Take advantage of Black Friday sales this year

BY Kerry Keith

Last year, there were 174 million Americans who shopped on Black Friday weekend with $7.9 billion spent on online sales on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, up 17.9 percent from 2016 according to the National Retail Federation.

This year, Thanksgiving falls on Nov. 22 and for many retailers, Black Friday begins that evening.

The weekly ads for the three biggest retailers, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart, can be viewed online. The ads provide store hours for Black Friday, Black Friday deals, doorbusters, special deals for cardholders and Cyber Monday deals.

One of the biggest purchases consumers make on Black Friday are electronics, and a lot of that is because of Best Buy. Years ago, Best Buy started offering such incredible doorbuster deals to the first 10, 25, or 50 customers on things like televisions, computers and gaming consoles.

The deals had people lining up, even camping out, at the stores the night before to take advantage of the deals. Now, with Cyber Monday, the best places with the best prices for electronics are at Best Buy and BestBuy.com.

In past years, they’ve offered Cyber Monday deals all week long and even offered free shipping on anything purchased over Thanksgiving weekend. They’ve offered deals online to MyBestBuy members the Monday or Tuesday before Thanksgiving, so check out BestBuy.com for details on this year’s sale.

Target offers some great in-store deals on Black Friday with a lot of doorbusters and sometimes offering free Target gift cards with purchase. In past years on Cyber Monday, Target has offered a storewide discount of 15 percent off everything at Target.com and this year is sure to be no different.

If you miss the in-store Black Friday deals, visit the site on Cyber Monday, Nov. 26, to take advantage of the 15 percent off discount deals. If you use a Target credit card, you’ll receive an additional five percent off.

Walmart has had some good deals on electronics in past years but they have minimized their doorbusters. Expect the sale to start online as early as the 12:01 a.m. on Thanksgiving and to continue through the weekend.

Some other great deals expected this Cyber Monday include 50 percent off at OldNavy.com, Gap.com, Express.com, BananaRepublic.com, and AnnTaylor.com. Kohls.com is expected to offer 30 percent off on their entire site on Cyber Monday. Don’t forget Kohls Cash that offers $15 off for every $50 spent in-store over the holiday weekend.

Macys.com usually has their sale beginning Thanksgiving and running through Saturday with free shipping on orders totaling a certain amount to be eligible. Macy’s always offers something extra to their Macy’s credit card holders so check out Macys.com for details.

Lowes has some great in-store and online deals, such as Christmas trees, appliances and tools. MyLowe’s members will most likely receive free parcel shipping this year.

You can’t talk about shopping online without talking about Amazon. Some of the best deals they offer are on their own products, such as the Amazon Echo, Fire and Kindle products. They’ll most likely have the same deals with additional products, such as televisions and gaming bundles.

Amazon has not offered free shipping during Black Friday in the past and it’s likely that won’t change this year. So when shopping, factor in the sale price plus shipping costs at Amazon.com compared to Target.com with the 15 percent off (20 percent off if you’re a Target credit card holder) plus free shipping.

Another great place to visit on Black Friday is Vista Print that offers 60 percent off their entire site. The sale usually lasts through the weekend. Vista Print offers custom holiday cards, return address labels, customized gifts and anything you could need for your business.

Check out VistaPrint.com on Black Friday and make sure that the promo code for the 60 percent off is in the coupon code box and that the discount is reflected in the check out box. If not, check out Retailmenot.com to get the code, if it’s not already posted on their site.

Something else that seems to be popular during Black Friday are travel deals. Some of the best sales last year are projected to be repeated this year, including sites like Expedia.com and Hotels.com offering 50 percent off hotel stays and TravelAmericanExpress.com offering up to 50 percent off hotel rooms.

Marriott.com usually offers deals and you can save even more if you’re a Marriott Rewards member. Don’t forget saving on flights at Delta.com, Southwest.com and other airlines.

Cruises are almost always on sale and Black Friday is no different. When it gets closer to Thanksgiving, check out TravelandLeisure.com for detailed information on this year’s best travel deals.

No matter where you shop during Black Friday weekend, whether in-person or online, most stores (even those in the Canyon Lake Town Center) will have some sort of sale or special on Black Friday.

For more information, check out the individual store sites, or for all things Black Friday, visit BestBlackFriday.com, BlackFriday.com, TheBlackFriday.com, or Finder.com. Happy shopping!