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While the Costco Black Friday sale doesn’t necessarily lead the pack when it comes to the best Black Friday deals, you can still expect to save money at Costco during the Black Friday season. And let’s be real, you know you’ll be tempted by a Costco TV sale when you’re only supposed to be shopping for the giant $5.99 pumpkin pie, and other Costco bakery treats (or is that just me?).
Now’s the time to start preparing for Costco’s Black Friday 2023 sale! When it comes to shopping Costco Black Friday deals like a pro and scouring the Costco Black Friday ad, we’re here to break it all down for you — from what not to buy during Costco’s Black Friday sale, to the toy deals you definitely need to take advantage of.
Looking for the latest Costco deals? Check out our Costco coupon page or text BLACKFRIDAY to 57299 to receive real-time text alerts when Black Friday deals go live.
1. We expext Costco’s Black Friday deals to start dropping in late October.
Costco doesn’t alter their sale ad release dates just for Black Friday. The Costco Holiday Savings flier — their version of a Black Friday ad — was officially released in late October 2022. You can view the whole ad scan on our Costco Black Friday Deals post. Last year, the sales started Oct. 31 with their second savings event, Costco Holiday Savings Sale, last through Nov. 28, so we expect a similar timeline for this year.
Will Costco be closed on Thanksgiving 2023?
Costco was closed on Thanksgiving Day 2022, but that’s okay because you can plan to shop at Costco.com during the Thanksgiving sale. We expect that Costco will be closed again on Thanksgiving 2023.
What time does Costco open on Black Friday?
For Black Friday 2022, Costco opened their doors at 9 a.m. Most of their deals were available online, too so we expect the same this year.
2. The Costco Holiday Sales came in four waves throughout November.
In 2022, the Black Friday sale came in four waves, color coded for the dates they match. We wouldn’t be surprised if Costco follows this format again in 2023.
Costco’s Black Friday 2022 Ad Dates (also known as the Holiday Savings Book)
- Light Blue: Valid Oct. 31 – Nov. 13 (Pre-Black Friday; warehouse and online deals)
- Dark Yellow: Valid Nov. 14 – 28 (Black Friday; warehouse and online deals)
- Light Yellow: Valid starting Nov. 24 (Thanksgiving; online deals only)
- Dark Blue: Valid Nov. 25 – 28 (Post-Black Friday and Costco Cyber Monday; warehouse and online deals)
3. You can shop Costco.com during Black Friday even if you’re not a member.
Can you shop at Costco without a membership? Generally, yes. However, in order to take advantage of Black Friday deals, you have to be a member when you shop in person at a warehouse.
But the good news? You don’t have to be a member to shop at Costco.com on Thanksgiving, Black Friday, or Cyber Monday.
You might pay a 5% surcharge on items as a nonmember, but if you only ever shop Costco during the holidays, it may be cheaper than forking over the $60 per year membership fee.
Also note that you won’t be able to buy some items at Costco.com, like gaming consoles, unless you’re a member.
TIP: We put together a handy guide for everything you need to know about Costco memberships.
4. Take advantage of Black Friday deals early with the Costco.com price adjustment policy.
The Costco Price Adjustment policy will make your shopping so much easier if you know how to work it. You can start your Costco Black Friday shopping 30 days before the sales even go live! You’ll have 30 days to ask for a price adjustment on anything you buy. You do have to wait for the sale to go live, and your refund will be in the form of a store credit for the price difference. This is a great way to make sure you get what you want at a Black Friday price before it sells out. (The Costco.com price adjustment form says you can also buy something in the warehouse and ask for a price adjustment at the membership counter.)
TIP: The Costco Price Adjustment policy is hands down the best — especially during the Black Friday holiday season. Make sure you know all the ins and outs before you shop. You have 30 days to request a price adjustment from Costco, including during Black Friday!
5. Toys are the best thing to buy during Costco Black Friday.
Costco’s toy prices are always rock-bottom compared to Amazon and Walmart, so if you have any toys on your list, check Costco’s Black Friday toy brands first.
Costco’s inventory and sale rules still apply: Once items are gone, they’re gone, so you’ll want to be prepared to shop early. As we approach the holidays, check out our Costco Holiday Toys List to see what we find. We’ll update it a couple of times a week!
Savings on American Girl toys are especially rare through the rest of the year, and Costco always runs out fast. You’ll want to be one of the first ones to snap up American Girl as soon as it arrives in stores!
