Black Friday: Best Buy Ad

Best Buy has just released a preview of their Black Friday ad. See it here.

Black Friday: Kmart and Sears Hours

Sears Black Friday Hours

Last year, Sears opened at 4am, opting out of the midnight doorbuster competition altogether by positioning itself as a second stop on the Black Friday shopping agenda. For Black Friday 2012, Sears is going in a completely different direction. In a stunning turn of events, Sears will open at 8pm on Thanksgiving Day and stay open for 26 hours straight through until 10pm on Black Friday. This is by far the earliest we’ve ever seen a retailer open its doors for Black Friday. Sears is planning two rounds of doorbusters – one for the early birds beginning at 8pm on Thanksgiving, and a second round beginning at 4am. We’re looking forward to seeing how this double doorbuster strategy plays out in the Sears Black Friday ad.

Kmart Black Friday Hours

Kmart’s Thanksgiving and Black Friday hours are a jumbled, confusing mess. On Thanksgiving Day, Kmart will be open from 6am to 4pm. They’ll reopen four hours later at 8pm and stay open until 3am on Black Friday, shutting the doors once again. Then they’ll reopen two hours later at 5am for Black Friday, staying open this time until 11pm. Are you confused yet? Presumably, the first break would be to let Kmart employees have Thanksgiving dinner with their families, but why close at 3am only to reopen two hours later? And why lose two hours of shopping time to the competition in the middle of the busiest shopping day of the entire year?

The press release from Sears Holdings offers very few answers, saying only that the decision to open both stores on Thanksgiving was driven in part by feedback from customers “who sought more flexible Black Friday in-store shopping times and eagerness to shop doorbuster deals.”

“Kmart stores have been open on Thanksgiving for the last 21 years, serving as a destination for last-minute entertaining needs,” said Ron Boire, executive vice president, chief merchandising officer and president, Sears and Kmart Formats. “We understand that many of our associates want to spend time with their families on the holiday, so Sears and Kmart will staff its stores with seasonal associates and those who have volunteered to work on Thanksgiving Day.”

Source: Bradsdeals.com

Black Friday Guide: 8 Changes This Year

Photo credit: MSN.com

If you are a Black Friday shopper (like me!), you'll want to read this article from MSN, which lists updates on changes to Black Friday this year.

14 Black Friday Shopping Myths

Photo credit: The Examiner

Save yourself time and money this shopping season and read these 14 Black Friday myths.

Kindle Users: Credit For Kindle Books

I just received this email from Amazon. If you bought Kindle books between April 2010 and May 2012, you are entitled to a credit of $0.30 to $1.32 for every eligible Kindle book:

Dear Kindle Customer,

We have good news. You are entitled to a credit for some of your past e-book purchases as a result of legal settlements between several major e-book publishers and the Attorneys General of most U.S. states and territories, including yours. You do not need to do anything to receive this credit. We will contact you when the credit is applied to your Amazon.com account if the Court approves the settlements in February 2013.

Hachette, Harper Collins, and Simon & Schuster have settled an antitrust lawsuit about e-book prices. Under the proposed settlements, the publishers will provide funds for a credit that will be applied directly to your Amazon.com account. If the Court approves the settlements, the account credit will appear automatically and can be used to purchase Kindle books or print books. While we will not know the amount of your credit until the Court approves the settlements, the Attorneys General estimate that it will range from $0.30 to $1.32 for every eligible Kindle book that you purchased between April 2010 and May 2012. Alternatively, you may request a check in the amount of your credit by following the instructions included in the formal notice of the settlements, set forth below. You can learn more about the settlements here:
www.amazon.com/help/agencyebooksettlements

In addition to the account credit, the settlements impose limitations on the publishers’ ability to set e-book prices. We think these settlements are a big win for customers and look forward to lowering prices on more Kindle books in the future.

Thank you for being a Kindle customer.

The Amazon Kindle Team

7 Best Black Friday Shopping Apps

Photo credit: CNN.com

Want to access Black Friday deals on the go? Here are the 7 best apps!

• The Black Friday App

Everyone knows that Black Friday is a great day to get amazing deals. With the dealnews Black Friday App, you can view retailer “leaked” and confirmed ads, and browse all deals in one place.

• TGI Black Friday App

TGI Black Friday is currently the highest rated Black Friday app for the Apple iPhone in 2011. The free app allows you to search thousands of Black Friday deals for every major retail store. You can create a personal shopping list and use your iPhone to shop smarter and faster on Black Friday.

• Lemon App

Snap a photo of a receipt with your smartphone camera and the app will digitize and store the purchase record.

• Slice App

Perfect for Cyber Monday, turn Slice loose on your e-mail inbox and it will ferret out all of your purchases and start tracking them.

• Zaarly App

Zaarly offered up a how-to guide for using its service to "hack" Black Friday. TaskRabbit, which allows you to outsource your errands, is also fielding Black Friday requests -- everything from companies looking for people to hand out fliers to the traditional "wait in line" appeal.

• SnapTell App

Snap a picture of or scan the barcode on any any book, DVD, CD, or video game that SnapTell tracks and the app will let you know how much the item costs at nearby stores and at online retailers.

• Foursquare

A number of retailers are offering up discounts to users who check in on Foursquare on Black Friday.

Source: CNN.com

Top 10 Tips for Getting the Best Bargains on Black Friday

Black Friday falls on the day after Thanksgiving and has earned the reputation of being the busiest shopping day of the year. The name was adopted from an accounting term - red ink denotes a negative profit margin, where as "in the black" denotes a positive profit margin. Many retailers make or break their sales goals between Thanksgiving and Christmas, with the season kicking off on the Friday after Thanksgiving, hence the name "Black Friday."

