The entire year was, to put it mildly, different, so we can expect nothing less for Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping sprees. Let’s hope it’s just this year, for the sake of those of us who love the craziness of crowds and in your face deals.

This November we will forget not only about crowds, but also stampedes, elbow fights, camping outside Walmarts, and squeezing through doors by hundreds. In our humble opinion, many of us won’t miss all those things even if they never come back, as long as deals are not affected. And we should find plenty of deals online!

These are just some things that will be ghosts of Black Friday past:

Shopping on Thanksgiving

Forget those years when you were eating your turkey fast and running away from your relatives to get to the stores online and in-person to score best pre-Black Friday deals on Thanksgiving Day itself. Many stores already announced that they will remain closed on the evening of November 26th. Target, Walmart, Kohl’s, Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond, Sam’s Club, and Dick’s Sporting Goods won’t open until Black Friday morning.

Many other retailers are expected to follow suite. For once retail employees will get to spend time with family and you won’t waste your hard earned dollars on useless stuff, unless it’s online, which is open all the time.

Lines

There will be no tents and no mile long lines in front of the stores come Black Friday morning. With current restrictions and closures in place, congregations of crowds won’t even be allowed, which is not a bad thing if you asked us.

Stampedes

We all have heard what happens at Walmarts and Best Buys across the country on Black Friday mornings, right? Discounts on major electronics and gifts for the first to enter customers often cause stampedes and even loss of life. Thanks to COVID-19, such things won’t be happening this year or so we hope, so that emergency personnel can get a break too.

Discounted bins

Social distance, remember? Bins of discounted cosmetics, toys, small gadgets, underwear, and shoes should not be allowed. If you find one, stay away or at least douse yourself with disinfectant of some kind.

Deals for in-store only

Even before corona hit, Black Friday was becoming bigger online than in person, so the pandemic only sped up the process. Many retailers, like Target, are gearing up for very busy online shopping days in November. There will be contactless pick up the same day, fast shipping, and even better deals online than in stores.

Here are some key details about the upcoming Black Friday that everybody should know:

• Black Friday this year is on November 27th and that’s going to be the day when you’ll definitely be able to score deals on everything.
• All retailers should be open on Black Friday and most will require face masks, so be ready for that.
• Amazon’s Prime Day was dangerously close to Black Friday this year, on October 13-14 and it jump started early holiday shopping of sorts. Amazon Holiday Dash is current discount period and it’ll last through Cyber Week. Not to be outdone, Walmart is launching its Walmart+ as an answer to Amazon’s online retail domination.
• Cyber Monday might not be what it once was simply because so many retailers are focusing on Black Friday sales online. That doesn’t mean that Cyber Monday won’t be big though.

Finally, check it out what’s in store for the biggest retailers this shopping season:

Best Buy

• Huge sales during an entire month of November
• November 16-17 early access to deals for members
• November 22 – almost all deals revealed
• November 26 – Thanksgiving deals at bestbuy.com
• November 27 – Black Friday shopping, some deals in-stores

• November 28 – Cyber Monday deals

Target

• Deals are going to happen the entire month of November with new discounts announced every Thursday

• Best deals will be on electronics, apparel, home, and accessories online and in-stores
• 14-day price match guarantee for all Black Friday deals, so you can safely shop in advance and still get the same deal as on Black Friday

Dell and Lenovo

Both retailers have already released some heavily discounted laptops, so you don’t have to wait until Black Friday to score the best price. Expect discounts from $200 to $800 on the most popular laptops this season.

TV deals

While TV deals are among some of the most coveted, be careful as so often the best discounts mean the worst quality.

If you want to get a TV on Black Friday, look for the best specs and not only for the lowest price.

JC Penney

JC Penney Deals are starting on November 1st and will cover kitchen appliances, apparel, and many items for home.

Walmart

• Black Friday Deals for Days will start on November 4th at 7pm
• A second deal marathon starts on November 11th

• Black Friday deals go live on November 25th at 7pm

Amazon

• Holiday Dash deals started on October 16th – discounts on fashion, toys, beauty, kitchen, and electronics.
• Even better deals to come mid-November

Home Depot

Sales will start on November 6th and will be extended to last through December 2nd.

Lowe’s

Cyber Steals sale has started on October 22nd and will last through December 2nd. There will be one-day only online deals on tools, lighting, small appliances, flooring, and more.

Macy’s

Black Friday preview sales will start November 16th – expect great things! See more Macy’s deals here.

Costco and Sam’s Club

Both retailers are rumored to be gearing for two sales during the month of November with higher discounts closer to Black Friday.