Black Friday deals and sales are available now because of so-called Black November deals.
As previously reported by The Inquisitr , leaked Black Friday 2013 ads proved that the opening times for sales were invading Thanksgiving Day , and shoppers were angry. But that didn’t stop Walmart, Macy’s, JC Penny’s and others from joining in .
These type of Black Friday deals became famous when NewEgg.com started running their Black November marketing campaign several years ago. Since they’re an online only retailer they used to focus on Cyber Monday, but then they realized they could run promotions throughout the month.
Walmart realized the same thing in 2012 and started offering about 100 holiday deals right after Halloween. But they were focused on home decor and Joel Anderson, president and CEO of Wal-Mart.com, realized they could offer the same type of Black Friday deals throughout the month:
“It’s been a tough year for the average American family. It’s our job to be able to help our customers.”
And by “help,” Mr. Anderson means Walmart.com is offering seven Black Fridays deals through November, which include a 42-inch JVC LED TV for $299 (36 percent off) and a 10-inch XELIO tablet for $49 (51 percent discount). The company has declined to say whether these same deals will be available on the actual date for Black Friday 2013.
In response, Amazon launched its own early Black Friday sale . The list is too numerous to publish here, but besides Black November deals they’re also offering daily deals leading up to Black Friday 2013. Amazon also does not publish a Black Friday ad ahead of time, but they tend to match advertised Black Friday deals from other retailers. So instead of waiting in line, you could try popping online to see if you can find a matching price for the best offers.
But other stores are following similar strategies. BJ’s Wholesale Club, for example, will make its Black Friday deals available for the entire week. The reason so many retailers are doing this is because of a fluke of the 2013 calendar:
“There are six less shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. When that happens, retailers do worry about shoppers being in the mood.”
In fact, the National Retail Federation estimates Americans will spend $738 on average for Christmas gifts, but that’s two percent less than last year.
If you choose to wait until the Black Friday 2013 weekend, keep in mind how the retailers tend to offer their deals. Limited time Thanksgiving Day deals tend to focus on HDTVs, smartphones, appliances, and electronics from major brand names like Samsung. The actual Black Friday deals, on the other hand, will typically be lesser known brand names yet at the same the brand name deals tend to be at the lowest price point.