• See all Online Black Friday and Thanksgiving Deals and Sales

1. Check Out the Ads:

Your local Thanksgiving Day newspaper will be stuffed like your Thanksgiving turkey with ads, coupons, and circulars. This will be your number one source to local Black Friday savings. It will also help you organize your day to maximize savings, since many stores offer special discounts that are time specific. Example: Receive an extra 10 percent off if you shop before 11 a.m.

2. Do Your Research Before Friday:

If you are hoping to scoop up a deal on Friday on a big-ticket item, go ahead and get your research out of the way as soon as possible. A bad product is a bad deal no matter how cheap it costs. Being knowledgeable about the products you want to buy will help you avoid being sucker-punched with loud advertising for poor products. About.com is chocked full of buying advice on a wide variety of products from professionals who have the knowledge to help you make good decisions.

3. Compare Prices:

Utilize price-comparison Internet shopping sites such as PriceGrabber.com to assist you in comparing product prices. Compare the "options" included with the product. Some retailers will low-ball the advertised price on a stripped down product, and then you will be charged extra for the necessary parts that will make the product perform as expected. A good example of this is often seen with super low-priced computer printers that come without the cable (cord) or printer ink.

4. Look for Early Bird Shopper Discounts:

The Early Bird Shopper will be the real winner on Black Friday. Stores offering early-day shopper specials usually run the deals from 5 a.m. until 11 a.m. and with no "rain checks," which means once they run out of the products, you are out of luck. Scanning the ads and routing your trip based on your buying priorities will be important with the time-sensitive deals that will be offered.

5. Beat the Crowds with Night Owl Discounts on Thanksgiving:

Internet shoppers can beat the early birds by shopping online in the pre-dawn hours of Black Friday. Many retailers will be posting their Black Friday specials, which can be ordered online and picked-up at your local store. Special "Web only" deals will also be available starting as early as Thanksgiving eve. Many of the the aggressive outlet malls and factory stores will be opening Thursday at midnight, with early bird promotions in hopes of capturing your dollars before the competition has opened.

6. Bring the Ads:

Many stores offer a "lowest-price" guarantee; however you may be required to produce a copy of the exact product being advertised for less. Most local retailers will not meet Internet prices even when the product is advertised on the same company's website, but it cannot hurt to try. Print the Web page that details the product and shows the advertised price. It may give you additional bargaining power and push the sales person into waiving other charges such as assembly fees.

8. Know the Store Policies:

Knowing the store policies on returns can help you determine where to buy. A previous trend of extending "return days" during the holidays is being seen less this year. Many retailers are including restocking fees and shorter return deadlines. Almost all of the major retail chains have clamped down on requiring receipts for returns and exchanges, and many keep a database of individuals who tend to abuse return policies. If you get onto an "abuse" list, prepare yourself to be turned down.

• The Small Print On Return and Free Shipping Policies
• The Hidden Costs of Restocking Fees

9. Ask for Gift Receipts:

Gift receipts generally include a description of the item purchased but do not disclose the price paid. Including gift receipts inside the gift box will make returns or exchanges easier for the gift recipient. Without proof-of-purchase, the recipient may be turned down for returning or exchanging the item or risk receiving an exchange for the current selling price of the item.

• Keep That Receipt!
• Tips on Returning Gifts Hassle Free

Since many retailers begin permanently slashing prices as soon as Black Friday is over, the difference between what you pay for a gift during December and what it sells for in January can be significant. Including a gift-receipt should help insure a hassle-free return experience for gift recipients.

10. Saying "Charge It" Can Pay Off

Obviously, there is no bargain in running up high credit card bills and paying big interest rates, however, with proper spending disciplines intact, using the right charge card can be of value to consumers. Many credit card companies entice consumers with free benefits, which include extended free warranties, return protection and sale price protection.

• Warranty Coverage - Your credit card company may offer to double or triple a manufacturer's warranty for free on a product you purchase - a good option instead of purchasing a service contract that costs money and has a shorter duration period.
• Return Protection - A credit card company may guarantee a refund on a product up to 90 days where as the store may not. This is becoming particularly more important as retailers stiffen the allotted return days.
• Sale Price Protection - Some of the credit card companies will offer this protection and refund you the difference if a product you buy is marked down further than the price you paid within a certain time frame (usually 60 days).

An enormous amount of advertising, locally and online, can be confusing and nearly paralyzing to the Black Friday bargain hunter. To maximize the benefits of hitting the stores on a day where there are big crowds and a better deal around every corner, developing a plan and doing preliminary research will help insure that the day is a shopping success.

Have fun saving money while you shop!

Source: About.com

Toys R Us/ Babies R Us: New Price Match Guarantee

Toys R Us and Babies R Us recently launched a new Price Match Guarantee policy – perfect for the upcoming holiday shopping! Through Christmas Eve (12/24), Toys R Us and Babies R Us will match competitor store pricing on ALL products in their store. Check out the guidelines below…

Price Matching Guidelines:
*Price Match is valid for in-store purchases only.
*They will match all competitor store advertised prices.
*They’ll match Toysrus.com and Babiesrus.com online pricing in our stores, except for online-only prices.
*Items purchased must be identical to the items advertised (e.g., brand, color, size).
*The original, complete competitor ad, with valid dates, must be presented at time of purchase.
*Prices are matched after deducting any Toys”R”Us and/or Babies”R”Us coupon savings and other offers from our price.
*Price match is given at the time of purchase or within 7 days of purchase date with a valid receipt.

They will not match prices for competitors’:
*Category-wide or storewide discounts
*Buy One Get One with purchase offers
*Gift with purchase offers
*Percentage (%) off discounts
*Out-of-stock or limited quantity items
*Doorbuster items
*Prices advertised on Black Friday
*Internet pricing for non-baby gear items
*Coupons

Thanks Hip2Save!