Amazon, Best Buy, Dell, and Walmart protest calendars — here's why Black Friday started early this year

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Black Friday isn't until next week but that hasn't stopped retailers from rolling out deals.

Black Friday deal graphic featuring the logos of Amazon, Best Buy, Dell, and Walmart.
Amazon, Best Buy, Dell, and Walmart started Black Friday early in 2024. (Image credit: Future with assets from Amazon, Best Buy, Dell, and Walmart)

What you need to know

  • Several retailers already have Black Friday deals live despite the shopping event being next week on November 29, 2024.
  • Best Buy even says "Black Friday is here" already.
  • Traditionally, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving but since Thanksgiving is later than usual this year, retailers have been more aggressive with Black Friday.
  • It's common to see early Black Friday deals throughout November but retailers usually hold out on claiming Black Friday is here until the day after Thanksgiving.

It's not you, retailers appear to have ignored the calendar when it comes to Black Friday. The shopping event, which usually occurs the day after Thanksgiving, is a bit later in November than it was in recent years. The shift appears to have pushed sites such as Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart to move Black Friday forward or at least roll out deals ahead of Black Friday.

To be clear, this isn't the first year retailers have rolled out Black Friday deals before the "holiday." It's fairly normal to see "early Black Friday deals" and similar promotions as early as the beginning of November. But this year retailers appear to be more aggressive with store-wide deals and the number of early Black Friday discounts.

If you go to Best Buy's website, a large banner promotion reads "Black Friday is here" and Amazon's home page says "shop epic Black Friday deals." Walmart took a slightly different approach by advertising its Black Friday deals as beginning on November 25, which is a Monday. Even though the Walmart site says Black Friday deals are incoming next week, some early Black Friday deals are already live.

When is Black Friday this year?

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving but since Thanksgiving moves around on the calendar, Black Friday shifts as well. Thanksgiving is on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States, which means it can land as early as November 22 or as late as November 28. This year, Thanksgiving is as late as possible, which leaves retailers with a Black Friday on November 29, 2024 and a Cyber Monday on December 2, 2024. Those are almost an entire week later than recent Black Fridays and Cyber Mondays (Black Friday was on November 24 last year and in 2022).

"Why miss out on a week of deals?" appears to be the question retailers are asking in 2024. Rather than calling discounts early Black Friday deals, some stores are just saying Black Friday has already started despite it being November 22.

🎃The best early Black Friday deals🦃

Black Friday deals

It's debatable if an earlier Black Friday, even if artificially moved forward, is a good thing or a bad thing. Some will lament the expansion of a consumer-focused event and that it now overlaps Thanksgiving. Others are just happy to save money. My guess is many people have a mixture of feelings.

If you'd like to get some shopping done early, below are some of the best deals at Amazon, Best Buy, Dell, and Walmart.

Dell XPS 13 (9345)Was: $1,499.99Now: $999.99 at Best Buy
Dell's Copilot+ flagship

Dell XPS 13 (9345)
Was: $1,499.99
Now: $999.99 at Best Buy

"But the Dell XPS 13 (2024), equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite, is one of the best of this line thanks to its excellent performance and battery life. Much improved ventilation doesn't throttle the CPU, the display is phenomenal, and the build quality is leagues better than previous models." — Allisa James (TechRadar)

TechRadar review ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

✅Perfect for: Users who want awesome battery life, steady performance, and a beautiful 2.8K OLED display. Make sure Windows on ARM can run your desired apps.

❌Avoid if: You need a discrete GPU (check out the XPS 14/16) or don't want to fuss with the XPS 13's futuristic design with lattice-free keyboard, capacitive touch function buttons, and a hidden haptic touchpad.

Display: 13.4 inches, 2880x1800, OLED, 60Hz, 400 nits, anti-reflective. CPU: Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80). GPU: Qualcomm Adreno. RAM: 16GB LPDDR5x. SSD: 512GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe. AI PC: ✔️ Copilot+ PC: ✔️ Launch date: 2024.

