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Tag: Black Friday

  • GameStop Reveals Its Black Friday Deals, Bundles

    Over the past few days, Sony and Nintendo have both unveiled their hands for Black Friday. From the looks of it, gamers looking to save on Sony and Nintendo hardware will be in for a treat, but what about those looking for something a little different?

    GameStop announced today that it will be getting into the consumerism holiday spirit along with almost every other retailer on Black Friday with a selection of sales, deals and bundles that will satisfy console and mobile gamers alike. The retailer says that all of its stores will be offering deals all day, including:

  • Xbox360 250GB bundle including Halo 4 and Tomb Raider only $199 (Friday only)
  • PS3 250GB bundle including The Last of Us and Batman: Arkham Origins only $199 (Friday only)
  • Battlefield 4 for only $24.99 (Friday only)
  • Just Dance 4 for only $14.99 (Friday only)
  • Sophix 7” tablet only $69.98 (Friday only)
  • Buy two pre-owned items get one free (includes games, accessories, systems and electronics)
  • Pre-Owned Xbox 360+20GB Hard Drive and Extra Wireless Controller for $99.99

    • “On Black Friday and through the weekend, GameStop will be offering customers deals and discounts on a vast selection of new and pre-owned video games, accessories and electronics, as well as pre-owned PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii gaming consoles that are sure to be on everyone’s holiday wish list,” said Ashley Sheetz, chief marketing officer at GameStop. “With more than 2,500 gaming and electronic gifts under $25, our customers can find a great gift for any gamer in their life. No other retailer can come close to that.”

    All of the above deals and more will be available at midnight on Black Friday. Those hoping to get in before the rush on Thanksgiving Day – first of all, shame on you – will be out of luck as GameStop will be closing its doors on Thanksgiving so that its employees can be with family until their forced to come in at work at midnight:

    “Out of respect for our store associates and their families, GameStop made the business decision to not open our more than 4,200 U.S. retail stores on Thanksgiving,” said Jason Cochran, vice president of Store Operations and Strategic Initiatives for GameStop. “We will be opening the majority of our stores at midnight to offer customers our Black Friday promotions.”

    If you’re looking to score some great gaming deals this holiday season, you could do far worse than GameStop. You will want to be vigilant, however, as Amazon and other retailers will be matching or even offering better deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

    [Image: Wikimedia Commons]

  • Nintendo Announces New Black Friday Bundles, Sales

    Nintendo Announces New Black Friday Bundles, Sales

    Black Friday is quickly approaching and cost-conscious gamers are already on the look out for some great deals. Sony was the first out of the gate last week with details regarding its Black Friday plans, and now it’s Nintendo’s turn.

    Nintendo announced this morning that it has two new bundles and a large selection of sales that will go live on Black Friday to kick off the holiday shopping season. Unfortunately, there are no new Wii U bundles, but that’s only because Nintendo seems pretty content with the New Super Mario Bros. U/New Super Luigi U and Skylanders bundles it currently has on offer. As for the Nintendo 3DS and 2DS, there are plenty of bundles and sales available.

    “This year, there is a dizzying amount of affordable Nintendo options for any holiday shopper looking to stock up on fun gifts for family and friends,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “And if there is ever a question of why shoppers should choose Wii U and Nintendo 3DS this holiday season, the answer is simple: Because it’s Nintendo.”

    Starting November 28, Nintendo will offer a cobalt blue Nintendo 3DS that comes pre-installed with Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon. This bundle joins a Zelda-themed 3DS XL bundle that’s currently available.

    As for sales, Nintendo notes that the Nintendo 3DS XL will be on sale for $149.99 at Target on Friday. If you’re in the market for the more affordable Nintendo 2DS, you can pick one up at Walmart for $99.99 on Friday as well.

    Nintendo may not be offering a new Wii U hardware bundle for Black Friday, but it will have a new Wii U software bundle. The company will offer a Nintendo Land bundle complete with Luigi-themed green Wii Remote Plus for $60.

    As for digital sales, Nintendo will discount all the Mario games on the 3DS and Wii U virtual consoles starting Thursday. The company doesn’t have a list of which games will be on sale yet, but it should be nearly every classic Mario game available on each service. That means you’ll be able to pick up classics like Super Mario Bros. 3 or Super Mario World on the cheap this Thanksgiving.

    [Image: Nintendo/Business Wire]

  • Best Buy Black Friday Doorbuster Deals

    Consumer electronics big-box retailer Best Buy has posted some of its Black Friday 2013 doorbusters online.

    Amidst Walmart’s complicated 2013 triad of pre-Black Friday sales events, which some might say have diminished the entire concept of Black Friday retail deal-rushing madness, as well has Sears’ online member’s-only presale, Best Buy has launched its own complex pre-Friday sales-viewing advertisement.

    What does it all mean? Essentially, Best Buy customers can shop for doorbusters in-store, as soon as brick and mortar locations open at 6:00 p.m., on Thursday, November 28. Later, on Thursday evening, consumers can get a glimpse of ‘Midnight Mystery Doorbusters,’ beginning at 10 p.m. Any deals gleaned there will become physically available in-store at midnight on Friday, November 29.

