Electronics are at the top of many shopping lists when it comes to Black Friday deals – perhaps because electronics offer the widest margin in savings. Many shoppers wait to buy electronics until Black Friday rolls around, and although there are several great deals out there, you should still do some research and come up with a Black Friday plan. Here is a store-by-store forecast for this year’s deals on electronics based on what we saw last year:
Best Buy opened its doors last year on Thanksgiving day at 5pm – giving shoppers a head start on Black Friday savings. Some of their biggest deals included a 50-inch Panasonic HDTV for $199.99, a Dell laptop for $299.99, $100 off iPad Air 2’s, and a Samsung Galaxy phone for $1 with a 2-year activation contract. Shoppers were especially happy to hear that Best Buy offered instant discounts on Apple devices, as opposed to offering gift cards with certain purchases. While the Black Friday 2015 deals have yet to be released, it’s likely that Best Buy will have some of the best deals on HDTV’s and smartphones. Based on the previous few years, Best Buy will feature one large and one smaller flat screen television, one Apple product, at least one smartphone, and select DVD’s.
Call your local Best Buy and ask about their Black Friday procedure. In recent years, they’ve started a ticketing system, where those in line receive a ticket and entry is based on your number. In addition, make sure to check out consumer reviews on electronics prior to your purchase, especially if the deal is on a brand for which you are unfamiliar.
Last year’s Black Friday sale at Target had some amazing deals. However, if you’re specifically looking for a name brand TV, you may have better luck at an electronics store. Target tends to have the best deals on smaller electronics. Black Friday 2014 included a 40-inch Element TV for $119, Beats by Dre for $97 (a $72.99 savings), and a Nikon digital camera for only $99 (a savings of $130.99). Target is also known for offering gift cards on certain purchases. For example, last year shoppers received a $50 gift card with the purchase of an Xbox. Because Target tends to have the best prices on small electronics, this may be a better stop for those doing holiday shopping – as Target’s Black Friday deals are usually on items that make great gifts. This year, Target will likely have amazing deals on Apple products, and the trend is also to offer at least one great deal on a digital camera.
Use your REDcard for an additional 5% off your Black Friday savings, and use any promotional gift card you may receive on eligible purchases for purchasing additional Black Friday items to maximize your savings (this is where you’ll have to do your planning).
Costco is the place to go for Black Friday savings on desktop computers and GPS navigation kits. Last year, they featured a Garmin 5-inch GPS for $30 off, $50 off Vizio 60-inch HDTV’s, and great deals on small electronics like digital cameras and Blu-Ray players. While many retailers limit their Black Friday items to one per shopper, most of Costco’s Black Friday deals have a limit of 3 per shopper. Based on previous years, it’s likely Costco will have at least one great deal on a name brand digital camera (probably Nikon or Canon), and feature at least one deal on a desktop computer, as well as a laptop.
Costco is one of the few stores that did not open on Thanksgiving Day last year to kick off Black Friday. In fact, they didn’t open their doors until 9 a.m. on Black Friday. Also note that Costco doesn’t list exact prices on its Black Friday items. Instead, they list the monetary amount in savings. If you do your research to find out what the price will be, you may be able to snag some great deals at Costco after you hit up the retailers that open early.
Similar to Target, Walmart had some great gifting options for last year’s Black Friday. Their Black Friday ad featured 50-inch and 65-inch HDTV’s ($218 and $648), a 16GB iPad mini for $199, and a $30 gift card with the purchase of an Xbox bundle. An interesting thing about Walmart is they actually have a pre-Black Friday sale – usually a week before actual Black Friday. In fact, last year’s pre-Black Friday sale offered a $100 gift card on purchases of select iPads. Walmart will likely have comparable deals to Target, that feature at least two TV’s, as well as deep discounts on select Apple products. Walmart has also used a wristband system for in-demand items so that shoppers don’t wait in line for items that aren’t available.
Walmart has specials even after Black Friday. Be sure to check for special deals in the two days leading to cyber Monday.
RadioShack is another retailer that opens on Thursday for Black Friday. Last year shoppers got great deals on smartphones, tablets ($49.99), and Beats by Dre headphones ($69.99). In addition, the first 50 shoppers received free touchscreen gloves. RadioShack had several different headphones and headsets available at deeply discounted pricing, as well as portable speaker sets. It’s likely that this year, RadioShack will follow the trend by focusing mainly on small electronics for Black Friday. Other RadioShack predictions say that this year, RadioShack will focus primarily on smartphones.
RadioShack will do Black Friday price matching on specific items – so contact your local RadioShack before Black Friday and ask for the list of items that qualify for price matching. You’ll simply bring the competitor’s ad with you when you make your purchase. Last year’s price match list even came with an additional 10% off.
Amazon is a fairly new contender in the Black Friday lineup, but it definitely shouldn’t be overlooked this year. Last year’s deals included 45% off select Samsung TV’s and deals on several other name brand TV’s. Another thing that sets Amazon apart is that they post new deals every 10 minutes throughout Black Friday, as well as a “deal of the day” starting at midnight on Thanksgiving. You should also be sure to check the limited time deals, which often feature small electronics like security cameras and computer accessories. This year, Amazon will likely follow tradition by focusing on great TV deals.
If you don’t already have an Amazon Prime account, be sure to get one before Black Friday. Prime members get Black Friday deals 30 minutes before the general public – so essentially, Prime members get the first bite at the Amazon Black Friday apple. It’s important to note that Amazon offers a free 30-day trial, so if you don’t have a Prime membership, simply sign up for the trial strategically (so that you have Prime during Black Friday).
