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Tag: Black Friday

  • Teen Pays $735 For A Photo Of An Xbox One On eBay

    Teen Pays $735 For A Photo Of An Xbox One On eBay

    For only £450 ($735), Peter Clatworthy, a 19-year-old student of Bilborough, Nottingham, United Kingdom, thought he was going to get an Xbox One. He didn’t.

    Instead, Clatworthy ended up paying the hefty price on eBay for a picture of the new video game console.

    The console was intended to be a surprise Christmas gift for his four-year old son, McKenzie, Clatworthy saved up enough money to buy the limited edition.

    “I’ve had to make a joke out of it because I was that angry. At least we’ve now got something to laugh about in the years to come,” Clatworthy said.

    “I always buy stuff on eBay and this had never happened before.”

    Mr Clatworthy made the purchase on November 28, paying £450 plus £8 ($13) packaging.

    Although the listing stated that it was a photo of an Xbox One Day One edition console, Clatoworthy expected he would receive an actual console, as the listing was placed in eBay’s video games and consoles category.

    “It said ‘photo’ and I was in two minds, but I looked at the description and the fact it was in the right category made me think it was genuine.”

    “I looked at the seller’s feedback and there was nothing negative. I bought it there and then because I thought it was a good deal.”

    “It’s obvious now I’ve been conned out of my money.”

    Last Monday, Clatworthy received the photo in the eBay posting; it had a little message on the back of it.

    “They’d written on the back of it ‘thank you for the purchase’. I was fuming.”

    With the help of eBay, Clatworthy ended up getting a full refund, and the seller of the picture was banned from the internet auction site.

    According to the Nottingham Post, an eBay spokesman said: “The seller has been banned from eBay. We have also contacted the customer directly to arrange the refund as promised.”

    “We don’t allow listings which mislead.”

    On November 22nd, the Xbox One was released in the UK with a special Day One edition for those who picked up the console on its first day of sale.

    Like most new video game console premieres, there have been misleading sales all over the internet where people wind up with packaging or pictures of the machine.

    (Images via YouTube)

     

  • Kindle Fire HDX Was Best Selling Item On Amazon Over The Black Friday Weekend

    For the past few years, the Kindle line of eReaders and tablets have been the best selling electronic devices on Amazon during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. If you thought that was going to change this year, think again.

    Amazon announced today that the Kindle family had its best holiday weekend ever thanks a number of sales across Black Friday and Cyber Monday. In fact, the retailer notes that more people bought Kindle eReaders and Kindle Fire tablets this past weekend than any other weekend on record, and that the Kindle Fire HDX and Kindle Fire HD were the best selling items on Amazon all weekend long.

    “We’re excited that so many customers have chosen Kindle this holiday season—and it’s just getting started!” said Neil Lindsay, Vice President, Amazon Kindle. “Our new Kindle Fire tablets and Kindle e-readers are the best we’ve ever built, and we can’t wait for customers to unwrap their gifts this holiday.”

    If you missed out on the Kindle holiday weekend rush, you will probably have more chances to score one on the cheap before Christmas. Amazon is known for its absurd holiday sales, and the retailer will undoubtedly put its Kindle Fire devices on sale again before Christmas. If not, you can always see if retailers like Best Buy, Radio Shack or Staples will put Kindle Fire devices on sale.

    It will be interesting to see just how well Barnes & Noble Nook did over the holiday weekend as the retailer dropped the prices of its Nook Simple Touch and Nook HD to $39 and $79 respectively. While the low prices were certainly attractive, was it enough to give a boost to the bookseller’s ailing consumer electronics business? We won’t know for sure until the company’s next quarterly report, or if they had a good enough holiday weekend to gloat like Amazon has.

    [Image: Amazon]

  • Black Friday Spending Down From Last Year

    The Black Friday shopping weekend is almost over and shoppers are now taking a break from standing in lines to check the “Cyber Monday” deals online retailers are offering today. With stores opening earlier than ever on Thanksgiving Day this year, retailers were expecting record sales.

