Black Friday: delivery and returns – how to collect and return your purchases

Shopping frenzy, the sales everyone’s been waiting for, breathtaking deals and… queues in shops that are hard to avoid. Black Friday can be a real whirlwind for anyone on the hunt for the best bargains. Find out how to collect your parcel from a Parcel Locker without queuing and how to return a purchase that didn’t live up to your expectations.

When are Black Friday and Cyber Monday?

Black Friday always falls on the last Friday in November. Below is the exact schedule for 2026.

How long does Black Friday last, and until when are the special offers available?

The sale lasts one day, but the offers last longer: some end at midnight on Friday, others on Cyber Monday, and others only at the end of November. When exactly The shop decides when a particular promotion ends, so it’s worth checking this against a specific offer.

How can you tell if a promotion is genuine?

A shop that advertises a price reduction must show the lowest price over the last 30 days on the front (the Omnibus Directive). If it’s not there, that’s a reason to stop and think. Compare prices at several shops and check whether the shop provides its tax registration number, address and terms and conditions. The absence of this information, combined with an exceptionally low price, is the most common sign of a fraudulent shop.

Black Friday parcels – how can you collect them quickly?

On Black Friday, shops are encouraging customers not only to discount codes and percentage discounts, as well as more favourable delivery options. Some retailers offer free delivery, e.g. via Paczkomat. Check your basket to see if this applies to your order too.

As far as 98% of parcels reach Paczkomat machines the very next day after posting. However, there’s an exceptionally high volume of parcels in the week following Black Friday, so select the Paczkomat parcel locker you pass every day in your basket and pick up your parcel whilst you’re out and about.

Collecting a parcel is easier today than it was just a few years ago: the parcel locker can be opened remotely via the InPost Mobile app, which means there are no queues at the Paczkomat machines and the whole process takes much less time. You can also check the status of each parcel in the same app.

Download InPost Mobile

Discover what our app can do – remote parcel pickup, extending pickup time, redirecting parcels, and so much more. Sounds good?

With the InPost Mobile app, you have everything close at hand.

Black Friday returns

Sometimes, something that looked great in your basket doesn’t quite fit once you’ve unpacked it. When shopping online, you usually have 14 days from receipt of the goods to cancel the contract, and some shops allow more time for this. Check the returns policy. If The shop accepts returns via InPost; you can find out how to arrange them via the service Quick Returns.

Black Friday from the sellers’ perspective

For shops, Black Friday is an opportunity to attract new customers and keep them coming back. Retailers prepare discount codes, free delivery and extended returns periods, and many of them extend their promotions to cover Black Week or Black Month. For them, it’s also one of the busiest periods in logistics.

Do you run an online shop? Take a look, How to prepare your e-commerce site for Black Friday.

Frequently asked questions about Black Friday

How does Black Friday differ from Cyber Monday?

Black Friday traditionally involves sales in high-street and online shops, whilst Cyber Monday began as a day of online-only promotions. Today, most shops combine both days into a single promotion.

Is it worth waiting for Black Friday?

For more expensive purchases, yes – provided you know the pre-promotion price. Make a note of it in October and compare it with the lowest price over the past 30 days, which the shop is required to display.

Can I return a product I bought on Black Friday?

Yes. When shopping online, you have the right to cancel the contract, usually within 14 days of receiving the goods.

And what will Black Friday be like in 2027?

Everything suggests that Black Friday in 2027 will be much the same: it falls on 26 November, with Cyber Monday on 29 November, and it’s worth thinking about delivery options and returns policies in advance.