    Another slew of Best Buy in-store doorbusters will become available at 10 a.m. on Friday as well. No word if there is an online preview scheduled for that wave, though Best Buy, much like Sears, does employ a preferred shopper’s program, known as Elite and Elite Plus. Elite Best Buy shoppers can access ultra-secret deals.

    Notable deals Best Buy has already posted online include:

    -a MacBook Pro 13.3″ Display 4GB Memory 500GB Hard Drive for $999.99
    -a Samsung 55″ Class 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV for $699.99
    -a Lenovo 7″ 16GB Memory Tablet and Case for $129.99
    -an Insignia 32″ Class 720p 60Hz LED HDTV for $169.99
    -an HTC One Phone for Verizon Wireless, AT&T or Sprint for $49.99

    All sales include free shipping.

    Below is a clip documenting the general pandemonium that occurs when aggressive pricing begets aggressive shopping, at various big-box retailers during Black Friday events:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBk32OUxCnU

    Some Twitter commentary regarding the Best Buy 2013 Black Friday sales event:

    Image via Wikimedia Commons.

  • Samsung Galaxy S4s are Free on Black Friday (Whoa)

    Samsung Galaxy S4s are Free on Black Friday (Whoa)

    The day after Thanksgiving could be your day to finally upgrade your phone: The most recent edition of the highly popular Samsung smartphone, the Galaxy S4 will be free on Black Friday.

    Of course, this is with a two-year contract only. This is still a great deal, especially for those who have been looking at their Galaxy S3s with a little less love since the S4 has been released.

    The Black Friday Best Buy and Walmart ads both explain their unique ways of providing this offer. At Walmart, you pay $99, but they in turn give you a $100 gift card. Yes, it is only a dollar back, but that is still an extra dollar that you didn’t have before! Plus, receiving a gift card could also scratch an item off of your Christmas list. All in all, kudos to Walmart’s ingenious marketing plan to keep the money in-house with a little extra incentive.

    Best Buy keeps it a bit simpler, but with their own advantages: If you get your Galaxy S4 from Best Buy, you have the choice of using Verizon, AT&T and Sprint as your carrier. Best Buy is also the only place where you can get the attractive Blue Arctic color.

    It’s pretty hard to say that this isn’t a great deal. While this probably means that the Galaxy S5 is coming soon, which it definitely is according to some, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is a great phone that normally costs over $200. If you or someone you know needs an upgrade, Black Friday might be the best time to do it.

    Image: Samsung

  • Sears Black Friday Doorbusters Online

    Sears Black Friday Doorbusters Online

    Sears, which has been losing money and closing department stores as of late, has posted an ad for Black Friday doorbuster deals.

    Sears, the multinational department store chain based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, also owns Kmart, which has likewise been losing money. During the three months before November 2, Sears saw losses of $534 million, or $5.03 per share. A year earlier, the company lost $498 million, or $4.70 per share, in the same time frame.

    While Sears urges consumers to create a profile to log in to see upcoming Black Friday deals on their website, a few members-only doorbusters are online. Sears notes that members can “beat the crowd,” and many of the online Black Friday deals include free shipping.

    Notable electronics deals include:

    – a Mach Speed X-Treme 7″ Tablet w/ Android 4.0 for $39.99
    – a Dell Inspiron 15 Laptop PC 1.6GHz Processor 15.6″ Display for $299.99
    – an RCA 42″ Class 1080p 60Hz LED HDTV for $299.99
    – a Vivitar DVR 508HD Digital Video Recorder for $24.99
    – an LG Optimus Dynamic™ L38C CDMA Pre-Paid Mobile Phone for $39.99

    Hedge fund billionaire Eddie Lampert, chairman and CEO of Sears, has shifted the focus of the company toward building upon its ‘Shop Your Way’ program, which caters to loyal customers. Under-performing stores are being shut down, including the location at the Fayette Mall in Lexington, Kentucky. At present, the ‘Shop Your Way’ members-only program accounts for 70% of Sears sales, up from 65% last year.

    “The focus is less on selling products and just running stores,” Lampert said. “But serving members first.” During the last quarter, revenue fell 7% to $8.27 billion, mostly due to fewer Sears and Kmart stores in operation. Still, revenue at the stores still open, which indicates a retailer’s health, fell 3.1%.

    In related news, below is a clip of enthusiastic consumers, hoping to achieve Black Friday shopping success:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBk32OUxCnU

    Of course, all of the biggest retailers offer big Black Friday deals, though one should be careful while traversing the ravenous crowds that have been known to swarm doorbusting retail fixtures.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons.

  • Sony Details Black Friday Deals For All Things PlayStation

    Last Friday, Sony launched the PS4 and you just didn’t care. You’re instead waiting to see what Black Friday has in store. The PS4 is obviously not going to be on sale (or in stores), but what about the PS3 and PS Vita?

