(lively music)
- I'm Nathan Burrow,
and I'm the senior deals editor at Wirecutter.
Every day the Wirecutter deals team searches the internet
to find the best prices we can
on Wirecutter recommended products.
What's different about Black Friday this year
is the ongoing supply chain issues
that the entire world is facing.
That means one, fewer discounts.
Another, is lesser discounts across product categories.
And the third is ongoing shortages of items
that result in either no stock or no deals at all.
The biggest one is game consoles.
So the PlayStation 5, the Xbox Series X,
both of those game consoles are incredibly hard to come by.
And if they are available they're gonna be available
exclusively at full price.
The same largely goes for the OLED Nintendo Switch,
though other Nintendo Switch models are available
potentially bundled with a game
or perhaps with a store gift card.
So there are some small discounts available.
Additionally, stand mixers and Dyson stick vacuums.
We're seeing fewer deals on Dyson stick vacuums
across retailers and the prices when we are seeing them
are higher than they have been in previous years.
There will still be sales on Black Friday,
and there are particular product categories
that we think will still be really well discounted.
Those include things like home audio.
So that's your, you know, speakers,
portable Bluetooth speakers, Bluetooth headphones,
but also smart home.
So things like smart speakers, smart displays,
security systems.
Personal care items are often really well discounted
this time of year and we think we'll see that again.
So razors, hairdryers, and we also see sales
on robot vacuums this time of year.
Those are pretty ubiquitous during Prime Day
and during Black Friday,
so we expect to see them again in 2021.
Finally, I think that we'll see things like fitness trackers
and smartwatches this year as well.
And we're already seeing drops on options from Fitbit.
The Charge 5 just went on sale, for instance.
There are a couple of things to avoid this year,
more than any other year.
We would recommend avoiding waiting too long.
We are really seeing the pinch of those supply chain issues.
And so, you know, we'd recommend taking advantage
of price protection guarantees that certain retailers
like Best Buy or Target are are offering this year.
As a general rule of Wirecutter recommends
steering clear of cheaply made products.
A bad product is gonna be a bad deal
no matter how little you pay for it.
And finally, this time of year,
there are a lot of unscrupulous actors,
especially when, you know,
folks are feeling the pinch financially and, you know,
they're looking for the best price out there.
You know, we recommend making sure
that you're purchasing from a reliable retailer
and using payment methods that protect you.
So, those virtual wallets can be a great resource
during holiday shopping,
not only for the sake of expedience,
but also to protect your personal financial information.
Wirecutter is a little unique
in the way that we approach Black Friday.
Which is to say that we're not just gonna post
any sale that's out there.
Wirecutter's deal finding process
is a combination of two things.
One, our deals teams searches all of the major sites
out there for the best sales we can find.
We compare those to internal price histories
that we've kept for years.
We also leverage our editorial staff.
So you're not only getting deal experts
telling you what is a great price,
but you're getting experts in respected beads,
whether it's audio, or TV, or laptops, you know,
telling you what the best stuff is.
And we hope it's helpful because this of time of year
can be really overwhelming.