Are you ready for some Black Friday deals!? In the past few years, Black Friday has become less of a single day, and more of a week-long shopping extravaganza! Whether you hit the stores and fight the crowds with your mapped out plan of attack, or stay at home in your jammies and shop online, Black Friday offers some of the best deals we see all year!
Over the last few years, we’ve seen a lot of trends in retailers. As we note them, we are able to better predict the heavy hitters for the next season. These are our favorite retailers for online Black Friday Week deals, based on previous success.
**Note that these are our predictions and assumptions, based on previous years. Stay tuned to the blog for confirmation and new releases about Black Friday!
Amazon
Lightning Deals make Amazon one of your best choices for online shopping during Black Friday Week. These are super quick, limited time and limited stock items at rock bottom prices. Not many retailers can beat Amazon’s deals, which is why we absolutely love Amazon.com! If you find a deal at Best Buy or Walmart, check Amazon, because it will probably be the same price or cheaper!
What to buy: Toys, electronics, Echo, FireTV, Carseats, tools, Kindles, clothing… Last year, we saw a HUGE mark down (75%!) off designer Winter coats and jackets. LED and HDTVs were also super cheap – some of the cheapest offered anywhere.
When to buy: Keep your eyes on STLMommy.com and Amazon, because these Lightning Deals are gone like….like lightning! You’ll definitely want to be ready. In fact, Black Friday is a week long sale event on Amazon, so on Friday, November 18th, have that screen cleaned and the mouse ready to click to score some amazing deals!
Perks: Prime members will get early access to Black Friday Lightning Deals again this year (30 minutes). We definitely recommend grabbing that free trial of Amazon Prime, or singing up for it, before the week begins. Plus, it’s free 2-day shipping – and that’s pretty awesome!
Target
Who doesn’t love Target and Target.com on an everyday basis!? Last year, we saw a FREE shipping with NO minimum offer – and getting free shipping on Black Friday deals is a bonus, for sure. Watch for great gift card offers this year, again, and coupon codes to sweeten those deals, too.
What to buy: Based on years past, Target’s best offers included movies, electronics and video games. In fact, the last two years, Target holds the honor of offering the best deals on iPads! We’re hoping to see that again this year. Name brand TVs will also be on sale, and most likely include high-value gift cards again. Keep your eyes out for awesome deals on holiday decor, too – including (hopefully) another promo code like last year ($50 off $100).
When to buy: Normally, Target opens at 6pm on Thanksgiving Day and stays open all the way through 11pm on Black Friday (talk about long store hours!). Online shoppers are luckier, because Target has a history of offering their Black Friday prices online, the day before Thanksgiving! In fact, we’re really hoping that the “Target Black Friday Early Access Sale” is held again this year- on the day the ad is released with several of the Black Friday deals offered early!
Perks: Gift cards, coupon codes and rock bottom prices all equal some MASSIVE savings at Target.com! Plus, if they offer free shipping again – it doesn’t get much better than that.
Kohl’s
One of our absolute favorite places to shop year-round, is not surprisingly, one of our top picks for Black Friday, too. Kohl’s.com offers AMAZING deals on housewares, shoes and clothing. Stack coupons and Kohl’s Cash on top of those Black Friday deals to get some of your favorite items this year!
What to Buy: AMAZING deals on housewares, toys, clothing and shoes!! Last year, we saw some really great deals on toys (50% off or more), clothing (GREAT deals on Winter clothes and pajamas), boots, jewelry and more. This year, watch for a nice deal on the American Girl “Lea”, as Kohl’s has a new partnership with that company. Keep your eyes on the STLMommy.com, as we’ll be posting all of these great deals throughout the week.
When to Buy: The majority of their sales will probably begin around Monday before Thanksgiving this year, again. Most of the deals will be online, as well as in-store, so there’s really no reason to stand in lines or fight the crowds if you don’t want to. Opening at 6pm on Thanksgiving is awesome, but what’s better is the online Black Friday deals starting on Monday, November 21st.
Perks: Normally throughout the year, we LOVE getting the $5 and $10 in Kohl’s Cash – but Black Friday always offers a $15 with every $50 purchase reward in Kohl’s Cash! This happens once a year, and is definitely exciting. Use that Kohl’s Cash to make purchases the following week. We anticipate from November 21-27, we’ll see this awesome offer this year.
Walmart
Walmart is a Black Friday staple for many. With super low prices and great stock levels, it’s no wonder Walmart is so popular. One down-side to shopping online for Black Friday Week, is that you may have to pick up your order in-store. If you don’t mind doing this, we think it’s definitely worth the trip! Last year, their in-store sales began at 6pm on Thanksgiving Day – however, online shoppers were able to start shopping just after midnight.
What to buy: If you need video games or video game consoles and accessories – this is the place for you! Walmart.com will most likely follow suit with their success from last year, with console bundles and new video games at the lowest prices online for the week of Black Friday. Generic model HDTVs are also very popular at Walmart. Last year, again, they had the cheapest prices on large HDTVs.
When to buy: Most likely, we’ll see online deals popping up earlier than in-store deals. Last year, the online deals started at 3am on Thanksgiving, so be prepared for that again this year. You’ll definitely find great prices on Thanksgiving and Black Friday – but if you don’t like being rushed to make a purchase, watch for nearly just as good deals in the days leading up to the events.
Perks: In-store shopper will most likely get the Walmart’s 1-Hour Guarantee again this year. Shoppers line up for specific doorbuster deals, and if they run out of stock, those with the bracelet will be guaranteed to get the items before Christmas.
For online shoppers, it gets better. Last year, Walmart.com offered more Black Friday deals than ever, and we believe that because of their success, they will do this again!
Best Buy
Whether it’s their amazing Doorbusters or unbeatable Black Friday deals, Best Buy is definitely on our top list this year. Last year, Best Buy opened at 5pm on Thanksgiving. they closed at 1AM, and re-opened after re-stocking at 8am on Black Friday. Doorbusters were being released non-stop online on Thanksgiving, as well and shipping is FREE!
What to buy: Not only is Best Buy a great place for appliances, video games, laptops, TVs, and electronics, movie fans can stock up on super cheap Blu-Ray movies! The last two years, their Blu-Rays have been marked down to only $4 + free shipping. You’ll want to be quick when it comes to making online purchases at BestBuy.com, though. We’re anticipating another blowout, with the best price online anywhere for laptops, but they sell out quickly at the incredible prices!
When to buy: Thanksgiving’s Doorbuster deals were actually more popular and better deals than their actual Black Friday deals, last year. We’re thinking the same trend will occur this year.
Perks: If you’re a rewards member for Best Buy, you’re in luck! There will be members-only deals, and last year’s Black Friday Early Access Event (usually on Monday before Black Friday) is only open to Elite and Elite Plus Members. You’ll score great deals and BIG rewards this year, too.
I would love to know your favorite places to shop! Stay tuned to the Black Friday Advertisements Page for this years ads and the Black Friday Page for deals!
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