Early holiday deals blur the shopping calendar

Black Friday has effectively become a rolling tech sale this year, with major retailers pushing discounts long before the traditional weekend rush. A sprawling set of offers now covers everything from entry-level tablets to flagship phones, noise-cancelling headphones and premium TVs. Big platforms are advertising deep cuts on game consoles, smart speakers and robot vacuums, while also bundling streaming subscriptions or extended warranties to stand out in a crowded field. Shoppers are being urged to move quickly on short-lived “lightning” deals, but price trackers show that not every promotion is as unique as the banners suggest. For many households already under pressure from inflation, the challenge is separating genuinely good value from well-packaged hype.

The tech-heavy discount wave is also a test of how much demand is left after years of upgrade cycles driven by remote work and entertainment. Retailers are using aggressive markdowns on last year’s laptops and cameras to clear inventory, while newer models get modest cuts that still leave room for margins. Analysts say the most sensible strategy for buyers is to focus on durable products they would have bought anyway, compare prices across a few trusted outlets and ignore countdown timers designed to trigger panic purchases. Cybersecurity experts add a quieter warning: phishing sites and fake “deal” links spike during big sales events, so typing addresses manually and using official apps is safer than following random social posts. For the industry, strong Black Friday performance would provide a late-year boost after patchy quarters for PC, smartphone and accessory makers. For consumers, it is a reminder that the real value of a bargain depends less on the percentage discount and more on whether the device will still feel useful a few years from now.