# Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2026: Key Dates for UK and Europe

> Black Friday is Fri 27 Nov 2026 and Cyber Monday is Mon 30 Nov. See the full peak timeline for UK and European retailers, with last year's sales and click cost data.

**Author:** Redbrain Team  
**Published:** 2026-10-23  
**Updated:** 2026-10-23  
**Canonical:** https://www.redbrain.com/resources/guides/black-friday-cyber-monday-2026-key-dates-uk-europe/

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**In short:** Black Friday 2026 is **Friday 27 November** and Cyber Monday is **Monday 30 November**. Shoppers start buying well before then: across retailers advertising through Redbrain on Google and Bing Shopping, sales in Black Friday week 2025 were 211% higher than in an average October week, and the build-up began three weeks earlier. This guide gives UK and European retailers the key dates, a week-by-week peak timeline, and what last year's data says about when to push and when to hold back.

## When are Black Friday and Cyber Monday in 2026?

Black Friday falls on Friday 27 November 2026, the day after US Thanksgiving, and Cyber Monday follows on Monday 30 November, which is also the last working day of the month. For retailers, the useful dates run from Singles' Day on 11 November to the last orders before Christmas.

| Date in 2026 | Event | Why it matters for retailers |
|---|---|---|
| Wed 11 Nov | Singles' Day | A small early bump in sales, but a sign the season is under way |
| Fri 20 Nov | Fake Friday | The Friday before Black Friday, when some retailers start early deals; clicks are still much cheaper than on Black Friday |
| Thu 26 Nov | US Thanksgiving | Marks the start of the US Black Friday weekend |
| Fri 27 Nov | Black Friday | The peak day for sales, and the day clicks cost the most |
| Sat 28 and Sun 29 Nov | Black Friday weekend | Sales stay at three to four times a normal day |
| Mon 30 Nov | Cyber Monday | Falls on payday for many, and ends the four-day peak |
| Mon 14 Dec | Green Monday | Sits at the start of a strong mid-December stretch |
| Sat 19 Dec | Super Saturday | The last Saturday before Christmas |
| Fri 25 and Sat 26 Dec | Christmas Day and Boxing Day | Boxing Day sales start; Mon 28 Dec is the UK substitute bank holiday |

Both dates fall a day earlier in the month than in 2025, when Black Friday was Friday 28 November and Cyber Monday was Monday 1 December. The weeks line up one for one, so last year's pattern is a good guide to this year's.

## What does the peak timeline look like for UK and European retailers?

The peak is not one day. In 2025 it was a ramp that began in early November, spiked on Black Friday, stayed strong through Cyber Monday and then held up until the last week before Christmas. Here is how each phase played out, with the 2026 dates.

### 1. Early November: deals start (from Mon 2 Nov)

Many retailers now start their Black Friday offers in the first days of November. In the week starting 3 November 2025, sales across retailers advertising through Redbrain were 19% above an average October week, and in the week starting 10 November they were 52% above. Singles' Day on 11 November itself was a modest day, at 1.5 times an average October day in Europe and 1.4 times in the UK, but it sits inside a week that was already well ahead of October.

### 2. The build-up (Mon 16 to Thu 26 Nov)

The two weeks before Black Friday are where much of the volume is won. In the week starting 17 November 2025, sales were 2.1 times an October week, and in the days just before Black Friday they climbed further: Thursday 27 November 2025 ran at 2.8 times an October day. Cost per click rose with demand, from about 20% above October in mid-November to about 40% above by the Tuesday before Black Friday.

This stretch includes **Fake Friday**, the nickname for the Friday before Black Friday (Friday 20 November this year), when some retailers start early deals. Last year the equivalent Friday (21 November 2025) ran at 2.1 times an October day, 2.2 times in the UK and 2.0 times in Europe. It was a step up in a steady climb rather than a spike, with the bigger jump coming two days later, on Sunday 23 November, at 2.7 times. Clicks on Fake Friday cost only 23% more than in October, against 91% more on Black Friday. That makes it one of the cheapest days to reach shoppers who are already buying at twice the October rate.

### 3. Black Friday weekend and Cyber Monday (Fri 27 to Mon 30 Nov)

This is the peak, and Black Friday itself is the biggest day. In 2025:

- **Black Friday** (Fri 28 Nov 2025): 4.5 times an average October day.
- **Saturday:** 3.2 times.
- **Sunday:** 3.7 times.
- **Cyber Monday** (Mon 1 Dec 2025): 3.1 times.

