For those of you who are brave enough to go out in the wee hours of the early morning after a Thanksgiving food coma, Black Friday is a big part of the American holiday season. Yes, you run the risk of being trampled in a stampede in front of Walmart, but you get access to some of the craziest discounts and best sales of the year to get a jump on your holiday shopping. So if you have the retail stamina to join the hordes of Black Friday this year, here is a list of a few things to keep in mind to plan and get a jump start on your shopping antics.
General
- Friday November 25, 2016 is the official date of Black Friday with many stores opening their doors around 5am or 6am
- Thursday November 24, 2016 is when Black Friday really starts (Grey Thursday) with many apparel and technology retailers starting sales as early as 3pm on Thanksgiving and running into the early morning on Friday (I will be fast asleep in a food coma at this hour)
- Major retailers mean major deals. If you’re looking for the biggest price cuts, start at the biggest, chain retailers of all departments rather than specialty stores.
- The best deals will be on big ticket items.
- Download all the aps, follow everyone on social media. This year we will see Black Friday retailers relying heavily on their mobile aps and social media offerings, so be sure to download them and take full advantage of exclusive coupons, deals, and information before the general public.
- Only shop the deals. Black Friday is tricky, and as a Retail major, I know all the sneaky little tricks that these stores will have ready to make you spend. Go in with a budget, get what you came for, and only shop the sales that are really sales and not just regular items emblazoned with Black Friday signage and ads.
Apparel & Accessories
- The best apparel and accessories deals will be at anchor stores like J.C. Penney, Belk, Dicks, Macy’s, and Neiman Marcus.
- J.C. Penney will have a $10 of $10 or more (hello, almost free stuff).
- High end retailers like Saks Fifth Ave, Nordstrom, and Neiman Marcus will see the lowest prices on their luxury items including boots and sweaters and cashmere products.
- Express and Banana Republic will offer major savings with early hours on Black Friday — also great if your shopping for internship clothes.
- Bass Pro Shops is going to have huge discounts on apparel and sporting gear and accessories, and even home furnishings. It is not usually one you think about, but will offer major deals.
- Ulta will offer significant holiday deals and bundles on their products. Do not miss out on hair tools sales and huge price cuts on high end makeup and brands.
Technology & Gaming
- Technology retailers like GameStop, Verizon, and Best Buy will offer huge savings starting late on Thursday including entire gaming systems and bundles with games, systems, and available software.
- PS4 and Xbox deals will be at Walmart, Target, and Best Buy.
- GameStop and Toys R Us will likely have BOGO 50% on top games like Madden NHL 2016, Assassin’s Creed, with older games going for as much as 80% off.
- LED and 4K TV models will be a hot commodity this year at retailers lie Walmart and Best Buy offering deep discounts.
- The best deals of Tablets will likely be from Android from retailers like Target and Amazon.
- Dell and HP will likely hold flash sales offering deep discounts on laptops alongside retailers like Walmart and Best Buy. Still, the best deals for dirt cheap laptops will be on slightly older models.
- There will likely be deals on the iPhone 6 and 6s, but the more competitive sales and prices will be from Android.
- Beats by Dre have consistently low prices on Black Friday
- Black Friday is the best time to purchase digital cameras because comparatively low prices will come with free accessories like an extra memory card or a free carrying case.
Toys
- While these prices are slashed on Black Friday, they’ll be on sale again closer to the holidays. The thing is, they sell out, so make sure to get them first.
- Toy sales will be closely linked to video game and movie releases, so watch out for special bundles and free accessories with a purchase.
- Toys R Us is a sure bet, but Target will also have huge Black Friday sales on kids’ toys.
- Amazon has compiled a list of the top 100 most popular toys and set up deals on each of them.
Appliances
- Big ticket appliances will be going fro as low as half of their retail price at major retailers like Lowe’s and Home Depot.
- Keurigs will be a a common buy this year going for super low prices and will likely come with accessories or K-cups.
- Black Friday is the only day of the year that a Kitchen Aide Mixer will be reasonably affordable and justifiable to spend a lot of money on a cheetah-print or polka dot kitchen appliance.
Best of luck, shoppers. Wearing comfortable shoes, bring snacks, and maybe wear some body armor or chain mail.
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