    In an update on the PlayStation Blog, Sony laid out all the PS3 and PS Vita hardware sales that will be available on Black Friday. This kind of news would normally be available from the retailers themselves, but it looks like Sony is putting together its own Black Friday deals this year.

    Starting us off is a new PS3 bundle that will be available in time for Black Friday. It includes a 250GB PS3 slim, a copy of Naughty Dog’s The Last Of Us and last month’s Batman: Arkham Origins. The console and both games will only cost $199 which Sony says is $165 worth of savings.

    For the PS Vita, things will be a little different. Sony isn’t putting together a specific bundle for its handheld, but it does know how much it’s going to cost at each of the major retailers. If you’re looking for the best value, it looks like Best Buy is your best bet as the handheld will be on sale for $169.99 from November 24 through Black Friday.

    Here’s the full breakdown on sale prices:

  • Best Buy — All PS Vita systems available (11/24 – 11/28) — $169.99
  • GameStop — PlayStation Vita 3G/Wi-Fi Bundle (11/29 – 12/1) — $179.99
  • Target — All PS Vita systems available (11/28 – 11/30) — $179.99
  • Toys R Us — All PS Vita systems available (11/28 – 11/29) — $179.99
  • Walmart.com — All PS Vita systems available (11/28 – 11/29) — $179.99

    • Sony will also be offering a special discount on PS Plus memberships at select retailers on Black Friday. A year of PlayStation Plus, which normally costs $49.99, will be available for only $29.99 on Black Friday. It looks like only the pre-paid PS Plus cards will be on sale. It looks like the cards are limited to two per person so you could potentially pick up two years of PS Plus for a little over what a year normally costs.

    If you already have a PS3 or Vita, you’re going to only care about games come Black Friday. Sony says that this year’s big PS3 hits – The Last of Us and Beyond: Two Souls – will both be on sale for $39.99. All other game prices are dependent upon your local retailer so be sure to check with them before Black Friday to see if any of the games you want are on sale.

    [Image: PlayStation Blog/YouTube]

  • Reddit Will Livestream RedditGifts Shopping Network On Black Friday

    Reddit Will Livestream RedditGifts Shopping Network On Black Friday

    Reddit announced that it will be hosting an eight-hour livestream on redditgifts.com and its YouTube channel for Black Friday to embrace the “commercial chaos” and “perversion” of the retail holiday head on.

    After listing several years worth of Black Friday fatalities and injuries, reddit’s erik [hueypriest] says in a blog post:

    Black Friday is absurd.

    The day after thanksgiving has mutated into a disgusting, crowded, and sometimes dangerous national holiday in the US. It’s the manic lovechild of a /r/Murica, /r/wheredidthesodago, and /r/hailcorporate threesome after one-too-many Watermelon martinis one night at Olive Garden. It’s become an increasingly hyped and sprawling holiday ritual, but there’s still some magic in a cultural tradition spending time with family, no matter how crass the motive. Unless you work in retail, that is. In which case, welcome to Hell.

    It’s in this spirit that reddit will host the livestream, which it says is “part home-shopping-network, part old-school-holiday-vareity-show, part fundraiser telethon, and part Muppets Take Manhattan”.

    They’ll be featuring small merchants from the redditgifts marketplace, musical acts, comedians and celebrity redditors.

    Should be interesting.

    It will last from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM Eastern. More details here.

    Image: YouTube

  • Black Friday TV Deals: Save up to 60% Off

    Many people have been preparing for Black Friday since last Thanksgiving, as it’s the largest sale of the year. Once you experience the thrill of obtaining an expensive item at a deep discount it is difficult to pay full price again, and millions of consumers are searching for the best Black Friday TV deals. Looking through the newspaper or your favorite retailers’ websites is a great way to research deals. Being clear on what you want is the easiest way to quickly find a potential deal to hunt down on Black Friday. If you do not have a plan before entering the store you may miss out due to limited quantities.

    Shopping on Black Friday is always based on first come first serve, and be prepared to stake your claim in local shops. This is the time to put on your good athletic shoes and be prepared for the weather in case the exterior doors are locked until the sale starts. Shopping with a friend or relative is the best strategy to locate multiple deals within a store and to have help if things with other shoppers get out of hand. Be proactive about safety and personal security on Black Friday.

    Here are a few Black Friday TV deals to consider.

    – Walmart is offering if offering a FUNAI named brand 32-inch 720 P Television for only $97.99.

    – VIZIO brand 60-inch Television offers 120hz and 1080P for only $688.

    – Target is advertising a Samsung brand 1080P 40-inch Television for $397. This brand is known for its good picture quality and will perform well over time.