    The National Retail Federation (NRF) today released its estimates for this weekend’s U.S. sales. Unfortunately for retailers, it appears that cash-strapped Americans were more thrifty this year than the last. The NRF numbers show that Black Friday weekend shoppers spent $407.02 on average – a drop from the $423.55 those same shoppers averaged in 2012.

    The lower numbers were, according to the NRF, due to lower prices from retailers. Though each shopper spent less the total number of shoppers this weekend rose 2 million from last year to hit 141 million shoppers.

    Earlier store openings didn’t seem to deter shoppers looking for doorbuster deals. Shopping on Thanksgiving Day alone increased 27% year-over-year to 45 million people, or nearly two-thirds of those who shopped over the weekend. Just over one-quarter of shoppers (25.4%) this weekend stood in line for store openings by 8 pm on Thanksgiving Day.

    “Cold weather, unique promotions and unbeatable prices put millions of Americans in the mood to shop for holiday gifts this weekend,” said Matthew Shay, CEO and president of the NRF. “Retailers’ late night and early morning promotions struck just the right chord for those hoping to kick off the holiday shopping season with friends and family. With only a few weeks until the big day, retailers will continue to aggressively promote their in-store and online offerings, looking to entice today’s very budget-conscious and value-focused shopper.”

  • Online Tech Sales Broke Records This Black Friday

    The holiday shopping season has officially begun, and consumers flocked to stores this weekend to take advantage of big Black Friday deals. Though many Americans still stood in line on Thanksgiving Day, more of them than ever are now doing their big holiday shopping from the comfort of their sofas.

    The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) this weekend revealed that more than half (55%) of Americans who bought tech products this Black Friday did so online. This represents a 10% increase from last year’s numbers and is a new record for Black Friday online tech spending.

    “Consumers appear to have responded to retailers’ strong push to get them in the stores and online early this year,” said Shawn DuBravac, CEA’s chief economist and senior director of research. “The dust is still settling, but early indications point to a weekend of record-breaking online sales and a healthy appetite for key tech products.”

    Tech products are now the second most-purchased Thanksgiving weekend products, following only clothing. The most popular tech products this weekend were, of course, tablets. A full 29% of those who bought tech products this weekend bought a tablet. This was followed by 24% who bought headphones, 21% who bought video game consoles/handhelds, 19% who bought smartphones, and 17% who bought PCs.

    Earlier store openings this year seem to have had their intended effect of luring shoppers out early and extending the sales weekend. On Thanksgiving day alone 39 million Americans shopped – 10 million more than did so last year.

    Today will top off the Black Friday shopping weekend with the online-focused “Cyber Monday.” The CEA predicts that 216 million Americans will have shopped from last Thursday through today.

  • Black Friday Was First Billion Dollar Desktop Shopping Day Of The Year

    Black Friday Was First Billion Dollar Desktop Shopping Day Of The Year

    U.S. desktop ecommerce holiday spending was already up 14% year-over-year by for the first 24 days, ahead of Black Friday.

    Black Friday itself, comScore reports, was the first billion dollar online shopping day of the holiday season with $1.198 billion in desktop ecommerce in the U.S. According to the firm, as of December 1st, holiday online shopping in the country has reached $20.6 billion so far, up 3% from last year.

    Online shopping

    If that doesn’t seem like much growth, it’s because of a variation in the 2012 and 2013 shopping calendars with Thanksgiving falling later than usual this year. Last year’s numbers contain a full week of heavy post-Thanksgiving/Cyber Week buying, comScore says, so the growth rate is being “artificially suppressed in the short term.” The effects, it says, will normalize as the holiday season goes on.

    Black Friday was the heaviest online spending day to date, up 15% compared to Black Friday last year. Thanksgiving saw 21% growth year-over-year, reaching $766 million.

    “While Black Friday – and now Thanksgiving Day – is the traditional kick-off to the brick-and-mortar holiday shopping season, both days continue to grow in importance on the online channel,” said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni. “Clearly many consumers prefer to avoid the crowds and lines typically associated with Black Friday by shopping from the comfort of their own homes, and we saw a record 66 million Americans do that this year. Also interesting is that the recent trend of kick-starting holiday shopping by opening stores on Thanksgiving Day seems to be having a spillover effect on the online channel. Thanksgiving once again posted a well above average growth rate and is the fastest-growing online shopping day over the past five years, as more Americans opt for couch commerce following their Thanksgiving Day festivities.”

