Black Friday is an annual sales event that takes place in November and it’s one that most UK retailers want to get involved in. This means the Black Friday 2022 sales will be a brilliant chance to save some money on a few early Christmas presents.
And demand for last year’s Black Friday was high. Reports by the Guardian suggest that last year’s Black Friday sales were the biggest yet in the UK, with shoppers spending one fifth more than in 2020. Barclaycard reported that payments were up 23 per cent between midnight and 5pm on Black Friday compared to 2020, as people took advantage of being able to shop on the high street post-lockdown.
So, with a few months to go, what should you be saving for this year? And when will the deals start? Here’s what we’re expecting from 2022’s Black Friday deals.
What is Black Friday?
To us, Black Friday signifies a huge sales event that takes place at the end of November and is one of the best chances all year to get discounts. This is because savings can be seen across most retailers and products.
The sales have traditionally started the day after Thanksgiving but, in the UK, it is now typical to see Black Friday deals as early as 1st November.
Black Friday began as an in-store only sale event, but most UK retailers now offer the same discounts online, too.
When is Black Friday 2022?
This year, Black Friday will take place on Friday 25th November 2022. Black Friday is always the Friday immediately after Thanksgiving, followed by Cyber Monday on 28th November 2022.
With Thanksgiving taking place on the fourth Thursday of November every year, Black Friday will always be at the end of the month, making it a prime opportunity to shop for Christmas.
Why is it called Black Friday?
There are two main theories as to how the phrase “Black Friday” was coined.
The first comes from the concept that businesses were operating at a financial loss up until “Black Friday”, the day after Thanksgiving. In other words, businesses were “in the red” until the massive sales take place, allowing them to turn a profit, and putting them “in the black” for the first time that year.
However, according to Britannica, the second explanation is more likely. In the early 1960s, police officers in Philadelphia started using the phrase “Black Friday” to describe the influx of tourists that would come into the city to start their Christmas shopping.
The crowds would mean longer shifts for many police officers due to an increase in traffic jams and crimes such as shoplifting.
What were the best UK Black Friday deals from last year?
Last year, some of the best deals were seen across home and kitchen appliances such as cordless vacuum cleaners and stand mixers. Appliances from premium brands such as Shark, Kenwood and KitchenAid were particularly popular and we saw discounts as high as 60 per cent off.
When it came to tech, the best discounts were found on smartwatches such as the Apple Watch SE and Fitbit Versa 3. For those looking for new ways to entertain themselves, there were also some great savings on Oculus Quest 2 (now Meta Quest 2) and Nintendo Switch bundles.
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