Of the three big department stores, JCPenney’s Black Friday Deals start earliest (November 20), Kohl’s offers the most stackable rewards (its Kohl’s Cash is $15 per $50 spent), and Macy’s gives the clearest return window, extended to January 31 for purchases after October 5. Kohl’s and JCPenney both close on Thanksgiving and open at 5 a.m. local time on Black Friday.
Last updated November 10, 2026. Dates and terms are from Kohl’s (Oct 30), JCPenney (Nov 2) and Macy’s Black Friday page, plus Kohl’s and Macy’s price-adjustment pages, all opened that day.
| Kohl’s | JCPenney | Macy’s | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Black Friday sale | Black Friday Week, Nov 22–28. Cyber Deals Nov 29–30 | Black Friday Deals, Nov 20–29 | “Thousands of new deals” each Friday. No Black Friday event dates stated |
| Early sales | Early Access, Nov 6–8 (over) | Biggest Sale of the Season, Nov 5–11 | Already started, per its page |
| Thanksgiving, Nov 26 | Stores closed. Doorbusters on Kohls.com from 12:01 a.m. CT | Stores closed | Not stated on the page we opened |
| Black Friday opening | 5 a.m. local (hours may vary) | 5 a.m. local | 6 a.m.–10 p.m. “though store hours may vary” |
| In-store extras | First 200 per store get $5–$100 Kohl’s Cash (Nov 27) | “5, 9, 1, 5” giveaways at 5 a.m., 9 a.m., 1 p.m., 5 p.m. on Nov 27 | Free tote with $100+ in-store purchase, Nov 27 and 28, while supplies last |
| Rewards or cash back | $15 Kohl’s Cash per $50 spent in Black Friday Week and Cyber Deals | Rewards Access – $10 back per $50, up to four times | Macy’s Card – 30% off first use |
| After you buy | Price adjustment within two weeks. Kohl’s may block adjustments in some periods | Price Lock, Dec 1–25. Terms not detailed in its release | Price adjustment within 10 days of the order date |
| Holiday return window | Not verified | Not stated | Extended returns until Jan 31 for purchases after Oct 5 |
Where JCPenney is different
JCPenney says 97% of its in-store merchandise is on sale during its November 5–11 sale, with a Golden Tote on any $25 purchase, and that it will carry thousands of deals at $20 or less from November 12 through December 25. We could not test either claim. It is a retailer’s statement about its own store. A percentage of items “on sale” says nothing about how deep the cut is, which is why we show discount depth on every row. See how to tell if a deal is real.
Its Price Lock runs December 1 to 25 on selected must-haves, but the release does not say which items or how a lock works, so we make no claim beyond the dates. “Really Big Deals” are one-weekend offers on select Thursdays – November 6–9, November 13–15 and December 11–13. The next one starts Friday of this week.
Where Kohl’s is different
Kohl’s is the only one of the three with a clear coupon-and-cash structure – an extra 20% during Black Friday Week, 40% for Cyber Deals, and Kohl’s Cash on top, with dollar-off coupons and Cash applied before the percentage coupons. Cash does not work on Sephora at Kohl’s, gift cards, price adjustments, Kohl’s Card payments, taxes or shipping. The full walkthrough is in our Kohl’s Black Friday guide and the Kohl’s Cash comparison.
Where Macy’s is different
Macy’s says new deals drop every Friday, free shipping starts at $25 for November 19–21, and Black Friday store hours run 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. though they may vary. It does not state Thanksgiving closing on the page we read, and it names Cyber Monday, Friends and Family and a Great Gift Sale without dates. Macy’s price adjustment covers a drop within 10 days of the order date, refunded to the original payment, and promotional discounts cannot be combined with it. Furniture and mattresses follow separate rules. Our Macy’s store page has the one Macy’s deal we track.
Picking one
- Most time to buy before the weekend JCPenney, with Black Friday prices from November 20.
- Longest return window we could verify Macy’s, through January 31. Compare it with other retailers in our return windows guide.
- Best for planning around coupons Kohl’s, because the offers and exclusions are published.
- Longest after-purchase protection on paper Kohl’s two weeks, against Macy’s 10 days. Policies by store are in the price-match guide.
For hours across stores see Thanksgiving and Black Friday store hours, and for the other days, the November calendar.
Questions we get
Is JCPenney open on Thanksgiving? No. Its release says stores are closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Is Macy’s open on Thanksgiving? The Macy’s page we opened does not say.
When is JCPenney’s Price Lock? December 1 to 25, per the release.