    Believe it or not, Amazon had a major impact on Black Friday shopping. 66.1 million Americans visited online retail sites on Black Friday from the desktop (up 16% from last year, and Amazon was the top site, followed by eBay, Walmart, Best Buy and Target.

    27% of sales went to apparel and accessories with 19% going to computer hardware, 7% to consumer electronics, 5% to consumer packaged goods, 5% to shipping services and 36% to everything else.

    Image: Thinkstock

  • Kohl’s Shooting on Thanksgiving, Suspects Charged

    Two men have been charged in a shooting that occurred Thursday at Kohl’s located in Romeoville, IL. Employees reported the alleged shoplifters just after 10 p.m. Thanksgiving night. Once the patrol car pulled up to the entrance of the store, one suspect bolted into his waiting car and closed the door on the pursuing officers arm, and proceeded to drive. The police made a statement saying the backup officer fired two or three shots toward the driver when he refused orders to stop, striking him once in the shoulder.

    The two men, Robert Russell, 51, and Gerald Chamberlain, 28, are facing charges after the altercation. Russell, the driver, is charged with attempted murder, theft and obstructing an officer. Russell suffered a gunshot wound to the shoulder after attempting to flee the scene. Chamberlain, the passenger, who was inside the store during the ruckus is being charged with theft. Both Russell and the officer were taken to the hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

    The suspects, Russell and Chamberlain, both have a laundry list of criminal backgrounds, including previous theft and drug charges.

    The police officer has been released from the hospital, with injuries to his arm and shoulder, after being dragged some distance by the car. Russell remains hospitalized.

    Images (via) News Footage.

  • Cyber Monday Ads Could Lead Shoppers to Thieves

    You’ve seen them everywhere on the internet. Cyber Monday Ads telling consumers where to shop and how much they are going to save. But there’s not always a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Hackers, scammers and thieves are just as excited for Cyber Monday as you are.

    So, you’ve waited patiently because you knew Cyber Monday was just around the corner. Whether you plan to shop online at work or in the comfort of your pajamas, Cyber Monday (the Monday after Thanksgiving) is the biggest day of the year to find the best online deals.

    According to Adobe Digital Index, which is a digital marketing and digital media solution company, shoppers spent more cash last year on Cyber Monday than any other single day in online shopping history. Adobe is expecting that trend to continue and is currently tracking a 15 percent sales increase which could potentially top over $2 billion. Yes, that’s $2 billion in just one day, all online.

    So if everyone has seen the ads and knows about the great deals on Cyber Monday, one would have to expect that it would also be a prime day for hackers and fake websites. However, there are many ways to protect yourself. The Better Business Bureau wrote a list of the top ten tips to safeguard shoppers from potential cyber disaster. Take a minute to look it over. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

    1. Protect your computer. This means keeping your anti-virus and spam filters up to date.

    2. Shop on trustworthy sites. If you’re not sure about the website you’re thinking about making a purchase from go to the BBB site www.bbb.org, to check out who is doing the selling. There are plenty of fake websites out in cyberspace that do a good job of camouflaging themselves to look legit.

    3. Protect your personal information. Always read a site’s private policy information.

    4. Beware of deals that sound too good to be true. If you get a sense that a deal is outrageously amazing. Guess what? It probably is some sort of a scam. Use your common sense.

    5. Beware of phishing. If a company sends you an email stating that there is something “wrong” with an order and they need your credit card information, go running. Better yet, report the company to the BBB or call the company directly.

    6. Confirm your online purchase is secure. Once again always check the integrity of the site. There should be a lock symbol in the lower right hand corner that lets you know that the site is safe.

    7. Pay with a credit card. You can dispute all charges made with plastic under the federal law. If a hacker swipes your credit card information, you are also most likely protected under your card’s zero liability policy.