    – Element named brand has a 1080P 50-inch Television for $229

    – VIZIO brand 47-inch Television offers 1080P at $379

    – Kohls does not usually offer electronics, but in the spirit of Black Friday they are offering a 32-inch APEX with 720p for $139

    Do not count on advertised Black Friday sale items to be numerous. Some retailers will only have a limited amount of advertised deals, and will not issue rain checks. However, since the retailers are counting on a large surge of people being in the store they will have other deals available. Always search for items that are part of the regular sale that goes from week to week, or are on clearance. Always clarify before leaving the store if a rain check is available, since each company has different policies. If a local deal is not attainable try to grab a similar Black Friday deal online.

    Many people are not quite sure if they want the hustle and bustle of Black Friday Deals, and may choose to wait for Cyber Monday.

    Image via Wikipedia

  • Cyber Monday Sales Expected to be Up from 2012

    It’s that time of year again – when the smell of turkey is quickly replaced by the stampeding of shopping feet rushing into shopping malls and countless stores. However, many are opting to remain away from the intense activity historically associated with Black Friday (even if this year promises to be different) and shop on Cyber Monday instead. In fact, this year shoppers are presently anticipated to spend $2.27 billion on Cyber Monday alone, which is 15 percent more than last year.

    However, it helps to be a conscious shopper even if websites proclaim to have “the best deals of the season” or “lowest prices of the year” there may be other promotions that offer deeper discounts. Items that typically receive the best discounts during Black Friday are electronics and large appliances particularly those models from the previous year.

    According to Editors’ Choice, Black Friday is a good time to look into purchasing computers, hard drives, USB flash drives, and kitchen appliances. However, Cyber Monday has a special place in holiday savings as well. Reserve purchases relating to clothing and shoes on Cyber Monday when the better deals for these items are expected.

    (image)

    Cyber Monday last year saw an unprecedented level of online activity. While it remains to be seen whether Cyber Monday 2013 will prove to be as popular as Cyber Monday 2012, one thing is certain, the online holiday is here to stay.

    In fact, such is the holiday-crazed culture that multiple days following Thanksgiving have all been given their own holiday such as the following: Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and now Giving Tuesday.

    With all the holiday cheer and good spirits, shoppers may be more prone to manipulation by scams. During this season, shoppers should still be cautious before jumping into purchases.

    [Images Via Wikimedia Commons and Courtesy of Roger Price and Charlie Brewer]

  • Cyber Monday: Stay in Your Pajamas and Save Money

    Many anxious shoppers plan to skip dessert and hit Walmart before their turkey dinners even get a chance to digest next Thursday. Some yet will get up at the crack of dawn on Black Friday eager to get the best deals around. But what if there’s a better way? What if you can stay in your pajamas, relax on the couch or shop from your desk while you’re clocked in at work?

    Cyber Monday, the Monday following Thanksgiving, is less than a week away. According to Adobe Digital Index, a digital marketing and digital media solution company, online shoppers spent more money last year on Cyber Monday than in any other shopping day in history. The upward trend is expected to continue this year, Adobe is tracking a 15 percent increase in sales, that could bring spending to well over $2 billion.

    But are the deals the same on Cyber Monday as they are on Black Friday? Not necessarily. Sabah Karimi, a finance blogger for the website Wise Bread, provides a few tips on how to get the best holiday bargains. She advises that items like clothing, shoes, electronics and large appliances are usually great Cyber Monday finds because you can take advantage of free shipping. However, new versions of digital cameras may not feature a large dip in price. Shoppers are often advised to even wait out the holiday season all together when buying these sorts of items and then use the store’s rebates or promotions come January.

    Cyber Monday even has several of its own Twitter and Facebook pages to help consumers find the best deals. Many social media sites also provide shoppers with some great security tips and helpful apps that will help to make your Cyber Monday and holiday season run as smoothly as possible.

    Watch this clip to get more Cyber Monday tips and hear some great advice on how to avoid potential scams.

    Image Via Thinkstock

  • Cyber Monday Sales Gearing Up For The Holiday Season

    Cyber Monday Sales Gearing Up For The Holiday Season

    For most people in America, the end of November signals a time for reflection and gratitude for the past year, a time to gather with loved ones and celebrate love, family, and togetherness. For many of those same people, this special time of year is also the start of something else; the holiday shopping season. As any red-blooded American shopper or veteran retail worker will tell you, the Friday and Monday after Thanksgiving is the official, sometimes dreaded start of the holiday shopping rush. Known fondly as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, respectively, the two days are a slice of commercialized heaven, and rake in big bucks for retailers across the board. Although Black Friday is the more infamous of the two, Cyber Monday holds its own, and it doesn’t look like they’ll be disappointing this year.

    As has been the case in the past, it looks like Amazon and Walmart will be the go-to places for Cyber Monday deals this year, as well. For the past three years, Amazon has offered award-worthy deals, and has made great strides to either math or beat competitor prices, especially from big-name retailers, like Walmart and Bestbuy. Combined with its stupidly easy accessibility and status as a household name, Amazon is somewhat the king of Cyber Monday deals. Walmart, however, is a close second; the ad for this year features television screens under $100, and both laptops and iPad minis under $300. Walmart also has the advantage of raking in revenue from Black Friday, with stores and sales going on nation-wide.

