Black Friday
Last updated: 1 week ago
Black Friday 2020 will mean discounts on popular Apple products. While Apple typically adds gift cards to select purchases, many third-party retailers will drop Apple prices to lure you into their stores. However, during the pandemic, you can expect Black Friday 2020 to offer earlier sales, with more of them taking place online.
● Falls on November 27
● Expect Apple Stores to include gift cards with select purchases
● Third-party retailers slash prices on Apple gear
● Pandemic means earlier sales and more of them online
Black Friday 2020 is approaching, and you may be wondering where to find the best Apple deals. Or perhaps you have questions about the shopping holiday or how the pandemic will affect this year's season. We're taking a look at what to expect from Apple deals, third-party retailers, and how this year will be different.
Apple Black Friday Deals
With Black Friday comes aggressive deals on computers and electronics, including Apple devices.
Historically, third-party retailers have offered steep instant discounts on a wide range of Apple products, from iPad to MacBook Pro, typically beating Apple Store promotions. In 2019, Apple itself issued gift cards valued at up to $200 with qualifying products, while Apple Authorized Resellers offered even bigger cash discounts on select items.
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Current savings
There are plenty of discounts going on right now ahead of Black Friday, with many promotions available exclusively for AppleInsider readers. Here are a few highlights:
Apple Price Trackers
Apple Black Friday FAQ
When is Black Friday?
Black Friday falls on November 27, 2020.
When does Black Friday start?
Although Black Friday officially starts on November 27, 2020, sales often start sooner with retailers launching pre-Black Friday deals as early as mid-October and online Black Friday deals going live on Thanksgiving Day.
Why is it called Black Friday?
The term Black Friday originally referred to the crash of the U.S. gold market on September 24, 1869.
However, in a shopping context, the name was used in Philadelphia in the 1950s. Philly police first used the term to describe the chaotic shopping day when they had to work long hours and weren't allowed to take the day off.
Philadelphia stores didn't like the term and tried to rebrand it as "Big Friday." Retailers tried a different form of rebranding in the 1980s, erroneously explaining that it was the day when businesses, previously operating at a loss throughout the year, got "back in black." Neither attempt at rewriting history caught on.
The name spread gradually. In the 80s, media coverage started to grow, and people nationwide began using the term more frequently. By the 90s, it increasingly became a household name for the day after Thanksgiving and kickoff to the holiday shopping season.
How will the COVID-19 pandemic affect this year?
During the pandemic, huge crowds cramming into stores would pose a significant health risk. Rather than risking superspreader events, retailers will focus more on online sales and earlier deals, with less emphasis on door-busting in-store sales.
In recent years, many big-box retailers had tried to get a head start by kicking off sales on afternoon or evening of Thanksgiving Day. But this year, Target, Best Buy, and Walmart have all announced they're going to close for Thanksgiving and give their employees the full day off.
Does Apple have Black Friday sales?
Apple does offer Black Friday deals, but historically the promotions have offered shoppers free Apple gift cards with select purchases instead of reduced Apple prices.
In 2019, Apple included gift cards ranging from $25 with the purchase of an Apple Watch Series 3 or AirPods up to a $200 gift card with select Mac purchases.
Apple resellers, instead, have shaved hundreds of dollars off Macs and iPads, beating Apple's own Black Friday deals.
Can I expect better Apple deals from other retailers?
Third-party retailers will typically give you the best Apple deals.
Significant savings on Apple products can bring in crowds, so retailers like Target, Walmart, and Best Buy often use deals on products like iPad, Apple Watch, and AirPods to drive customers into their stores. Their goal is for buyers to do the rest of their shopping there at the same time.
Look at historical data, in 2019, Target and Best Buy took $80 off the 10.2-inch iPad, while Best Buy also cut $100 off HomePod, and up to $300 off Apple Watch Series 4. Amazon slashed $200-300 off the 13-inch MacBook Pro.
When is the best time to shop for deals?
Physical and online vendors typically save their best deals for the day of Black Friday. However, to prevent unsafe crowds during the pandemic, stores are likely to offer aggressive deals in the days and weeks leading up to Black Friday.
Since stores will have a greater online emphasis in 2020, it may be wise to pounce as soon as you see a low price on something you want, regardless of the timing. The best deals on the most in-demand products may sell out quickly at popular retail outlets like Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and Target. Prime Day 2020 has also been delayed and will now fall on October 13 and 14, putting the sale closer to Black Friday than ever before.
Which retailers have the best Apple deals?
Until all the big stores have released their deals, there's no way to know for sure. Sale flyers frequently begin leaking in the preceding weeks.
Some of the most well-known retail outlets like Amazon, Target, Walmart, and Best Buy offer eye-catching Apple sales. If you have a membership, you can also keep an eye on warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam's Club. Other Apple Authorized Resellers like B&H Photo, Adorama, and Expercom frequently have steep discounts on Macs and other Apple gear, with many of the season's best deals available exclusively to AppleInsider readers.
AppleInsider will continue to track all the best sales from now until Black Friday, so be sure to check in regularly and bookmark this page to make sure you're first to see the best Apple Black Friday deals.