    8. Keep documentation of your order. Be sure to save every email from the website regarding your purchase.

    9. Check your credit card statements often. Keep an eye out for suspicious activity. Know all the purchases you or anyone else makes who uses the card (your spouse or kids).

    10. Know your rights. By law, if a company claims that a product will be shipped by a certain date, it has to be shipped by that date. If you don’t receive your order, it is within your rights to cancel or get your money back. That refund policy also holds true for any damaged goods.

    Have fun and keep safe. Use your instincts and enjoy the incredible savings on Cyber Monday. Happy Holidays!

    Images Via Facebook, Facebook

  • Black Friday 2013: How Bad Did It Get?

    Black Friday 2013 has come and gone and so have the deals. As always, Black Friday was an eventful day in many parts of the country. Every year there seems to be more and more fights, injuries and sometimes even deaths. Even though many stores have changed their deal times and tried to make shopping safe for all of their customers, accidents still happen.

    Many people have sworn off Black Friday shopping. This year, Black Friday brought a slew of fights, shootings, stabbings and arrests. Most of these things are brought on by angry shoppers that want to get at least one of a limited amount of discounted items. Stores like Walmart and Best Buy advertise items such as iPads and televisions at low prices, but only have a few in stock.

    Several people were trampled at a Walmart in Utah where people were rushing to get tablets that were priced at $50. A fight in the parking lot of a Walmart in Virginia resulted in a man being stabbed. Even the store employees have a hard time controlling their tempers during this busy shopping day. A manager at a New Jersey Walmart got in a fight with a customer, which led to the police using pepper spray on the man.

    One of the worst Black Friday happenings seems to be the shoplifting incident at a Kohls in Chicago. Two men allegedly attempted to shoplift from the store when they were stopped by two police officers. One shoplifter closed a police officers arm in the door of a car and dragged him several yards across the parking lot. The other police officer was able to shoot the driver of the vehicle in the arm, causing him to stop the vehicle. Nobody involved in the incident received life-threatening injuries.

    Do you think Black Friday 2013 was more eventful than past Black Fridays? What’s your most dramatic Black Friday moment?

    Image from Wikimedia Commons.

  • Kohl’s Shooting Leads to Charges of Two Black Friday Shoplifters

    Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks and be grateful for what you do have, but for others, it’s a time to remember ALL the things they don’t have and partake in a little retail theft.

    Two men have been charged in a Black Friday incident that took place at a Kohl’s store location in Romeoville, Ill.

    At 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving, police received a call regarding shoplifting inside the store.

    When police arrived, one of the suspects ran out of the store and jumped into a Pontiac Sunfire in an attempt to flee the scene. An officer went after him and ended up being dragged across the parking lot after his arm was intentionally closed in the car door.

    According to ABC7 Chicago:

    Police say a backup officer ordered the driver to stop multiple times, and when he kept going, the backup officer fired three to four shots toward the driver. The driver was struck once in the shoulder area, and at that time, the car came to a stop…

    Robert Russell, 51, has been charged with retail theft, obstructing an officer and attempted murder. Twenty-eight-year old Gerald Chamberlain, who was still in the store during the confrontation, has been charged with theft. The driver was identified as 52-year-old Charles Hinch and he is being hospitalized for his injuries.

    The police officer was treated for his injuries and released from the hospital.

    (image)

    A returning customer told MyFoxChicago this morning that she was informed by her husband about the string of events that took place the night before.

    “What bothers me is it was over clothing,”  Karen Hasberger said. “So that’s upsetting that somebody felt they had to steal clothing, and a police officer put his life on the line for that. It’s not like a jewelry heist or a bank robbery.”

    Kohl’s spokeswoman, Sydney Hofer, declined to release any additional information other than the store was cooperating with the police department’s investigation.

    Despite the frightful events that took place, the store remained open today for Black Friday.

    Image Credit: Youtube, instantnews1 

  • Black Friday 2013: The Shopping Frenzy Continues After Thanksgiving Day

    The spending spree continues after some of the top retailers opened their doors on Thanksgiving Day to pre-Black Friday shoppers.