    For those who are perhaps new to the Black Friday and Cyber Monday game, or for those who are unsure of just what to look for this year, this article give some tips and tricks about the best deals to scout for at the start of this holiday shopping season, as well as what to avoid. Keep a close eyes out for clothing, electronics, and slightly older versions of hot new gadgets; go for an iPhone 4 instead of one of the new, golden iPhones, perhaps.

    Ultimately, Cyber Monday is a convenient, easy way to score some great deals on holiday shopping without having to leave the house, put on pants, or run the risk of being trampled beneath mobs of people trying to nab a television from Walmart. This writer will definitely be making a few simple clicks from her computer to start off her shopping this season, with pajama pants on and a cup of cocoa in hand. Happy holidays, and good luck to all who brave both Black Friday and Cyber Monday!

    [Image courtesy of the official Walmart website and the official Amazon website. Logos were put together by the writer.]

  • Black Friday Deals vs. Cyber Monday Deals – Which Are Better?

    Looking for the best Black Friday deals this year? Stores are starting to make Black Friday sales happen earlier and earlier every year. This year, many stores such as Wal-mart are offering their big sales on Thanksgiving Day instead of the day after. Not only are these sales taking place on the holiday, but during what is considered dinner time for most families.

    If you want to get in on the good deals this year, you better forget about taking that after-dinner nap, relaxing on the couch and watching football or spending time with family and friends. You had better eat, get your game face on and get ready to fight the crowd for that big TV or PlayStation 4 console.

    But what if there is a way to get great deals on those must-have items without making your Thanksgiving dinner more of a Thanksgiving breakfast or rushing out the door as soon as you eat. What could this holiday saving event be? Why Cyber Monday of course.

    If you don’t already know about Cyber Monday, it is the Monday after Thanksgiving when online retailers offer their products at special prices. Often, the deals found online during Cyber Monday are just as good as those offered during Black Friday, and sometimes even better.

    Electronics are popular Cyber Monday item and you can often find tablets, computers, smartphones, gaming systems and other gadgets at the lowest prices of the year. Clothing deals are also available during Cyber Monday and are usually better than the ones found on Black Friday. The best part about Cyber Monday is that you don’t even need to leave your home to get these deals. You can shop in your pajamas, on your computer while eating your leftovers.

    Image from Wikimedia Commons.

  • Black Friday 2013: The Deals Are Already Rolling Out

    Its quickly approaching yet again – the biggest shopping day of the year! While we still have a little less than two weeks until the big ‘day after Thanksgiving’ sales, retailers are already gearing up, revealing door-buster deals. Retail giants like Walmart, Sam’s Club, Best Buy, and Costco are showcasing their top deals on high-tech gadgets, gaming hardware, computers, appliances, and household products. Most retailers will be offering time-restricted deals on limited items both online and at domestic retail locations.

    Not only are they making great strides to attract consumers with traditional marketing methods such as mailing advertisements, newspapers, and commercials, but they’re using the Web as well. Most retailers are always advertising on the major social networks like Twitter, Facebook, and even YouTube.

    (image)

    Sam’s Club will probably be rolling out the top deals on laptops this year, as they’re offering a ‘two-notebooks’ special on HP Haswell-based machines. According to ZDNet.com, Sam’s HP Pavillion 15-n047cl model will be a highly exlcusive item, as it comes with a Core i5-4200U processor, 6GB of RAM, 750GB hard drive, and 15.6 inch touchscreen for $499. Sam’s will also have the HP Envy 15-j067cl in stock with similar specs as the Pavillion, but with 8GB of RAM and the Core i7-4700QM for $699.

    However, on the other side of retail warehouse deals, Costco will also be offering exclusive deals on the ever-popular HP Envy laptop. Their model will offer the same specs as the Sam’s Club model but with a Black Friday price $100.00 less than the Sam’s price. While the deal is definitely a catch, there’s actually a ‘catch’ to it. You’ll only snag it online! But, don’t let that serve as a deterrent!

    (image)

    Don’t leave out Best Buy. This year, starting at 6:00pm on Thanksgiving Day, Best Buy will be offering Apple iPads starting at an impressive $299. The electronic retail conglomerate has already released a full interactive catalog online to advertise their deals. The iPads are just a glint of what they have to offer this year.

    The consumer department retailers aren’t the only ones prepping for Black Friday. Mall outlets like Sears, JCPenney, and Macy’s are also rolling out the red carpet for the big day. In most cases, the mall outlets are can have the best discounts where clothing and household items are concerned. Items such as sheets, heated blankets, quilts, blenders, juicers, and pot sets are usually at the top of the list hen it comes to mall outlets.