Plan budget, stock and customer service for all four days, with the Friday as the highest point. Last year the extra clicks were not the whole story: shoppers also converted better, so sales grew far faster than clicks.

### 4. Cyber Week tail and the early December window (Tue 1 to Sun 13 Dec)

Demand does not vanish after Cyber Monday. In the week starting 1 December 2025, sales were still 2.0 times an October week, and in the week starting 8 December they were 1.85 times. Clicks also became cheaper. Between 6 and 9 December 2025, average cost per click sat between 4% and 14% below the October average, while sales stayed between 1.6 and 1.75 times an October day.

This was not true in every year: in 2024, click costs stayed above October levels through the first half of December. Treat it as an opportunity to test, not a promise.

### 5. The Christmas tail (Mon 14 to Thu 24 Dec)

Mid-December was strong too, with sales between 2.1 and 2.3 times an October day from 14 to 17 December 2025 (Green Monday is Monday 14 December this year). They then fell away: 1.9 times on 18 December, 1.5 times on Super Saturday, and below an average October day from 23 December. Delivery cut-offs drive much of this, so make yours clear in your ads and feed (see the delivery section below).

## How is Black Friday different in the UK and in Europe?

The same weekend drives both, but Europe moved harder on some days. Last year Europe's Black Friday week grew by more than the UK's, and its Black Friday and Sunday were noticeably bigger.

| Black Friday week 2025 against an average October week | UK | Europe |
|---|---|---|
| Sales | +187% | +232% |
| Order value (GMV) | +190% | +199% |
| Black Friday (Fri 28 Nov), against an October day | 4.2x | 4.8x |
| Sunday 30 Nov | 3.0x | 4.2x |
| Cyber Monday (Mon 1 Dec) | 3.1x | 2.9x |
| Singles' Day (Tue 11 Nov) | 1.4x | 1.5x |

"Europe" here means the European markets Redbrain serves outside the UK, led by Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland. Shopper attitudes also differ by country. In Ireland, for example, a 2025 survey by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission found that 63% of people did not trust Black Friday discounts, so clear, honest pricing matters more there than a bigger headline percentage ([CCPC research](https://www.ccpc.ie/business/research/market-research/ccpc-black-friday-research-2025/)).

## What happened to sales and click costs last year?

Black Friday week 2025 (Monday 24 November to Monday 1 December) was far busier than October. Sales grew much faster than clicks, so each click was worth more, and the ad cost of each sale stayed level.

The pattern is getting sharper. Each year's figures below compare Black Friday week with the same year's October, so they are not affected by changes in the size of our network.

| Black Friday week against an average October week | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Sales | +134% | +211% |
| Order value (GMV) | +162% | +195% |
| Clicks | +48% | +84% |
| Sales per click | +59% | +69% |
| Ad cost per sale | -1% | -5% |
| Average cost per click | +56% | +61% |

Two things stand out. Sales grew much faster than clicks, so shoppers were more ready to buy, and the ad cost of each sale stayed level or fell even at the peak. Click prices did rise, peaking on Black Friday itself at 91% above the October average, before easing through Cyber Monday and dipping below October in early December. Because clicks were priciest on the biggest day, your budget and bids matter most that Friday.

## What do pricing rules mean for your Black Friday promotions?

Pricing rules are tighter than they were a few years ago, and they differ between the UK and the EU. This is general information, not legal advice.

- **EU countries:** when you advertise a price reduction, you must show the previous price, defined as the lowest price you charged in the 30 days before the reduction. This comes from the Omnibus Directive ([Directive (EU) 2019/2161](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/2161/oj)), in force since May 2022. In 2024 the EU Court of Justice confirmed that a percentage discount must be calculated from that prior price.
- **UK:** there is no fixed 30-day number. But the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act has applied its unfair trading rules since April 2025, and the CMA can fine businesses up to 10% of global turnover. Misleading "was" prices and hidden fees (drip pricing) are in scope, and the CMA's [price transparency guidance](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/price-transparency-cma209) says headline prices must include mandatory charges.
- **Google Shopping:** Google decides whether to show a sale annotation. In the UK, the base price must have been valid for at least 30 days within the previous 200 ([Google's price history guidance](https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/14232688)), so raising a price just before a sale can cost you the sale label.

The practical point: decide your sale prices, and check your price history, before the first week of November.

## How do you keep your feed ready for peak?

Google Merchant Center does not always show changes straight away. Hosted feed files are fetched every 24 hours, and changes made through a platform connection can take 24 to 48 hours to arrive ([Google Merchant Center help](https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/7439882)). A `sale_price` applies immediately unless you set a start date for it ([sale price guidance](https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6324471)).