    Over a dozen major retailers opened their doors on Thursday to kick off some of the Black Friday deals crazed by customers across the country.

    While over half a million of shoppers resorted to online shopping, some of the stores consumers took advantage of yesterday were: Kmart (the first one to open its doors), Target, Sears, BestBuy, Macy’s, Kohl’s, Toys R Us, and of course Wal-Mart.

    Within the past few years, retailers have “…pushed opening times into Thanksgiving night… and discounting in early November, instead of waiting until Black Friday.”

    The idea of Thanksgiving Day shopping received criticism from workers and consumers. Opponents have viewed it as an inconsiderate workday, especially on a holiday meant for spending quality time with family.

    Thus, the trend has now become an official start to Christmas shopping. However, Black Friday shopping still holds its title as the biggest shopping day of the year, turning many American consumers into shopping maniacs.

    The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) prediction for this year’s Black Friday was that there would be an 18% increase in spending compared to 2012, in which deals on technology would be the reason.

    For instance, some of the big electronic savings that early shoppers can look forward to include: Staple’s new Kindle Fire 7 inch tablet for $79, BestBuy’s 55-inch LG flat screen television is marked as $499 and Wal-Mart is spoiling iPad mini purchasers with $100 gift cards.

    Most of the retailers already listed will keep their doors open until 11 p.m. tonight, so you may just be able to catch a deal OR you could just wait until Cyber Monday if you rather not deal with today’s shopping frenzy.

    Here is a humorous video about Black Friday.

     Image Credit: Youtube, BLaZeD8DBO2GAMEPLAY

  • All-Inclusive Resorts Are the Best Black Friday Deal

    If you’ve been daydreaming about getting away, this weekend will be the best time to book your plans. Club Med announced its Black Friday sale this week, which offers 45% off its four most popular all-inclusive resorts when you book by December 4th.

    The sale, which starts the morning of the 29th, includes resorts recently named by TripAdvisor’s Top Ten Resorts, which features beach-front destinations in Dominican Republic, Turks & Caicos, and Mexico. In addition to Black Friday, Club Med is also featuring a Cyber Monday sale starting on the 2nd, with the same 45% off discount, for their premium sports family resort in Sandpiper Bay, Florida. Again, the site says to book by December 4th, and travel dates extend until February, 2014. And, like all Club Med resorts, children under four are free.

    (image)

    Inventory on these packages are limited, so Club Med is suggesting to book as early as possible to ensure room availability. There’s a 3 night minimum stay (which isn’t a hard requirement to meet), and guests are spoiled with gourmet dining, an open bar, and a variety of water sports and diving equipment. The packages start at $119 per person per night, which is a stinkin’ sweet deal, and probably one of the best deals out there this weekend, when you consider all of the amenities included.

    More information on pricing & what’s included in these packages, visit the official website.

    Images via Club Med

  • Mega Millions: $230 Million Jackpot for Black Friday

    Feeling lucky? Need a little extra holiday cash? How about holiday cash for the rest of your life? This year Black Friday will not only kickoff the holiday shopping season, but you will also have the opportunity to hit an estimated $230 million Mega Millions jackpot. Or, you can skip the annuity payouts and take $125 million in cold hard cash.

    That is if you hit all five numbers plus the Mega Ball. No one hit the jackpot on Tuesday, that’s why the big prize money continues to grow. In fact, the last time a player hit all six correct numbers was on October 1, when a Maryland gentleman cashed in on a $189 million ticket.

    Tuesday’s numbers were: 27, 44, 59, 74, 75 and the Mega Ball 3. Even though nobody hit the Mega Ball number, five players won prizes between $1 million and $5 million.

    If you’re feeling lucky, Mega Millions is just “a $1 and a dream.” Of course, your actual chances of hitting the jackpot are 1 in 258,890,850 million. But people do win! And if a player (or players) hits the big jackpot, the payout will go all the way back down to $15 million. An additional $5 million per draw is added every time a player fails to win it all. The Mega Millions drawing takes place every Tuesday and Friday at 11 pm EST.