    (image)While most of the deals are actually steals, keep in mind you’ll have to get there on time and fight the raging crowd. The holiday season can be quite competitive and some shoppers definitely take the experience to heart! But, with proper planning, most consumers should be able to map out their shopping excursion to ensure they snag all of the Christmas gifts they set out to bring home. So, check out the adds, make your list, and check it twice, before heading out to the stores!

    http://youtu.be/NorwlE73w_E

    Image(s) via Facebook | Walmart  Sam’s Club| Black Friday  Sears | Black Friday Advertisement  Wikimedia Commons | Black Friday 

  • Black Friday 2013: Check Out Deals From Walmart, Target and Best Buy

    With Black Friday just two weeks away, retailers are beginning to release their ads, so let the chaotic holiday shopping preparation begin! Whether you’re shopping for young kids, teenagers or yourself, there are a lot of great deals to be had during the Black Friday 2013 weekend.

    Read below for a breakdown of the Black Friday deals at some major stores. If you have any Black Friday shopping tips, whether it has to do with deals or contending with the crowds, feel free to post them in the comments section below.

    Walmart

    Once again, Walmart’s Black Friday ad is a little confusing. They have three different windows of shopping times that you can get different deals in, with the first “event” starting at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. This supposedly helps limit the chaos from previous years where you had people trampling each other to get into the store for certain items.

    Walmart Black Friday ad
    Starting time: 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day

    Best deals: Vizio 60-inch Smart HDTV for $688 (Event 1); iPad Mini 16 GB for $299, plus you get a $100 Walmart gift card (Event 1); Backyard Grill with four burners for $99 (Event 1); Monster Trax ATV 12-Volt Battery-Powered for $99 (Event 1); Beats by Dre headphones for $114.95 (Event 2); RCA 7-inch tablet for $49 (Event 2); iPhone 5C for $45, plus you get a $75 Walmart gift card (Event 3); Canon Powershot digital camera, 16 MP and 16x zoom for $79 (Event 3).

    Target

    Unlike Walmart, Target is giving people a small window to let their Thanksgiving meals settle before shopping. A lot of their doorbusters don’t quite compare to Walmart’s, but there are a lot of good deals, especially if you’re shopping for kids.

    Target Black Friday ad
    Starting time: 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day

    Best deals: Nikon L320 with a 26x zoom and 16MP for $99; 50-inch Element flat screen TV for $229; 7-inch Nook 8GB for $79; Assorted Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360 games that range from $10 to $35; Monopoly, Jenga, Clue and other games for $5; Hot Wheels Mega Loop for $25; Razor folding scooter for $15; 6-volt ride on vehicles for $99; Kitchen Aid stand mixer for $199.

    Best Buy

    It probably goes without saying that Best Buy is the best place to start out at if electronics make up the bulk of your shopping list. If you’re looking for an iPad 2, Best Buy is without a doubt the place you want to show up to early.

    Best Buy Black Friday ad
    Starting time: 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day

    Best deals: Apple iPad 2 16 GB for $299.99; 55-inch LG flat screen HDTV for $499.99; 39-inch Insignia flat screen HDTV for $169.99; Dell Inspiron 15.6-inch laptop with a 4 GB memory for $177.99; Insignia 8-inch tablet with 8 GB hard drive for $79.99; Toshiba 16 GB flash drive for $5.99; Vizio 50-inch Smart TV for $599.99; Various Xbox 360, Wii and PS3 games ranging from $11.99 to $29.99; Microsoft Surface tablet for $199.99.

    Again, these are just some of the deals from three of the bigger retailers that have released their ads. If you have any tips on Black Friday 2013 deals, post them in the comments section below.

    [Image via YouTube]

  • Walmart Announces Earlier Shopping Hours for Black Friday

    Walmart Announces Earlier Shopping Hours for Black Friday

    For any serious Black Friday shoppers looking to get a jump start on shopping, you better make sure to plan for a Thanksgiving Day lunch, as Walmart is opening earlier on Turkey Day this year. Walmart just released their Black Friday ad and announced they are opening at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving, which is two hours earlier than the retail giant opened last year.

    Walmart’s Black Friday ad this year contains a lot of bargains on everything from electronics to video games to household appliances. Walmart has divided their Black Friday shopping up into three “events” this year. The first event, which has some of the best deals, starts at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving. The second event, which has a great deal on a set of Beats by Dre headphones, starts at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving. The third event actually begins on Black Friday at 8 a.m. and includes the new iPhone 5C for $45, plus you get a $75 Walmart gift card. The deals for Event 3 last all weekend long.

    The mega retailer also announced some special deals on Black Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. called “Manager’s Specials.” These deals weren’t listed in the ad, but the ad does say that select merchandise is marked down up to 30 percent. Not one to miss out on any opportunities to boost sales, Walmart is also offering Cyber Monday deals on December 2.

    You’re probably wondering how Walmart’s earlier hours on Thanksgiving stacks up with other retailers. Their hours don’t quite compare to Kmart, the retailer that came under fire recently for announcing that they were going to open at 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving and stay open all day. Best Buy and Target are opening at the same time as Walmart, at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

    If you’re wondering whether any retailers are actually starting their Black Friday shopping on Black Friday this year, it doesn’t look like any of the major stores are so far (but if you know of any, post them in the comments section below). Toys ‘R’ Us is opening at 5 p.m., Office Depot is opening at 8 p.m. and JCPenney is opening at 6 a.m., all on Thanksgiving.

