Retailers including Argos, Currys and Very are preparing to offer customers sensational discounts on items ranging from iPhones to designer clothes as part of their Black Friday events.
Beginning at midnight on Friday 27 November and continuing until Cyber Monday on 30 November, this weekend is the perfect opportunity to grab incredible bargains on gizmos, gadgets, and essential home appliances.
Last year's record beating Black Friday might not be repeated, however, as big-player Asda announced it will not take part in this year's event following hectic scenes at its stores last year.
Beat the crowds to the best bargains...
Argos deals
Argos has released details of its Black Friday deals, including:
- Philips Bluetooth Headphones, at £29, saving £70
- Toshiba 48” 4K Smart TV, at £479.00, saving £220
- Hitachi 40” DVD Combi TV, at £229.99, saving £115
- iPhone Refurb (4S) White, at £99.95, saving £100
- Samsung Galaxy 'Flagship' S5 – Black / White, at £269.95, £60.00 off
- TomTom Go50 5” West EU Sat Nav with Traffic, at £99.99, £60.00 off
- Philips 40" 4K UltraHD FreeviewHD Smart Android TV, at £379, £220 off
- Philips 50" 4K UltraHD FreeviewHD Smart Android TV, at £529, £270 off
- Philips 55" 4K UltraHD FreeviewHD Smart Android TV, at £649, £350 off
Its site opens at midnight, the store expects to top the 660,000 visits made in the first hour last year. Physical opening times can be found here.
Very.co.uk deals
Very.co.uk has a range of deals across departments, including games consoles, televisions and toys. Before Black Friday, the site had a huge variety of discounts in place - and these look set to continue across the weekend. On Thursday, the site had offers such as:
- Samsung 40inch smart TV, at £499, down from £829
- Remington Wet Tech AQ-7 Shaver, at £50, down from £100
- LEGO Speed Champions F14 T, at £70, down from £80
Currys PC World deals
PC World and Currys will open its doors an hour early at 8am on Black Friday itself. The retailer has confirmed to The Huffington Post UK that the chain will be celebrating Black Friday not just on the Friday but over the entire weekend as well so don't panic if you can't get out of work on the Friday.
The company is in fact expecting such a surge of activity that you can actually register your interest now via the Currys website so you can get the latest information on deals as and when they appear.
Other stores' opening times
ASDA
Following hectic scenes at branches of the Walmart-owned retailer last year, Asda has announced it will not take part in this year's shopping bonanza, saying "shopper fatigue" has set in.
The supermarket said shoppers were no longer as interested in "flash sales on big-ticket, non-essential items at Christmas". The move comes one year after shoppers were said to be acting like "animals" in "war-zone"-like scenes. Previously, the store opened at 8am on Friday and added a whole extra day.
SAINSBURY'S
Sainsbury's usually dedicates a special section in its stores to Black Friday deals, with in-store only offers this year. The supermarket has a geolocator tool on its website so that you can find shops near you taking part in Black Friday. Main, front-of-store deals on electrical household items will run from the 27th until the 29th, while stocks last. Additional non-food deals will be available from the 25th November until 1 December.
JOHN LEWIS
The Oxford Street shop will open an hour and a half early at 8.30am, and stay open late until 10pm. Any additional opening hours for other shops will be announced online. The store is promising to stand by its commitment to being Never Knowingly Undersold with its Black Friday web page.
GAME
GAME has a series of Black Friday 'countdown deals' online already, and will kick off still more deals at midnight on Thursday. It has a detailed guide to Black Friday opening times for individual stores on its website.
CURRYS PC WORLD
Currys PC World is expecting such a surge of interest on Black Friday it's inviting customers to register their interest weeks in advance. An online queueing system is in place and if you leave, you'll lose your place. Shoppers planning to visit stores on the day can reserve items online, and are reminded to get there early and to "bring plenty of coffee to keep you awake before the doors open." Shop opening times vary and can be found on the Black Friday Currys site.
ARGOS
Argos recommends registering for an online account ahead of the big day and advises that 3am-4am is the quietest and thus optimum time to snap up deals and beat the cyber rush. Physical opening times can be found here.
B&Q
The home improvement retailer is expected to offer in-store-online deals from Friday morning, and online from midnight, but hasn't revealed any early opening times. Shoppers are encouraged to browse online ahead of the day.
AMAZON
Amazon is promoting a series of Lightning Deals in the run-up to Black Friday. The deals are live for a limited period only and can be accessed through the website's Today's Deals section, by following the online store's social media accounts and signing up for deals emails. Shoppers can also install a mobile app for easy access and advance warnings.
APPLE
There's no news yet of just when Apple plans to start its Black Friday sales, but last year deals started at one minute past midnight and if the store follows the 2014 pattern, they'll continue until one minute to midnight 24-hours later, both online and in store.
B&M
B&M has been revealing products in its Black Friday sales from 23 November and sales are set to continue through until the 30th. Closing times will vary depending on which shop you visit, so check your local information.
BOOTS
Boots is taking part in Black Friday, though shoppers are advised to check the website for extended opening times and special deals.
HALFORDS
Halfords will open its event at midnight on Friday online, and will operate standard opening times at its physical stores. Sales of bikes are expected to be strong, and the retailer is advising customers to be prepared ahead of the event.
HOMEBASE
Homebase and Habitat kicked off Black Friday early by launching a 25% off sale on selected items on Thursday. It will continue a broader sale, beginning Friday and lasting until Monday 30 November.
MATALAN
Matalan will continue its half-price sale week, adding new lines on Black Friday. All its deals will end on Sunday 29 November, though, so shoppers are advised to get in early to bag those Christmas gifts and comfy winter clothes.