    Image Via Twitter

  • Pizza Hut Manager Fired For Refusing To Open On Thanksgiving

    Walmart and several other big-name stores have made quite a disturbance this year with people who disagree with merchants remaining open on Thanksgiving day, and now Pizza Hut is getting in on the action.

    A former manager at the pizza chain says he was fired for refusing to make his employees work on the holiday, a decision the franchise’s director of operations says came down from corporate.

    “I said, ‘Why can’t we be the company that stands up and says we care about our employees and they can have the day off?’” Tony Rohr explained. “Thanksgiving and Christmas are the only two days that they’re closed in the whole year and they’re the only two days that those people are guaranteed to have off and spend it with their families.”

    Rohr, who has been with the company in Elkhart, Indiana for ten years in various positions, said he was given an ultimatum: open on Thanksgiving or sign a resignation letter.

    “I am not quitting. I do not resign, however I accept that the refusal to comply with this greedy, immoral request means the end of my tenure with this company. I hope you realize that it’s the people at the bottom of the totem pole that make your life possible,” he wrote in a letter to his boss.

    A director of operations for several Pizza Hut stores throughout Indiana told WSBT that Rohr wasn’t fired, but rather quit.

    While it’s unclear how most Americans feel about eating out during a holiday, a new Consumer Report study says that 56% of them won’t be shopping on Black Friday this year, which spells trouble for businesses who count on the major deals to draw in huge crowds. Instead, many people will be relying on Cyber Monday sales, which they can shop from the comfort of their own homes.

    video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player

    Image: Thinkstock

  • Over Half of Americans Will Shop Online During the Holidays

    The holiday shopping rush will begin this week, and Americans are gearing up for Black Friday weekend sales. Though most Americans won’t be shopping this weekend (mainly due to the crowds), those who do are set to spend more money than ever.

    Though department stores will no doubt be packed when they open on Thursday evening, the crowds might be a tiny lighter this year. This is because more Americans than ever are planning to do their holiday shopping online.

    A new Gallup poll released today shows that over half of Americans (53%) now say they are “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to shop online during the 2013 holiday season. This represents the first time Gallup has seen a majority of Americans intending to do holiday shopping online and a huge increase from the 10% that intended to do so just 15 years ago in 1998.

    Though more Americans intend to do holiday shopping at department and discount stores (74% and 72%, respectively), online Christmas shopping is the only type of shopping that is seeing a real surge in the U.S.

    Gallup saw a predictable decline in all methods of shopping when the recession began in 2008. Consumer intent to shop at discount stores, specialty stores, department stores, and through catalogues has remained steady or slightly declined since that time. Online shopping intent, however, has increased 10% since 2008.

    These numbers show that Americans are still steadily warming up to online shopping, though it will take years for the method to catch up to department stores. Still, traditional retailers who aren’t currently rethinking their business models could be swept aside faster than anyone realizes.

  • Barnes & Noble Reveals Black Friday Deals, Nook Simple Touch Reduced To $39

    Is somebody on your Christmas list a book person? You might want to hit up Barnes & Noble on Black Friday then as the bookseller will be offering some ridiculous deals on its line of eReaders.

    First up, Barnes & Noble will be offering some insane deals on its more popular Nook eReaders and tablets Its entry-level Nook Simple Touch eReader will be available for only $39 on Friday while its Nook HD Tablet will be available for just $79. If you or your family member still have yet to own a tablet or eReader, you could do much worse than the Nook.

    If you already have a Nook, Barnes & Noble will also be putting numerous eBook titles on sale from Friday through the end of the holidays. The first promotion – “Biggest Deals on the Best Nook Books” – will offer best sellers at 50 percent off from Black Friday through January 13. The second promotion – “Treat Yourself” – will price some of the most popular Nook books at only $2.99 and will last through December 31.

    If you have a non-Nook device, you can still get your hands on a deal by simply downloading the Nook app on iOS, Android or Windows Phone. Upon downloading the app, you’ll receive a free eBook copy of Twas The Night Before Christmas. While everybody probably has a physical copy of the book already, it’s always nice to get free stuff.