    Will you be doing any of your Black Friday shopping at Walmart this year? Respond below.

    [Image via YouTube]

  • Barnes & Noble Kicks Off The Holidays With Discovery Friday, Duck Dynasty Beards

    Are you going to do some holiday shopping with Barnes & Noble over the next two months? Is a member of your family a Nook fiend? Well then, you may want to check out the bookseller’s pre-Black Friday shopping event.

    Barnes & Noble announced today that it will kick off the holiday season with Discovery Friday. The November 22 event will take place at every store and feature numerous activities for both adults and kids, including a Duck Dynasty cut-out beard photo station.

    “Barnes & Noble offers the ultimate holiday shopping experience for customers who enjoy the art of discovery, appreciate the human touch and recognize that the best recommendations don’t come from an algorithm,” said Mitchell Klipper, CEO of the Barnes & Noble Retail Group. “Discovery Friday shines a light on our 40,000 booksellers, undeniably our greatest asset, and also celebrates our customers by bringing the spirit of fun and discovery to their holiday shopping experience. We’ve partnered with the top publishers and hundreds of special guests to create an incredible lineup of events and activities in every one of our stores across the country. We can’t wait for our customers to discover what we’ll have in store at their local Barnes & Noble on November 22.”

    While there’s plenty of events planned, like book signings and Harry Potter giveaways, all of this intended to get people in stores to buy a Nook. The bookseller says that the Nook GlowLight will be available at 20 percent off at the event. The discount puts the normally $119 eReader at $95. The Nook SimpleTouch will also be reduced in price to $49. There will be no discounts for the Nook HD or Nook HD+.

    If you want to find out more about Discovery Friday, check out the official landing page for the event. Even if you don’t have any intention to buy a book, you might still want to show up for a chance to win a $1,000 shopping spree.

    [Image: Barnes & Noble]

  • Black Friday 2013: Retailers Offer Early Deals

    Black Friday 2013: Retailers Offer Early Deals

    Black Friday 2013 is just three weeks away, and retailers are unveiling deals.

    This year, many are starting their big sales a little before the day itself, which happens to fall on November 29.

    Why the rush?

    There are six less shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. It’s just the way the calendar falls, but when it happens, retailers worry that it might translate to decreased holiday spending.

    And, as retail analyst Candace Corlett puts it, “There’s a limited number of holiday gift dollars out there, and whoever gets them first, wins.” So when one retailer decides to start sales early, the others follow suit, unwilling to risk losing out on that fixed amount of consumer spending.

    Retail giant and trendsetter Wal-Mart hasn’t unveiled its Black Friday deals, but it dipped its toes into holiday advertising when it published its 2013 Holiday Top Toy List in September. Then, on November 1, it announced Early Bird Online Specials, offering deep discounts on a range of electronics.

    Wal-Mart wasn’t the only retailer to offer early bird discounts:

    Amazon jumped in on the action with its Countdown to Black Friday Deals Week.

    PetSmart will offer a three day pre-sale starting Monday, November 25 for both in-store and online shoppers.

    Many retailers are opening for Black Friday shopping on Thanksgiving Day this year. Kohl’s, JC Penney, Macy’s, Sears, Target and Toys R Us are among those who have jumped on the bandwagon.

    Kmart sparked controversy when it announced that its stores would be open from 6am on Thanksgiving morning until 11pm on Friday night. Dissenters have been particularly vocal on the company’s Facebook page, prompting the retailer’s social media team to reply that “We understand many associates want to spend time with their families during the holiday. With this in mind Kmart stores do their very best to staff with seasonal associates and those who are needed to work holidays.”

    If Twitter is any indication, shoppers are already getting in the mood for Black Friday and holiday shopping:

    Image via Facebook

  • People Are Outraged at Kmart’s Plan to Remain Open All Thanksgiving Day

    Mega retailers being open for part of Thanksgiving Day is nothing new, but usually stores close for a few hours so employees can get in a little guaranteed family time. Kmart added a twist in their Thanksgiving/Black Friday plans this year when they announced plans to stay open 41 hours straight, starting at 6 AM on Thanksgiving Day, November 28. And guess what? People are mad.

    Some Twitter users are calling for shoppers to boycott Kmart for opening all Thanksgiving Day, which may just happen unintentionally as Kmart saw a 5.5 percent drop in sales in the first 9 months of the year. Check out some of the angry tweets Kmart has received below.

    Will you do any of your holiday shopping on Thanksgiving Day? Respond below.

    In all fairness, Kmart won’t be the only store that will open on Thanksgiving this year, and some 24-hour Walmart stores reportedly stay open all day on Thanksgiving to avoid some of the Black Friday chaos. Even Macy’s announced that they will open on Thanksgiving for the first time this year at 8 PM.

