blog/argos-black-friday-2026-uk), [Currys](/blog/currys-black-friday-2026-uk), [John Lewis](/blog/john-lewis-black-friday-2026-uk), [Smyths](/blog/smyths-black-friday-2026-uk), [Very](/blog/very-black-friday-2026-uk) and [GAME](/blog/game-black-friday-2026-uk). [Does TK Maxx do Black Friday?](/blog/tk-maxx-black-friday-uk) has the answer. For the Monday after, read [Cyber Monday 2026](/blog/cyber-monday-2026-uk). Three big shops have already started, see [Argos, Currys and Smyths Black Friday sales have started](/news/black-friday-sales-started-uk-2026). For LEGO and Pokémon cards in particular, see [LEGO Black Friday 2026](/blog/lego-black-friday-uk) and [Pokémon cards at Black Friday](/blog/pokemon-cards-black-friday-uk). For consoles, see [Nintendo Switch 2 Black Friday](/blog/nintendo-switch-2-black-friday-uk). If you plan to buy stock to sell, read [Black Friday reselling in the UK](/blog/black-friday-reselling-uk) and [Christmas reselling in the UK](/blog/christmas-reselling-uk). For returned and open-box stock at lower prices, see [Amazon Resale in the UK](/blog/amazon-resale-uk).