    Of course, not all of the deals are restricted to Nook devices. Barnes & Noble will also be hosting Black Friday events at its retail locations with savings on books, educational toys, DVDs and more. Some of the more tempting deals include half-off DVDs/Blu-rays and half-off kids/teen books. Box sets of series like Game of Thrones and Fifty Shades of Grey will also be sold at 50 percent off.

    For more information and a coupon for 30 percent off anything in store, check out Barnes & Noble’s Black Friday site.

    [Image: Barnes & Noble]

  • Here Are Your Xbox 360 Black Friday Sales

    Here Are Your Xbox 360 Black Friday Sales

    So, you wanted to get an Xbox One this holiday season, but you just can’t afford one. That’s perfectly alright as your Xbox 360 will be receiving plenty of love this weekend in the form of digital game sales.

    Microsoft announced this week that it will be holding three different sales over the next few days. The first is a weeklong sale that begun on Tuesday and will last through Monday. This sale will see numerous games and DLC add-ons going on sale. The second is strictly limited to Black Friday while the third is strictly limited to Cyber Monday.

    It should be noted that all of these sales are strictly limited to the Xbox 360 Games On Demand store. If you want physical copies of the games, you’re going to have to hit up your local retailer on Black Friday and hope the game you want is on sale. Of course, there’s always online retailers if you want to avoid the crowds.

    So, without further ado, here are all the games currently on sale. These will remain on sale until December 2:

    Here Are Your Xbox 360 Black Friday Sales

    Here are all the games that will be on sale only on Black Friday:

    Here Are Your Xbox 360 Black Friday Sales

    Finally, here are all the games that will be on sale only on Cyber Monday:

    Here Are Your Xbox 360 Black Friday Sales

    From the looks of it, the best gaming deals are to be had on Black Friday, but there’s some decent sales on the other days as well. You’ll definitely want to check out a few of the deals on Cyber Monday, including the excellent Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon and The Witcher 2.

    If you’re interested in other platforms, check out the Black Friday sales from Sony, Nintendo and GameStop.

    [Image: xbox/YouTube]

  • Black Friday Spending Average to Rise 18%

    As Americans head into the most intense shopping weekend of the year, many of them are ready to spend even more than they did last year.

    The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) this week released its predictions for Black Friday 2013. Among the predictions is that Americans who do shop this weekend are planning to spend an average of $258. This represents an 18% increase from what Black Friday shoppers thought they would spend in 2012.

    The CEA report shows that 61% of American adults are planning to shop sometime during the Thanksgiving holiday. Though department stores are set to open their doors for Black Friday deals on Thursday evening this year, only 13% of Americans are planning to shop on Thanksgiving day. In fact, Americans seem resentful of retail beginning to cut into the holiday, with 54% saying that stores are opening too early on Thanksgiving.

    Those who are shopping this weekend intend to make tech a big part of their purchases. The CEA report shows that 30% of those who will shop intend to purchase a tablet, while slightly less (29%) intend to buy either a notebook computer or video game console.

    “Buying tech during Black Friday has become the new Thanksgiving weekend tradition,” said Shawn DuBravac, chief economist and senior director of research at CEA. “Tech is vying to surpass other popular product categories, such as clothing, this holiday shopping weekend. New product announcements in gaming, computing and mobile devices, coupled with generally improving economic conditions, are driving consumer excitement to get out and shop.”

    The CEA has created an infographic with some of these statistics, as well as a few others. The infographic also incorporates a countdown to Black Friday, which is less than two days away now:

  • The History Of Black Friday As Told By NMA

    On the day after Thanksgiving, millions of Americans will practice a tradition that’s uniquely American – Black Friday. It’s a day when Americans and corporations can agree that greed is good as they trample each other in the pursuit of the best deals possible. You may be wondering then how all this Black Friday stuff started.

    According to Wkipedia, Black Friday as a term came into existence after the financial crisis of 1869. It wasn’t until 1961, however, that the term became associated with shopping. At the time, the term was still related to a financial crisis, and some suggested the name be changed to Big Friday. That obviously didn’t happen. From there, Black Friday started to impress itself onto the national consciousness and sales on the day after Thanksgiving were increasingly called Black Friday sales.