    After receiving hundreds of angry tweets directed their way, Kmart responded on their Twitter page with the following:

    Naturally, this was met with a lot of snarky responses.

    [Image via YouTube]

  • Amazon Opens Black Friday Deals Store

    We’re still a few weeks away from Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but Amazon doesn’t care what day it is. This year, the retailer is going to celebrate the holiest of shopping days every day for the next two months.

    Amazon announced today that it has now opened what it calls the Black Friday Deals Store. Like you would normally see on the actual Black Friday, the Black Friday Deals Store will feature a number of crazy sales every day until December 22.

    Now, there are some differences between the actual Black Friday and Amazon’s new Black Friday Deals Store. For one, not everything on Amazon is on sale like it will be on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Instead, Amazon will have two Deals of the Day every day until December 22, and there will “hundreds of Lightning Deals on great gift items every week.”

    You can check out the Black Friday Deals store here. Currently, there’s a sale on Alien Anthology on blu-ray and slippers. An eclectic combination to be sure, but there’s sure to be somebody out there who wants to watch Alien while wearing a new pair of slippers.

    Alongside the Black Friday Deals Store, Amazon has also revealed its Electronic Holiday Gift Guide. The guide features over 350 of the “hottest items” and claims to have something for everyone.

    “We’re making it easy for customers to discover and zero in on the hottest gifts and holiday trends – from streaming media players to Bluetooth portable speakers,” said Ben Hartman, Vice President of Consumer Electronics for Amazon.com. “Our Electronics Holiday Gift Guide is designed to help people shop how they like: by price, category, gift recipient and interest. The Guide gives customers gift ideas for everyone on their list, making it easy to shop from the comfort of home and take advantage of fast and free shipping.”

    In other Amazon shopping news, the retailer opened its Holiday Toy List earlier this month to give parents an idea of what their kids may want for Christmas. While you’re at it, you should sign up for AmazonSmile to donate 0.5 percent of your purchase to a charity of your choice.

    [Image: Amazon]

  • Black Friday: Mall Expects To Be Open 26 Hours

    Black Friday is a day that is both dreaded and anticipated by many, sometimes in the same person. As a former retail manager, I can relate to that. Knowing you might make up for an entire year’s worth of crappy sales in just one long, stressful day can sometimes be worth having no bathroom breaks and a hastily eaten lunch consisting of a soft pretzel and some Dippin’ Dots. On the other side of that coin, though, is knowing you will be taken away from your family at holiday time, and you will be taking your employees away from their families, and also, a lot of people who are out shopping on Black Friday are tired and grouchy and have likely just come to blows with an old lady over the last 64″ high-def television. They don’t care that you’ve been on your feet for 16 hours straight or that you’ve been dealing with call-ins all day.

    This is what many people will be dealing with this year, and one mall in particular is ensuring that they’ll be dealing with it for 26 hours straight. The Rockaway Townsquare Mall in New Jersey has reportedly sent a memo around to each store informing them that the mall will be open from 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving night until 10 p.m. the next day, and participation is mandatory.

    (image)

    Of course, the Rockaway Mall isn’t the first or only place of commerce that will be open longer hours for Black Friday, especially with the competition of Cyber Monday, which brought in billions of dollars both last year and the year before.

  • Wal-Mart Food Stamps Error Causes Shopping Spree

    If you picture the setting at Wal-Mart on any given Saturday, you probably think of an extremely large crowd overflowing the store, long lines and the store in disarray from all of the people trying to get in and out with the things they need before half of their day is over.

    Imagine this hectic scene, but much more busier…

    This past Saturday people rushed to two different Wal-Mart’s, one in Springhill, the other in Mansfield, Louisiana. No, it wasn’t Black Friday, but a glitch in the EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) System that caused people to get to the stores as soon as possible.

    Certain people’s food stamp cards had their spending limit lifted, accidentally, due to the glitch. As people began to arrive to obtain as many groceries as possible with their cards, the police were called to the scene to make sure an out of control uproar did not occur.

    The company that had the glitch provides Wal-Mart with food stamps, through the EBT cards. The glitch occurred because of a power outage during routine maintenance.

    Wal-Mart workers were confused and didn’t know what to do, but ended up ringing out each and every customer.

    “We did make the decision to continue to accept EBT cards during the outage so that they could get food for their families,” Walmart representative Kayla Whaling told KSLA. She added that Walmart was, “fully engaged and monitoring the situation and transactions during the outage,” according to CBS News.

    Whille some shoppers were able to leave the store with 8 carts full of items, as soon as EBT cards seemed to be working properly again, tons of grocery carts were left deserted in the middle of stores because people realized they could no longer get large amounts of items for free.

    Shoppers gave mixed reactions to the incident, with one man in the Springhill store told KSLA it was simply “human reaction” to stock-up when given the opportunity. Shopper Stan Garcia was more critical of the unscrupulous shoppers, however, saying that taking advantage of the brief glitch in the benefits system amounted to “plain theft. That’s stealing, that’s all I got to say about it,” reported CBS.