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Create your Black Friday Planning Guide


To make your Black Friday Shopping guide easier — here are some great tips to prepare for the BIG DAY. Keep in mind that this is NOT the Top Deals Guide we are publishing on Wednesday (11/23) – this is more of a planning guide on the logistics of your Black Friday adventures brought to you by Buxr.com and TheItMom.com:


Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, has been the busiest shopping day of the year since 2005. Practically every retailer in the country has traditionally offered sale items on that day, with in-store doorbuster deals, and later adding extreme online discounts as well. Hard-core bargain hunters look forward to this opportunity, when the stores promise to offer their biggest discounts of the year. Many stores extended shopping beyond their normal business hours, and recently even to other Fridays during the year. This season, promotions for Black Friday deals started in early November, with a Walmart Super Saturday on November 5.


Now the shopping frenzy runs through the weekend into the following week and overlaps with Cyber Monday sales, more deep discounts that are traditionally offered on the Monday after Thanksgiving.  Best Buy and Kohl’s are offering “Pre-Black Friday” promotions, while other retailers plan to entice shoppers with text messages and social media advertising. Macy’s has been announcing Black Friday deals on their Facebook page all month, a move that actually helps consumers plan in advance to get the best bargains. So “Black Friday” has evolved into a term that refers less to the actual day and more to the exceptional value deals.


Whether to avoid the crowds or simply enjoy the comfort of their own home, this year even more consumers are choosing to stay home and shop online. For those shoppers who still like to line up for hot doorbuster specials, Best Buy plans to entertain them while they wait with outdoor screenings of the latest Harry Potter film at about 120 of its stores. A growing number of retailers will also price match their purchases, so anyone who buys early can be assured that they will still get the best deals this season.


Take Advantage of Price Matching
Price matching is only offered in stores, and most will pay you the difference if you provide your receipt and the competitor’s ad, and they can verify that the item is in-stock. While Walmart has decided to price match even Black Friday deals (see their policy here), Target will not (see their policy here).  However, Walmart gives store credit rather than a refund. Home Depot and Lowe’s will not only price match Black Friday deals, they will add an extra 10%.  Sears does the same, but excludes Black Friday.Amazon beat or matched just about every store’s advertised prices last year.

Store Opens Pricematch on BF Pricematch Later
BestBuy 12:00 AM No Yes
Big Lots 6:00 AM
CVS 6:00 AM
Gap 12:00 AM
JCPenney 4:00 AM
Kmart 5:00 AM No
Kohl’s 12:00 AM No
Lowe’s 12:00 AM Yes + 10% Yes + 10%
Macy’s 12:00 AM
Meijer 4:00 AM Yes Yes
Office Depot 6:00 AM Yes Yes
PetSmart 7:00 AM
Rite Aid 7:00 AM
Sam’s Club 5:00 AM
Sears 4:00 AM No Yes + 10%
Staples 6:00 AM Yes Yes
Target 12:00 AM No Yes
Toys R Us 9:00 PM (11/24) No
Walgreens 7:00 AM
Walmart 10:00 PM (11/24) Yes Yes
Guide to getting Black Friday ready:
1. Eat a breakfast to give you energy and fuel
2. Bring lots of snacks – wait times could get upwards into 4-5 hours or more so the more fuel you have, the easier the day will be.
3. Women – we advise that you bring a big comfortable bag that you can easily carry around all your snacks, water, coupons, and lists.
4. BEST BUY TIP: If you want the door buster deal, you MUST get there a minimum of 5 hours prior to the opening time.
5. Keep an eye out on Newegg (who is also one of our online partners) — they have some crazy deals rolled up their sleeves this year!

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