Those on the hunt for Black Friday deals no longer have to run into stores at the crack of dawn like the bulls of Pamplona are on the loose.
Some may enjoy the adrenaline rush of charging into a store as if their lives were on the line, but for those who want to avoid the chaos associated with Black Friday, the internet is the way to shop.
“The shift to online is a big thing that’s changed,” said Jon Vincent, founder of Early Black Friday, a Massachusetts-based online platform that compiles the Black Friday deals of major retailers, including Target, Walmart and Costco.
For about 15 years, Mr. Vincent has been observing the trends of the quintessential American shopping experience that takes place after Thanksgiving, and he uses his experience to outline the this year’s deals.
“I was one of those people standing in line outside of Circuit City — when that existed — trying to get tech deals,” recalled Mr. Vincent.
Early Black Friday was born when Mr. Vincent was on the hunt for a computer and visited different online forums on where the best deals were.
“I did it primarily for myself (but) very quickly we got tons of traffic,” said Mr. Vincent.
Mr. Vincent — software engineer by day, deal hunter by night — told the News-Press that the growth of the internet has allowed more consumers to participate in the shopping experience as well as providing retailers with a platform to reach more customers.
Here are some tips Mr. Vincent recommends for the upcoming Black Friday.
- When buying electronics, be wary of the Black Friday special models, which are made with lower quality items to drive down the price for consumers. One way to tell whether if it’s a Black Friday special model is to Google the model number. If there are no online reviews, the item is most likely a commodity of inferior quality. If the listing for the item has several ratings, the item is probably the real model.
- If there’s an item discounted for less than 30 percent, skip the item on Black Friday but instead search for it during Cyber Monday or later in the holiday shopping season.
- Looking for in-store doorbuster deals? For retailers like Target, Best Buy and Walmart, line up at least nine hours before doors are set to open. For other retailers, at least three hours.
Remember that Black Friday deals are not just on that Friday. Some retailers — including Kohl’s and Amazon — typically have their deals available starting on the Monday before Thanksgiving.
While most folks will be targeting the flatscreens and other electronics, do be on the lookout for other products such as luggage and bed & bath products.
Some noteworthy deals:
ELECTRONICS
- Element 65″ 4k Roku HDTV for $279.99 at Target (in-store only)
- Westinghouse 50″ 4k Roku HDTV for $149.99 ($160 off) at Target (in-store only)
- Insignia 58″ 4k Fire TV HDTV + free Amazon Echo Dot for $199.99 (save $280) at Best Buy
- Philips 65″ 4k Android Smart HDTV for $278 at Walmart
- Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones for $129.99 ($50 off) at Target
- Apple iPad 32GB 10.2″ (Latest Generation) for $249.99 ($80 off) at Target
- Samsung 3.1-Channel 340W Soundbar System with 6-1/2″ Wireless Subwoofer for $209.99 (save $190) at Best Buy
- Roku Ultra 4k Media Player for $48 (50% off) at Walmart
- JLab JBuds Air Executive True Wireless In-Ear Headphones for $34 (50% off) at Walmart
- HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop w/Intel Core i5 Processor, 8GB Memory, 256GB SSD for $579 at Walmart
- Samsung 11.6″ Chromebook 3 w/4GB Memory for $99 ($60 off) at Walmart
- LG 32″ IPS Monitor for $129.99 (save $70) at Office Depot
- HP Color LaserJet Pro M281fdw All-In-One Printer for $279.99 ($150 off) at Staples
- HP 14″ Laptop w/AMD A9-Series Processor, 4GB Memory, 128GB SSD for $199.99 ($100 off) at Best Buy.
SMART HOME
- Ring Video Doorbell 2 for $129 ($70 off) at Target
- Google Nest Learning Thermostat + $45 in Kohl’s Cash for $179.99 ($70 off) at Kohls
- Google Nest Hub Smart Display + $15 in Kohl’s Cash for $79 ($50 off) at Kohls
TOYS
- Black+Decker Children’s Workbench for $34.99 at Target (50% off)
- Hatchimals HatchiBabies for $29.99 at Target (50% off)
- Ryan’s World Deluxe Piggy Bank Surprise for $30 at Walmart
- Kano Kid’s Build Your Own Computer Kit for $49.99 ($100 off) at Target
- KidKraft Montauk Outdoor Playset w/Tube Slide for $799 at Target (save $450)
- Select Barbie Dolls, Disney Princess Dolls, and Hot Wheels Vehicles for $4.99 each at Kohl’s
- PJ Masks Headquarters Play Set for $19.99 (50% off) at Kohl’s
- 30% off select Lego sets at Kohl’s
- 50% off select Disney toys at JCPenney
VIDEO GAMES
- Over 100 different PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One games for $15 each at Target
- Xbox One S 1TB Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Bundle Console + a $40 Target Gift Card for $199.99 ($100 off) at Target
- Sony Playstation 4 1TB Console Bundle w/3 “Only On Playstation” Games for $199.99 ($100 off) at Best Buy
- Nintendo Switch Console w/carrying case + docketing station + $90 in Kohl’s Cash for $319.99 at Kohls
KITCHEN
- KitchenAid Professional 5-qt. Mixer for $229.99 at Target ($220 off)
- Small kitchen appliances (toaster, coffee maker, crock pot, etc) for $10 at Target (50% off)
- Keurig K-Select Single Serve Coffee Maker for $59.99 ($70 off) at JCPenney
- FoodSaver FM2106 Vacuum Sealing System + $15 in Kohl’s Cash for $67.99 ($82 off) at Kohl’s.
CLOTHING
- 40% off all Levi’s Jeans at Kohl’s
- 60% off select styles of pajamas for kids at Kohl’s
- 25% off Nike, Adidas and Skechers shoes for the family at JCPenney
- Boys’ and Girls’ Character 2-Piece Sleep Sets for $4.75 each at Walmart
BED & BATH
- 50% off all character Bed-in-a-Bag children’s sheet sets at Target
- Hotel Suite White Goose Feather and Down Comforter (all sizes) + $15 in Kohl’s Cash for $50.99 ($79-$129 off) at Kohls
- The Big One Bath Towels for $2.54 each ($7.50 off) at Kohl’s
- JCPenney Home 40-pc. Dinnerware Set for $29.99 ($70 off) at JCPenney
MISCELLANEOUS
- 23andme Health + Ancestry Kit for $99.99 at Target ($100 off)
- Weber Genesis II SE-410 Gas Grill for $699 with free assembly and delivery at Ace Hardware ($250 off)
- 60% off select Samsonite, Columbia, and TravelPro luggage at JCPenney
- Protocol Garrison 5-Piece Luggage Set for $49.99 at JCPenney
- 70-75% off all fine jewelry at Kohl’s
- 60% off select holiday decor & ornaments at JCPenney
- Select DVDs and Blu-rays from $1.96 to $5.96 each at Walmart