👉See at: BestBuy.com

Return period: 15 days. Price match? Yes (Also applies within return period). Free shipping: $35 minimum. Membership: My Best Buy w/ free shipping, exclusive deals, 60-day return period, & expanded support.

💰Price check: $1,699.99 at Dell (32GB RAM)

🤩Alternative deal: Up to $500 off XPS 13 (9340) at Dell

Microsoft Xbox Elite Series 2 Wireless Controller Was: $179.00Now: $140.99 at Walmart
Xbox premium controller

Microsoft Xbox Elite Series 2 Wireless Controller 
Was: $179.00
Now: $140.99 at Walmart

💰Price check: $179.99 at Best Buy

"This represents the best of Xbox's engineering efforts, with careful attention paid to every aspect of its design, construction, and execution." — Jez Corden, Executive Editor of Windows Central

Windows Central review ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

✅Perfect for: Xbox players looking for a high-quality premium wireless controller with customizable buttons, a sturdy build, and a long battery.

❌Avoid if: You're looking for a more budget-friendly controller that's easy to clean and built to last for years or if you prefer using wired-only controllers.

Features: 40-hour battery life, thumbstick tension control key, Bluetooth, remappable buttons, hair trigger locks, and complimentary charger. Warranty: 90 days. Launch date: November 4, 2019.

👉See at: Walmart

Return period: 90 days (Walmart) / 30-days (Marketplace). Price match? Yes (Only in-store, only for Walmart online pricing). Free shipping: $35 minimum. Membership: Walmart Plus w/ free shipping & deliveries, exclusive deals & deal early access, & more.

Dell G16 Gaming (7630)Was: $1,499.99Now: $999.99 at Dell
NVIDIA RTX 4060 included

Dell G16 Gaming (7630)
Was: $1,499.99
Now: $999.99 at Dell

"At under $1,000, you won’t find a better gaming laptop than the Dell G16 (7630). Between its performance and jaw-dropping display, I fell in love." — Rami Tabari (LaptopMag)

LaptopMag review ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

✅Perfect for: Any gamers who want to enjoy their favorite titles on a 240Hz QHD+ display. The Core i9/RTX 4060 combo will handle any games out there.

❌Avoid if: You'd like a more compact gaming laptop or you prefer a stronger GPU to run higher in-game settings.

Display: 16 inches, 2560x1600, 240Hz, G-Sync, 100% DCI-P3. CPU: Intel Core i9-13900HX. GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4060 Laptop. RAM: 16GB DDR5. SSD: 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe. Launch date: 2024.

👉See at: Dell.com

Return period: January 15, 2024 or 30 days from invoice date. Price match: Yes. Free shipping: Yes. Black Friday price protection? Yes. Membership: Dell Rewards gets up to 3% back in rewards.

💰Price check: $1,490 at Amazon (Core i9/RTX 4070)

🤩Alternative deal: $650 off Dell G16 Gaming (7630) with RTX 4070

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K MaxWas: $59.99Now: $32.99 at Best Buy

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max
Was: $59.99
Now: $32.99 at Best Buy

👀Alternative deal: $32.99 at Amazon

✅Perfect for: People who want to try out Xbox games before committing to buying an Xbox Series X|S or Xbox gamers who play Xbox games via xCloud while traveling abroad or visiting friends who don't have an Xbox console.

❌Avoid if: You want a fully dedicated games console to play Xbox games offline at their highest resolution and framerate performance.

Max Resolution: 2160p (4K). Featured Streaming services: Xbox Cloud Gaming, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Max, Prime Video. Headphone/Headset Connectivity: Bluetooth. Voice Assistant Built-in: Amazon Alexa. Wireless Connectivity: Wi-Fi. Warranty: 1 Year Limited Warranty. Launch date: September 27, 2023

👉See at: Best Buy

Return period: 15 days. Price match? Yes (Also applies within return period). Free shipping: $35 minimum. Membership: My Best Buy w/ free shipping, exclusive deals, 60-day return period, & expanded support.

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Sean Endicott
Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He's covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean's journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.