The very name of it sounds ominous, quite terrifying and a day on which one may be wise to opt to stay indoors and for many including myself, it is all of those things. But it is in fact the unofficial start to the holidays and a holiday in itself to those who just love to bag themselves a bargain or five. That’s right folks, Black Friday is fast approaching and some larger retailers have already released details of the juicy deals they’ll be offering their eager shoppers in order to get them salivating for some serious savings in the run-up to Christmas Day.
The famous shopping day is the day after Thanksgiving in the USA and falls on the Friday after the last Thursday in November so this year will see the games begin early on the morning of November 29th. Bargain hunters all over North America will be sharpening their elbows and calling for reinforcements as they prepare to battle for the ultimate savings thus ensuring that it remains the busiest shopping day of the year. Every year we Canadians make the trek over the border in order to join the frenzy and find some sweet deals of our own. Check out our rundown of some of the better deals available this year and if you’re planning on heading out on the 29th to get your bargain on remember, it’s a jungle out there so get your game face on. Good luck shoppers!!
Walmart: Walmart is synonymous with Black Friday thanks to their incredible deals, mainly on electronics. TV’s, computers and game systems are all subject to a hefty price slash. This year they have decided on splitting the sales into ‘events’ each starting at different times in order to try and alleviate the chaos of previous years. Check out walmart.com for more info on what sales are available during each event.
- Vizio 60-inch Smart HDTV: $688 (reg. $998)
- HP Pavilion TouchSmart 14-inch laptop: $278 (reg. $398)
- Beats by Dre headphones: $114.95 (reg. $199.95)
- Black & Decker 12-cup coffee maker: $9.44 (reg. $30.80)
Best Buy: Best Buy is the obvious choice if you’re looking for electronics and this year there are some serious savings to be made. Opening on Thanksgiving Day at 6pm for the occasion, you’d be advised to get there early to avoid lineups… like really early. People will camp out for a solid deal on a flat screen.
- Samsung 65-inch LED HDTV: $999.99 (reg: $1,399.99)
- Nikon D7000 Dslr Camera 18-140mm Lens: $799.99 (reg. $1,599.99)
- HP Split 13.3″ 2-in-1 Touchscreen Laptop: $499 (reg. $729)
Target: Target is always the favourite for a good deal, Black Friday is just another excuse to cram shoppers through the doors and this year they are certainly stepping up their game.
- Nikon L320 16.1MP Digital Camera with 26x Optical Zoom: $99.00 (Reg. $229)
- Inflatable Airbed Mattresses Aerobed Queen Lt Grey: $64 (Reg. $129.99)
- Canon T3 DSLR Bundle: $449 (Reg. 714.99)
Sears: Sears’ Thanksgiving brochure has over 40 pages of savings on everything from household appliances to jeans and jewellery. Credit cards at the ready…
- Kenmore 25 cu. ft. French door bottom freezer: $1299.99 (reg. $2599.99)
- Kenmore front loading washer and dryer: $799.99 for both (reg. $899.99 each)
- Samsung 46-inch LED HDTV: $479.99 (reg. $699.99)
Border Control:
Crossing the border isn’t always the most appealing way to save a few bucks. Being stuck in traffic with the rest of the save-hungry masses can be stressful in itself. Add to that the hordes of humans hustling for the latest in high-definition and you may lose your cool before you reach your credit limit. But thanks to the increased hype around Black Friday over recent years, Canadian retailers are jumping on the roller coaster to take full advantage of the consumers’ urge to purge which for us means less travel, less crowd-surfing and far less chaos. While we benefit from it being less of a mania, we miss out on pre-show lowdown on the best deals to expect. But we do know who is likely to be slashing prices so when you arise on the Big Day, you know where to head first to kick start your Christmas gifting. Early opening times prolong the excitement for the shopaholic in all of us!
Extended mall hours: The Eaton Centre is opening its doors at 6 a.m. on the 29th. As an additional incentive for early risers a $10 mall gift card will be given to the first 100 shoppers at guest services. Details of stores partaking in Black Friday promotions won’t be released until the day before but with an influx of eager spenders into the mall I wouldn’t be surprised if you find deals in all your favourite places.
Fairview Mall, Sherway Gardens, Vaughan Mills and Square One in Mississauga are also all extending their hours with a 7 a.m. opening time.
The Gap/Old Navy/Banana Republic: The Gap Inc. umbrella is getting in on the act with savings at Old Navy, 40% off at Banana Republic and up to 60% off everything at the Gap. Some locations will have extended hours.
Future Shop: The gaming store will be participating for the length of the weekend from the 29th November to December 1st. Maybe they’ll feel really generous and knock off some bucks for the sought-after PS4…
Best Buy: The Bay and Dundas location will open doors at 6am on the 29th while other locations will open at a more reasonable 8am! Although ‘Cyber Monday’ isn’t until the 2nd, Best Buy will be offering their cyber deals 25th-27th November.
The Bay: This Canadian staple will be starting their Black Friday deals a week in advance with prices on different items being slashed every day. But Black Friday and Cyber Monday promise to bring some greater deals with select locations offering extended hours.
MENDOCINO: For the label lovers out there, Mendocino is offering customers a 20% off incentive card on every purchase between November 28 – December 1, which can be used towards their next purchase between December 7-18. This is on top of Black Friday specials of up to 60% off.
M: M is offering Black Friday deals for $29 and under at all 12 stores in the GTA. Stylish Toronto shoppers will find the season’s most coveted runway trends including faux fur vests ($15), vegan leather moto jackets ($29), outerwear ($29) and party-perfect holiday dresses ($29).
So go forth and spend your hard-earned cash but please remember as you surge through the crowds to nab that dream deal that there are definitely enough savings for everyone so shop safe and play nice!
Will you be shopping on Black Friday? Comment below, or tweet us @ViewTheVibe!