Black Friday is just hours away, and the day’s exciting deals will lure many people into the gift-buying spirit. The Washington Post has considered all the deals and rounded up some data to assist you in deciding where and when to open your wallet this weekend.
Image Credit: Powhusku / FlickrWhich items will be most in demand?
The last few years have taught us quite a lot of things, and one of them is that Black Friday deals begin days before Black Friday arrives on the calendar. Target started touting its “10 days of deals” on Nov. 19, and Amazon’s “More than 35 days of Black Friday” started on Nov. 16.
This holiday season, analysts and stores are anticipating robust sales in the toy business, from Paw Patrol to Hatchimals to Shopkins. Many retailers are adding Star Wars gear to their Black Friday circulars. Drones, 4K televisions, smartphones, etc. are big draws during the Thanksgiving weekend shopping bonanza.
A number of retailers will be offering a new menu of promotions and discounts for Thanksgiving weekend. A lot of those deals will go live online before they do in physical stores. For example, Toys R Us will begin its online Black Friday sale on Wednesday at 9 p.m. Eastern, while Walmart will start most of its deals online on Thursday at 12:01 a.m. Eastern, notes The Washington Post.
Set your shopping schedule for Black Friday weekend
If you are planning to buy things from physical stores, then the rundown below (from The Washington Post) of when the mega-chains will start their offers will be of great help. Keep in mind that while many major national chains keep the same hours in most or all of their markets, there could be slight differences differences, so it’s a good idea to double-check your local store’s ad if you can find it.
However, this schedule is a great place to start planning your shopping schedule. If you are a Black Friday regular, then you will notice that this schedule looks almost similar to the one from last year.
Thursday 6 a.m.: Kmart will be the first major chain to get its in-store offers and deals started for the public.
3 p.m.: JCPenney opens its deals.
5 p.m.: Toys R Us, Macy’s and Best Buy open their deals. Macy’s is one of the few retailers opening its store earlier this year.
6 p.m.: Walmart, Target and Kohl’s will open their doors.
10 p.m. to midnight: Many specialty stores and malls will open their deals. Shoppers should check with their local shopping center to learn their actual hours before they venture out.
Retailers that stayed closed on Thanksgiving will open on Friday.
7 a.m.: HHGregg opens its physical stores. Barnes & Noble, T.J.Maxx, and Home Depot will also start welcoming in-store Black Friday shoppers on Friday.
