It’s that time of the year again and Americans all over the country are sharpening their elbows in preparation for the discount shopping frenzy that is Black Friday.
The hype machine has already been fired up, with writers speculating as to the best deals of 2014. There are presumably some shoppers who will be drawing up a mental hit-list as they pump some iron to maximize their chances of wrestling a heavily discounted television from a fellow bargain hunter.
Black Friday deals: Xbox One vs. PlayStation 4
Microsoft has already announced an official discount for the Xbox One, which will cost $349 for the rest of the year, as well as new bundles with up to three free games, which some reckon could tip the balance between the Xbox One and the PS4.
“Fans don’t have to wait for Black Friday this year to enjoy great savings on Xbox One. We’re offering our best price yet, with unprecedented choices and value, so more people can play on Xbox One this holiday,” said Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)corporate vice president.
The promotion will run until 3 January 2015 at retailers such as Best Buy Co Inc (NYSE:BBY), Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT), GameStop Corp. (NYSE:GME), Toys R Us, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) and Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN).
Analysts predict that Sony Corp (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) (TYO:6758) will match the offer with at least $50 being shaved off the price of the PS4, so as not to lose any ground in the battle of the consoles. Shoppers can expect to see improved bundles with extra games, controllers and PS Plus memberships included.
Black Friday deals: Apple news
Taking past years as an example, you can expect Wal-Mart and Best Buy to offer Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) items up to $200 cheaper than usual. Predictions from Dealnews.com include the original iPad Air reduced to $360, first generation iPad Mini at $199 and the 2013 MacBook Air for $699.
The Wal-Mart Black Friday Sale officially begins at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, as does rival Best Buy.
We will have to hope that the Black Friday death and injury count does not increase in 2014, and I urge shoppers to behave with restraint. After all, it’s only an iPad.
