Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2020: The Ultimate Shopping Guide
Due to the pandemic, online holiday shopping will surge, and with it, huge price inflations before so-called sales, according to money expert Andrea Woroch.
Smart shoppers should track prices using tools like Droplist, stack coupons with Honey, and monitor price adjustments at participating retailers that will match the lowest price...even after you purchase.
Big box retailers like Sears and Walmart are offering Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales earlier than ever before, taking place now.
For more sales, from Rue21 to Dermstore and beyond, check out our list below.
Forget doorbusters or the annual rush to the mall before Thanksgiving dinner has even had time to digest. This year, these would-be superspreader events are being replaced by online holiday sales that stretch over the course of a month or more — many of them starting now. It’s something that lends itself to less frenzied, more thoughtful purchasing. But according to money-saving expert Andrea Woroch, the migration of holiday sales to primarily online platforms is also something that will create the need for even more strategic buying.
SHOP: EARLY BLACK FRIDAY DEALS START NOW
“Expect the competition to be even heavier this year — I expect pricing to be all over the place, as stores race to the bottom to capture sales,” she says. “Spending the time to shop around will be key to snagging the best deal. But also, keep your budget on top of mind, since it’s easy to give into temptations.”
To score the very best deals online this season, Woroch suggests getting a lay of the land before holiday sales get into full swing. “Stores inflate the original price to make that holiday discount look like a better value,” Woroch points out. “Do your homework and start researching prices now on the items you want to buy during these holiday sales. This way, you know when a good deal is sitting in front of you.”
Of course, anyone who has scoured the corners of the internet knows the kind of time it takes to comparison shop. That’s why Honey has done some of the legwork for you with our price-tracker tool, called Droplist. Adding items on your holiday list to your Droplist will prompt Honey to send you email alerts whenever it detects a price decrease. It’s a cool little hack that means rarely missing a sale and ensures the best time to pull the trigger on a purchase.
There’s more to getting the very best deal than finding the lowest posted price. That’s where Woroch’s next tip comes in. “Always look for coupons since some stores will allow you to stack additional savings on their Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals,” she says. “For instance, Kohl's and JCPenney are two retailers that usually let you apply coupons on sales.” To make sure you’re using all coupon codes available at checkout, make sure the Honey browser extension is installed on your computer. The tool searches for coupons and discount codes at 40,000+ retailer sites in a matter of seconds so you don’t have to log time inputting a series of coupon codes to save a few bucks.
Even the most well-research purchases aren’t exempt from further markdowns made after you’ve checked out. That’s why Woroch suggests keeping an eye on prices, even after you buy. “[Some stores] promise the best price during all their Black Friday sales, including the current early-bird sales happening now through Cyber Monday,” she says. “That means, if something you buy that is promoted as a Black Friday sale goes on sale afterwards for an even lower price, you can request a price adjustment valid through Dec 24, 2020. Other retailers will be doing the same. Bottom line: Keep checking prices of items you bought using Honey’s Droplist so you know when to request that price adjustment.”
Walmart
America’s one-stop shop will close its doors on Thanksgiving this year for the first time. But that doesn’t mean it won’t offer plenty of deals. During the store’s Black Friday Deals for Days event, the store will run special events in the month of November, including savings on electronics, apparel and home items from November 11 to 14, 2020 and Nov. 25 to 27, 2020.
This self-charging smart vacuum is voice activated and connects over wifi for the ultimate in low-lift cleaning and is on sale for nearly half off.
SHOP: ionVac Robot Vacuum, $99.99, available at Walmart
Sears
Sears has been offering a streak of sales since Veterans Day. From up to 60% off select mattresses with code SWEETDREAMS to $50 off any washer-dryer pair (until Nov. 29) and more, the retailer's deals allow for one-stop holiday shopping.
Easy to clean, easy to blend, easy to impress, this NutriBullet model is lazy enough for those edging their way into healthy living and powerful enough for workout warriors who must need their daily smoothies.
SHOP: NutriBullet NB9-1501 9-Piece Pro 900 Series Blender System, $99.99, available at Sears
Apparel
Cosabella: Get up to 30% off sitewide from November 25, 2020 through November 30, 2020.
Journelle: Get up to 25% off sitewide with codes BLACKFRIDAY15, BLACKFRIDAY20, or BLACKFRIDAY25, from November 24, 2020 through November 29, 2020.
Los Angeles Trading Co.: Get 25% off sitewide from November 27, 2020 through November 30, 2020.
LifeStride: Get 30% off sitewide and free shipping from November 24, 2020 through December 1, 2020.
M.M. Lafleur: Get up to 70% off select styles through November 23, 2020
Rue21: Get 30% off sitewide with free shipping
Ryka: Get 25% off sitewide and free shipping from November 24, 2020 through December 1, 2020.
Accessories
Barner: Get 20% off sitewide, from November 27, 2020 through November 30, 2020
Kitsch: Get 30% off sitewide, from November 23, 2020 through November 30, 2020
Lulu Dharma: Get up to 70% off sitewide from November 27, 2020 through November 30, 2020.
Beauty
Briogeo: Get 20% off sitewide with code HOLIDAY, from November 23rd through November 30th
CTZN Cosmetics: Get 25% off any three products or more from November 25 through November 29 using code BUY3GET25 (custom kits excluded); Get 25% all NUDIVERSAL Lip Duos on November 30, 2020.
Dermstore: Get up to 30% on more than 200 brands with code SHARETHELOVE from November 24, 2020 through November 28, 2020
Herbivore Botanicals: Get 25% off sitewide with code HOLIDAY25, from November 24, 2020 through November 30, 2020
Holifrog: Get 25% off sitewide (excluding Holiday sets) with code FROG25, from November 24th through November 30th.
Malin+Goetz: On November 27, 2020, get $25, $50 and $75 gift cards with the purchase of more than $100, $150 and $200
Murad: Get 30% off sitewide with code CYBER30, from November 30, 2020 through December 6, 2020
Olaplex: Buy any two full size products and get a free Olaplex No. 6 Bond Smoother, from November 27, 2020 through November 30, 2020
Orly: Get 30% off sitewide from November 20, 2020 through November 23, 2020 and up to 70% off sitewide from November 27, 2020 through November 30, 2020.
Sara Happ: Get 30% off sitewide from Nov. 23, 2020 through November 30, 2020
Taos Aer: Get 20% off sitewide with code FRIENDS20 from November 16 though November 22, 2020.
Type A Deodorant: Get 20% off sitewide from November 23, 2020 through November 30, 2020
Home
Serta: Get $400 off iComfort CF1000 model mattress from November 18, 2020 through December 7, 2020
Tuft & Needle: Get 20% off sitewide from November 26, 2020 through November 30, 2020 and 10% off sitewide from December 1, 2020 through December 6, 2020
Yaya & Co: Get 30% off sitewide from November 27, 2020 through December 1, 2020