Black Friday is on the horizon, but when does it officially hit this year and how did the shopping event get its name?
Originally a US phenomenon, the Black Friday weekend has become a staple fixture on the UK calendar for quite some time now, and it tends to officially land on the last weekend of November for shoppers to get great bargains before Christmas.
The yearly sales event is one of the biggest and busiest days for shoppers, as multiple retailers such as Amazon, Curry's, John Lewis and much more, offer a wide range of deals and discounts on a variety of merchandise.
It is then usually followed by Cyber Monday, which is a purely online affair and tends to be the second biggest day for shopping following the Black Friday event.
This year's event will mark the return of in-store sales following last year's online-only affair due to the Covid-19 lockdown in the UK, and it's anticipated to be bigger than ever with shoppers flocking to make up for last year.
If you're looking to take advantage of any huge sales, then we have all the information on Black Friday 2021 - how it got its name, when does it officially begin and what deals are currently available.
How did Black Friday get its name?
A few reports vary on the official origins of the shopping extravaganza, but it has been said it officially began in the US following a financial crisis.
Reports have suggested the term originated as early as 1869, after two bankers bought a lot of gold expecting to make a huge profit in the hope that prices would drive up and they would become rich.
However, the gold market crashed and the term Black Friday was officially born from the crisis. It wasn't until after the 1950's that the term would become associated with the Friday after the US Thanksgiving holiday.
Due to a large group of tourists and shoppers arriving for the holiday season, police officers were unable to take any time off which led them to begin using the term 'Black Friday' to describe the busy day after Thanksgiving.
The term spread throughout the US and was widely used by American retailers to refer to the yearly sales on the Friday after Thanksgiving.
The Black Friday event became so synonymous and popular for American culture, that UK retailers introduced the sales on this side of the sea in 2010.
Today Black Friday is widely known to both Americans and Brits as one of the biggest and busiest days for shopping and it has even overtaken Boxing Day as the busiest shopping day of the year.
When is Black Friday 2021?
Technically, this year's Black Friday is supposed to officially land Friday, November 26, but eagle eyed shoppers will know that quite a few retailers have started offering deals and discounts from the beginning of November.
Boots officially kicked off this Black Friday 2021 with their early sale which went live on November 1, offering customers huge deals and discounts on skincare and beauty bundles and much more.
Since then, quite a few keen-bean retailers have followed in their example and began offering huge sales from this week leading shoppers to get a few bargains during the whole month of November.
Other retailers whose early Black Friday deals hit early this year includes Amazon, who are one of the biggest retailers to take place in the shopping event, and they are once again offering exciting deals on a whole range of products over 20 days in the run up to the main event.
Best early Black Friday Deals already available
With Boots kicking off the Black Friday event early this year, we have begun to see a few other major retailers begin to offer their early sales for shoppers.
While quite a few retailers are still keeping their Black Friday sales under wraps, below is a list of all the ones that are currently offering early deals for you to take advantage off before the official event lands in-stores.
Amazon - There are some major savings across a range of categories including toys, fashion, home appliances, kitchen and more. Shoppers are also able to save up to 45% on popular items such as the Echo and Kindle.
Very - There are savings across popular items including Shark Vacuums and big brands such as Apple and Samsung in Very's early Black Friday which landed early November.
Tesco Mobile - There are savings for Clubcard holders across a range of smartphones and SIM deals.
Boots - Their Black Friday sale includes up to more than half price off on a variety of products including beauty, skincare, fragrances and much more.
Superdrug - Black Friday deals are now available for members only, with huge discounts on electric toothbrushes, fragrances and skincare.
Currys - Curry's Black Tag event is offering a huge range of discounts on products including TVs, home appliances and coffee machines.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond. Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