    While that may be the real history, fake history is always more fun. That’s where everybody’s favorite Taiwanese animators come in with a tale of pilgrims, slavery and HD butter churns. It may not be historically accurate, but it’s pretty damn funny.

    Check it out:

    [Image: Taiwanese Animators/YouTube]

  • Groupon Is Giving Away $100 Million In Groupon Bucks For Black Friday

    Groupon announced on Tuesday that it’s giving users $100 million in Groupon Bucks (spread among “tens of millions” of subscribers).

    Some lucky users will get up to $5,000 worth, and one will even get $25,000 worth. This can be used towards a year-long “Groupon shopping spree”. That customer is also getting $5,000 in cash.

    “With more than 65,000 great deals and the biggest Groupon promotion ever, we’re giving our customers the chance to skip the lines and save even more cash on Black Friday by checking Groupon first,” said Rich Williams, senior vice president of global marketing for Groupon.

    All you have to do to see if you’ve won any of Groupon’s prizes is sign in on Groupon.com on Black Friday. If you won, you’ll see a message. Obviously, you’ll need an account.

    Groupon gave away $5 million in Groupon Bucks earlier this month to celebrate its birthday.

    Image: Groupon

  • Majority of Americans Will Not Shop on Black Friday

    Majority of Americans Will Not Shop on Black Friday

    With stores opening on Thanksgiving day for Black Friday deals this year, consumers are now under more pressure than ever to fit cut-rate shopping into their holiday schedules. Though millions of Americans will line-up and fight over the inexpensive electronics and toys on Friday, it appears that most Americans will not be tempted by this weekend’s sales.

    A new Consumer Reports survey has shown that 56% of Americans do not plant to shop at all this holiday weekend, either in stores or online. Though a majority of Americans will still avoid Black Friday, the 44% who will do some shopping this weekend represent a 14% increase from last year’s Black Friday.

    “Those who intend to go out shopping on Black Friday probably know what to expect, and to them that’s part of the allure,” said Tod Marks, senior editor for Consumer Reports. “However, it’s easy to get caught up in the shopping frenzy and spend more than you really want to. That’s why it’s important to do your homework beforehand, have a plan and stick to it.”

    Of the American majority who will skip shopping this weekend, most of them (70%) cited the large Black Friday crowds as the reason they will opt out. Just over one-third of them (34%) believe that Black Friday deals are “too overhyped” and 30% simply don’t want to get up early. 33% would rather “do something else” such as spend time with family, which 29% of those not shopping this weekend would rather do.

    For those who will brave the cold and the crowds this Friday (and this year, Thursday), a majority (55%) simply can’t resist the low prices and plan to shop this weekend because the specials will be “the best deals of the year.” 43% also cite the “door-buster deals” as the reason for shopping this weekend, while a full 23% of those planning on shopping this Black Friday now consider it to be a tradition.

  • Furby Boom is Hot Holiday Toy for 2013

    The Furby Boom is Hasbro’s 2013 edition of a toy that has become a modern classic.

    Hasbro is pushing the app component of the Furby Boom this holiday season. The app is available for iOS devices through iTunes and for Android devices through Google Play.

    New app features offer the ability to name your Furby and to monitor its vital stats. Among the new ways to play with Furbies touted on the Hasbro website:

    “Collect, hatch, and raise Furblings!”

    “Fill your Furblings city and get the golden egg!”

    The Furby Boom looks a little different from previous versions of the toy. It’s available in six new color schemes, its ears feature cut outs, and its feet are plastic versus cloth.

    It also has five new personalities, which change as the Furby is played with.

    The Furby Boom has made top toy lists at retailers like Amazon and Target and is being featured in Black Friday sales across the nation.

    It will be available for $29 in Walmart’s Black Friday sale and is one of only 21 “Doorbuster” deals covered by the retail giant’s 1-Hour In Stock Guarantee.

    On its social media channels, Hasbro is putting out images of the Furby with pop culture references:

    The Furby was launched in 1998, causing “near riots” during the holiday season that year. New models were released in 2005 and 2012.

    Image via Facebook