Black Friday 2026 falls on Friday, November 27, but the biggest sales are set to start well before it. Walmart, Best Buy and Target have already dated their early events, while Amazon and Costco have not yet said when their Black Friday deals begin.
If you only plan to shop once, circle Monday, November 23 through Saturday, November 28. Walmart's main Black Friday event and Best Buy's 10-day doorbuster run are both live during those six days, and Cyber Monday follows on November 30.
The earlier windows still matter, because each retailer has staggered its events, and one adds a price guarantee that takes much of the risk out of buying early.
Walmart Black Friday 2026 dates and the Walmart+ head start
Walmart has the most complete schedule, with three holiday events announced on October 26. Early Black Friday Deals run Thursday, November 12 through Sunday, November 15, opening on Walmart.com at 12:01 a.m. ET and in stores at 6 a.m. local time.
The main Black Friday Deals event runs November 23 to 29, but stores do not join until Friday, November 27 at 6 a.m. local time, so the first four days happen on Walmart.com. Cyber Monday deals then run online from November 30 through Wednesday, December 2.
Membership buys a head start. At 12:01 a.m. ET on November 12, and again on November 23, Walmart+ members get first access to hot Deal drops, and whatever is left opens to everyone 24 hours later. Select online-only deals are also reserved for members for their first 24 hours, while supplies last.
A Walmart+ and Sam's Club Plus bundle now costs $120 a year. Walmart stores will be closed on Thanksgiving, and Walmart has not announced a price-adjustment promise for these events, so treat each one as its own deal.
Best Buy Black Friday starts November 19, backed by a price match
Best Buy's Black Friday Doorbusters and Deals start Thursday, November 19 and run for 10 days, through Saturday, November 28, according to its holiday calendar. The run opens on the same day Grand Theft Auto VI launches.
The season there is already under way. DoorBOOsters opened on October 30, and Early Black Friday Deals and Doorbusters arrive Friday, November 6, with new drops every Friday. A Cyber Sunday and Monday sale covers November 29 and 30, and Cyber Week deals run December 1 to 6.
The real reason to shop Best Buy early is its Holiday Price Match Guarantee. Most products bought between October 30 and December 31 can be price matched through January 15, so an early purchase can be adjusted if Best Buy cuts the same item later. It covers Best Buy's own prices, not a rival's, and excludes Marketplace sellers.
That safety net is most useful on TVs and laptops, where Best Buy has already run one-day OLED TV deals this fall. My Best Buy Plus and Total members also earn double rewards, 2% back in points, from November 19 to December 6. Stores close on Thanksgiving Day, though the app and BestBuy.com stay open.
Target's early Black Friday sale runs November 5 to 7
Target has the nearest date on the calendar. Its Early Black Friday sale runs Thursday, November 5 through Saturday, November 7, followed by new limited-time offers every weekend, according to its October 21 holiday announcement.
A daily Deal of the Day also runs through December 24.
Target has not dated its Black Friday week, or said what Target Circle members get early. Last year, it announced that week on November 20, 2025, three days before it opened on Sunday, November 23. Target Circle 360 members got early access to select deals that year.
Amazon and Costco have not set Black Friday 2026 dates yet
Amazon has confirmed only the calendar. Its Black Friday FAQ, published October 30, points shoppers to early deals in its Holiday Shop, including early laptop discounts, without naming a start date for the main event.
Last year's notice was short. The 2025 Black Friday Week was announced on Monday, November 10, ten days before it began on Thursday, November 20 at 12:01 a.m. PST, and it ran through December 1.
Prime, at $14.99 a month or $139 a year, is getting a push as well, though Amazon has not said which deals, if any, will be members-only. The Price History button on a product page shows up to 365 days of pricing, the quickest check on whether a Black Friday price beats October's.
Costco has not announced Black Friday dates yet.
When to shop Black Friday 2026, and at which retailer
This week belongs to Target and Best Buy. Target's three-day sale opens Thursday, and Best Buy's early doorbusters arrive Friday, backed by the price match.
Walmart+ members chasing the season's most-wanted toys should be online at 12:01 a.m. ET on November 12 and November 23. Everyone else gets the leftovers a day later.
For one big shopping push, November 23 to 28 puts Walmart and Best Buy on sale together. Thanksgiving is a day for shopping from the couch, with both chains' stores closed.
Amazon, Target and Costco still have to name their dates. Last year, Amazon gave ten days' notice and Target gave three, so the rest of the calendar could fill in at short notice.
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