For the past several years retailers have been pushing the Black Friday envelope to beyond just the Friday after Thanksgiving. First we had Black Thursday (Thanksgiving Day) and last year we were introduced to Black Wednesday. So what’s new this year? How about Black Friday Week! Part of this frenzy is driven by the prevailing low consumer confidence due to the partial government shutdown and the debt limit debate. Retailers are worried that consumers will hold back on spending and may spend less than last year. To compound the situation further, the Christmas shopping season is one week shorter this year and these are some of the reasons why retailers have decided to get a head start on what’s considered to be the biggest shopping day of the year. According to DealNews.com, Walmart is offering the following unbelievable deals:
- 70-inch LED smart TV for $988 (the same TV is for sale at Costco for $1,649 at this writing)
- 50-inch LCD HDTV for $288
- 32-inch LCD HDTV for $98
- iPad Mini for a net cost of $199 ($299 – $100 gift card = $199)
- iPhone 5C for $45 (Beginning Nov. 29, this deals comes with a $75 gift card)
- Monster Beats by Dr. Dre Solo HD Headphones for $114.95
- Rubbermaid 30-Piece Easy Find Lids Food Storage Set for $6.92
To avoid another stampede like the one they had a couple of years back, Walmart will be handing out a limited number of wristbands at stores starting at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving for “guaranteed products” like the ones listed above. Getting a wrist band means you’ll get the product at the advertised price, if not that day, at least before Christmas Day. The wristband idea will also free up shoppers to go and make purchases throughout other areas of the store. You can get updated information about the various deals offered by local and online merchants at the following websites: http://www.theblackfriday.com/ http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com/ http://bfads.net/ http://www.blackfriday.fm/