Build your countdown around those lags:

| By | What to have done |
|---|---|
| Fri 6 Nov | Offers, margins and daily budgets agreed; price history checked against the 30-day rule |
| Fri 13 Nov | Feed audited for prices, stock, images and shipping; budgets ready for the mid-November climb |
| Wed 18 Nov | Sale prices scheduled with start and end dates, at least 48 hours before Fake Friday; budgets raised for the build-up |
| Wed 25 Nov | Final feed refresh done at least 48 hours before Black Friday; stock and site tested |
| Fri 27 to Mon 30 Nov | Monitor daily, with the most budget and attention on Friday |
| Tue 1 to Sun 13 Dec | Shift budget to the cheaper clicks and re-test top categories |
| Before your carrier's cut-off | Make delivery dates clear in ads, feed and on site |

For a deeper look at the feed work, see our guide to [optimising your product feed for Google Shopping](/resources/guides/how-to-optimise-your-product-feed-to-get-more-sales-on-google-shopping/), and our wider [peak season preparation guide](/resources/guides/the-annual-shopping-season-how-to-make-the-most-of-black-friday-and-the-christmas-shopping-period/).

## What are the Christmas delivery cut-offs for 2026?

Christmas Day 2026 is a Friday. Carriers publish their last posting dates for Christmas and can change them, so check Royal Mail, Evri, DPD, DHL and any European carriers on their own sites before you quote a cut-off to customers.

Set your own cut-off a day or two earlier than the carrier's, and show it in your feed's shipping and delivery information, because Google can extend delivery estimates when handling or shipping overlaps a national holiday.

Redbrain is a [Google Comparison Shopping Service](/google-css/) partner running more than 3 million Google Shopping clicks a day for over 5,000 retailers across 21 markets, so we see how peak plays out in each country, category and week. If you are new to the model, our [introduction to Google CSS](/resources/guides/why-use-google-comparison-shopping-services-an-introductory-guide/) explains how it works. We use what we see to help you:

- **Plan before the peak:** agree your sale dates, priority categories and budgets, with the timeline above as the starting point.
- **Scale visibility in the right markets:** reach in-market shoppers in each country, with the UK and European differences built in.
- **Keep costs under control:** protect budget on the days clicks cost the most, and put it to work when they are cheaper.
- **See it as it happens:** track performance through peak in real time, not after it has finished.

See [what this looks like for retailers like you](/case-studies/), or [talk to us about your peak plan →](/contact)

## Frequently asked questions

### When is Black Friday 2026 in the UK?

Black Friday 2026 is on Friday 27 November, the day after US Thanksgiving. The same date applies across the UK and Europe.

### What is Fake Friday and when is it in 2026?

Fake Friday is the nickname for the Friday before Black Friday, which falls on Friday 20 November in 2026. Some retailers start early deals that day. In 2025 the equivalent Friday saw sales at 2.1 times an average October day, with clicks costing 23% more than in October.

### When is Cyber Monday 2026?

Cyber Monday 2026 is on Monday 30 November, the first Monday after Black Friday and the last working day of the month.

### When do Black Friday deals start for UK retailers?

Many retailers start in the first days of November. In 2025, sales across retailers advertising through Redbrain were already 19% above an average October week in the week starting 3 November, and 52% above in the week starting 10 November.

### Which day is busiest: Black Friday or Cyber Monday?

In 2025 Black Friday was the busiest day, at 4.5 times an average October day, ahead of Sunday (3.7 times), Saturday (3.2 times) and Cyber Monday (3.1 times).

### When do clicks cost the most?

In 2025, cost per click peaked on Black Friday, at 91% above the October average. It eased through Cyber Monday and, in early December 2025, dipped below the October level for several days.

### Is Black Friday different in Europe?

A little. In 2025 Europe's Black Friday week sales rose 232% against October, compared with 187% in the UK, and Europe's Black Friday and Sunday were bigger relative to a normal day. Cyber Monday was slightly stronger in the UK.

### Does the UK have a 30-day lowest price rule like the EU?

No. The EU's Omnibus rule requires the lowest price in the previous 30 days to be shown as the prior price. The UK has no fixed number, but misleading reference prices and hidden fees can still lead to enforcement by the CMA.

### When should I stop promoting for Christmas delivery?

Check your carrier's published last posting dates on its own site, and set your own cut-off earlier. Show it clearly to customers in your ads, feed and on site.