6. Expect Black Friday sales on Dyson vacuums and electronics.
If you’ve been holding out on buying a Dyson or other specific electronics, like Beats headphones, Costco Black Friday may be the perfect time to buy. In 2022, Costco fought tooth and nail to be competitive on the lowest price for headphones like Beats and Apple AirPods.
See all Beats deals here.
Dyson Costco Black Friday Sale
Buy. Your. Dyson. At. Costco. If you’re shopping for a Dyson vacuum during Black Friday season, point yourself to Costco. Kohl’s is typically who I recommend for vacuums during Black Friday, but they didn’t offer Dyson deals last year, and Target only had a few.
See all Dyson deals.
The Costco Dyson deals in 2022:
Nov. 25 – 28:
- Dyson V11 Torque Drive + Vacuum Cleaner, $499.99 (
reg. $649.99) - Dyson Ball Animal 2 Origin Upright Vacuum Cleaner, $249.99 (
reg. $349.99)
7. Skip Costco Black Friday if you’re hunting for gaming consoles, small kitchen appliances, and Christmas trees.
As much as I love shopping at Costco during Black Friday, there are just certain things that you should skip out on. Here’s what not to add to your cart at Costco:
Small kitchen appliances
Macy’s will have these for as low as $7.99 after a rebate. And if you’re looking for higher-end kitchen appliances, I’d head to Kohl’s, where you’ll get Kohl’s Cash for top brands like Ninja.
See all kitchen appliance deals.
See all Ninja deals.
Christmas Trees
Target’s Wondershop brand of Christmas trees were 40% off, and trees at Michael’s were 50% off in 2021.
See all Christmas tree deals.
Nintendo Switch
With inventory shortages of new consoles, we didn’t see too many deals during Black Friday 2021. But for Black Friday 2020, Kohl’s beat Costco pretty handily with a Nintendo Switch bundle for $299 (compared to $349.99 at Costco). But the kicker? Kohl’s offered $105 in Kohl’s Cash on top of the sale price. Same thing for Xbox — Costco just can’t compete with Kohl’s Cash.
See all Nintendo deals.
See all Xbox deals.
Costco Xbox Black Friday Deal for 2022:
Nov. 17:
- Xbox Series S, $279.99 (
reg. $299.99)
8. Scan every item on your list with the Amazon app.
To make sure Costco’s Black Friday prices beat Amazon’s, scan the item barcodes with the Amazon app. You’ll instantly see Amazon’s price and can decide whether to put the thing in your Costco cart or add it to your Amazon cart online.
TIP: To access the barcode scanner, tap the camera icon in the search bar of the Amazon app. You’ll then see the barcode icon in the bottom right corner.
9. The best Costco holiday food deals include rolls and pumpkin pie …
Pick up a bag (or four) of rolls and a pie (or three) while you’re there. Tell yourself you’re buying so much to freeze for the holidays, and then shamelessly eat one of the pies when you get home. Best $6.99 you’ll ever spend! Don’t forget to swing by the Costco food court for a little snack while you’re shopping, too.
10. … and holiday meal kits for as low as $12.50 per person.
Not feeling the cooking thing this year? During Black Friday season, you can pick up a Costco Holiday Meal Kit for Thanksgiving or Christmas (or both!). In 2022 they offered turkey breast, prime rib, beef roast, or ham in your meal. Each meal kit feeds eight people, and the least expensive option is the turkey breast. Here’s what’s included:
- Ready-to-cook turkey breast roast (5.5 – 6 pounds)
- Sausage and cranberry stuffing (2 pounds)
- Creme fraiche mashed potatoes (2 pounds)
- Creamed spinach (2 pounds)
11. Look for discounted gift card deals.
Costco offers the most discounted gift cards during the holiday season. Expect to see around $25 in savings, which could be a gift card for $100 that you only actually pay $75 to buy.
In addition to gift cards for popular restaurants, I often see movie theater gift cards and Disney gift cards this time of year.
12. Rest easy knowing Costco’s return policy will cover all of your shopping misfires.
Costco’s return policy is so generous that you could, in theory, buy a bunch of stuff everyone hates and then return it all, even if it’s open or used. Your best bet is to scour the Costco Black Friday flier as soon as it hits, make your list of must-haves, and get ready to purchase it once the sales go live. Knowing you can return any item you buy will give you the peace of mind you need during the stressful holiday shopping season.
