Whether you’re shopping on Thanksgiving Day or waiting until Friday at midnight, shopping Black Friday weekend is the best way to save money on Christmas presents. Some stores have started opening earlier and earlier on Thanksgiving Day, but others have stayed in the Black-Friday-only camp. Some have even backtracked on their policy of opening on Thanksgiving Day and are back to opening on Black Friday only.
Here we’ll be looking at stores that have, in the recent past, opened only on Black Friday. Almost any of these could change this year, but it’s likely most of them will stay right around the same time. Most stores have settled into their preferred time frame. The only confirmed time on this list is Staples – all the others are speculation based on previous times, so be sure to wait until stores confirm their opening time to schedule them in.
Surprisingly, there aren’t that many midnight openers left, as the stores that used to open at midnight have generally moved to opening on Thanksgiving Day, and stores uninterested in opening super early open later in the morning. Bed, Bath and Beyond is one store that still opened at midnight last year, and they offered 20 percent off your entire purchase on Black Friday. Of course, “entire purchase” excluded a bunch of brands, but there were also a few other sales throughout the store, too.
GameStop is another store that opened at midnight last year. They’re used to midnight openings as there are lots of midnight game releases throughout the year – and you can expect savings throughout the store. They usually offer great bundle sales for the latest consoles – PS4 and XBox One in this case – plus sales on games, accessories and even gift cards. Don’t forget to bring something with trade-in value and you can get an even better deal.
Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops usually open at 5 a.m. on Black Friday. These are both great destinations for outdoor (or just outdoor-themed) products. Last year, Cabela’s offered a great sale on a camouflage recliner, and both stores had clothes, weapons and other outdoor equipment available with really great deals. Cabela’s also had several giveaways for early visitors.
Lowe’s and Home Depot also opened at 5 a.m. last year. Both stores featured sales on things like tools, Christmas trees and other Christmas decorations. Their tool sales are probably the biggest draw. Last year, Lowe’s was offering a $100 power drill. There are really great appliance sales as well. There’s a huge selection of brands and products at both of these stores, so when choosing between the two, be sure to compare their ads to see who’s offering better prices on the items you want.
OfficeMax and Office Depot both usually open at 5 a.m. You can expect sales on small personal electronics like tablets and phones as well as, of course, office supplies and accessories. Last year, they offered a LogiTech computer mouse for $18, so be sure to scour the ad for great prices like this on things you may not usually be thinking of around that time of year.
Jo-Ann Fabrics has opened at 6 a.m. in previous years, with sales throughout their store. They did something interesting last year and had the same sales on Wednesday – the day before Thanksgiving – as they had on Friday. There was, however, a coupon for an extra 25 percent off on Friday in the ad, even on sale items, making Black Friday the biggest draw.
Menards is also a 6 a.m. opener, and you can expect to find sales on items ranging from tools to electronics to clothing and more. Menards has a little bit of everything, product-wise, and they’re sure to spread the sales out as well. They also made a point in their ad to include a note about why they were closed on Thanksgiving, so it seems to be pretty important to them.
Staples, the only confirmed opening time on this list so far, will be opening at 6 a.m. this year. Expect sales similar to last year, when they offered a $100 laptop and a $40 Android tablet. Staples opened at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving last year, but has decided enough is enough and they will open only on Black Friday this year.
Another store that sometimes opens at 7 a.m. on Black Friday is Sam’s Club. If you’re a member, Sam’s Club is a great place to get TVs, appliances, computers, accessories and more. This can also be a great place to get a good deal on gift cards. Last year they were offering a $100 iTunes gift card multipack for $80, which is a huge savings on something that rarely goes on sale.
PetSmart also usually opens at 7 a.m. on Black Friday, and can be a great place to go for all things pets. Last year, they offered 50 percent off a few of their dog beds as well as 50 percent off of all holiday themed collars and toys. Don’t forget your furry friends when you go shopping this holiday season!
