The online sales deals will be running 24/7 with websites such as Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy and Target all competing to get customers to scoop up their latest deals.
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However, consumer advocates warned that shoppers should exercise caution amid the rush for bargains.
The hot ticket items at the Toys R Us, employees said anything princess for girls, especially Frozen. “There’s a line already?”
Half an hour later, a couple dozen people clustered by the entrance, and workers let them in, even though that meant opening 15 minutes early. This was so unexpected.
“We had dinner in the morning and I came straight out here”.
I am always a bit dismayed when we criticize big business for being open on Thanksgiving Day.
Most shoppers we chatted to were put off by last year’s scenes of chaos and were not interested in shopping specifically on Black Friday. However, in recent years Wal-Mart has been one of the retail chains that has drawn the most attention and the largest crowds for their Black Friday activities. I’ve heard there is a push to chill Black Friday down some, but REI is the first I’ve heard commit.
“I normally get up around 5 to go to work, so I had the day off, so I might as well get up and come out here and get some of these sales”, said shopper Katina Jones.
By 2014 the clock had rolled way back with stores opening as early as 6 a.m. Think about it, you can Black Friday shop before Thanksgiving, head home and get the turkey in the oven and be ready for a nap before noon.
But the Manhattan Mall, across the street, was a hive of activity by early afternoon with crowds thronging into Aéropostale, which was offering 60 percent off “all you can haul”, and the Express store across the way, which was taking 50 percent off everything in the store. Customers who arrive early get coupons that they can turn around and redeem in the store valued at $10 off $10 or $100 off $100. Its stores are closed on the holiday and the day after.
Many UK retailers have said online deals will go live from midnight onwards.
Gamble stood in line for three hours Thanksgiving night, waiting to get a 49-inch tv for $149…
There are huge savings to be had on Black Friday, but it’s also important to not buy just for the sake of buying and to keep in mind to check that you’re actually getting a good price. Wal-Mart, for example, will start its online sale at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time on Thanksgiving, while Sears will launch them at 8:00 p.m. Central Time on Wednesday.
The Centre for Retail Research expects a slightly more modest £966 million online, but predicts total Black Friday sales including at bricks and mortar stores will reach £1.39 billion.
Asda announced that it wouldn’t be taken part in this year’s event, as “shopper fatigue” had set in around flash sales, while at the other end of the M62, Shop Direct Group has previously recorded its biggest ever sales during the period.
“We urge you once again to hold off on buying, as these deals still don’t compare to the great offers that are just a few weeks away”, wrote features editor Benjamin Glaser in October.
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Black Friday – that is, tomorrow – is thought by many as the traditional start to the shopping season.
