Name-brand headphones for under $50. Tablet computers, TVs, and digital cameras for less than a $100.
Yes, the Black Friday hyper-discount holiday frenzy - already building through the entire month of November - can be the happiest time of the year for bargain-hunting gizmo lovers. If you play your cards right.
This time around, we're spotting new plays in the game plan, sparked in large measure by predictions that online sales will almost equal those of brick-and-mortar stores.
Major retailers such as Best Buy and Target are more willing to price-match online offerings though you'll likely have to go through a drill: calling up the site at the store to prove the item is still available for purchase. Just waving a web page printout won't do.
Starting Weekend, Philadelphia-area shoppers will be knowing hybrid shopping services called Curbside, debuting in any way 33 regional Target outlets after smaller warm highs at select outlets inside the San Francisco and New York/Northern New Jersey environs.
Curbside is perfect for people who love the convenience of buying on their mobile phone (a massive trend) yet also desire the instant gratification of take-it-home purchases.
After downloading the actual Curbside app (iOS or even Android), you can "virtual-shop" the local Target on a smartphone or even tablet, then drive towards the store and pull up to some designated pickup spot.
Inside "20 or 30 seconds," claims product developer Jaron Waldman, a store rep (or two, for extra-large items) will be loading the purchase into your vehicle and away you go, without ever having to area, eject the kids from the backseat, navigate the aisles, or even deal with lines at taking a look at and will call counters.
Waldman used to steer the "geolocation" team at Apple and it has applied that expertise in order to Curbside. The mobile application automatically senses and "dings" a staffer to bring out your goods when you're nearing the shop. "You don't have to go into the application and manually alert the actual merchant that you're on the way. You probably can indicate up an hour later, you are able to come two days later, anytime, " said Waldman.
Many limitations prevail. At the moment, the actual Curbside service won't allow you to order perishable (refrigerated/frozen) food items.
And that limited quantity, mad Black Friday "doorbuster" bargains can not be fetched for curbside shipping, drat, though "other vacation specials certainly will be," promised Waldman.
Not, by the way, there's no tacked-on service cost, no tipping the shipping person. And charging the actual order on a Target cards will still cut the check by 5 percent.
Store shopping Tips: As Sy Syms used to say, "an informed consumer is our best client. "
That goes double along with techie goods offered as Black Friday/November specials. With super sale days - Best Buy is actually hosting their first in-store deal-than following Saturday - there's little if any time to weigh the minimal quantity specials against related looking products that might be several dollars more.
So it pays to visit and shop a product category - be it digital cameras, Bluetooth speakers or stick vacuums - before the madness begins, to compare what's the "best" of a breed in terms of features and feel with what's the least you're happy to settle for.
Can you live with a leftover, discounted iPad Mini or Kindle Fire versus the latest iteration?
How about a 2013-2014 Canon or Nikon point-and-shoot versus 2015?
We say, yes, for the most part, though the absence of wireless image transfer might be a deal breaker for some image shooters.
Topping most gadget-lover wish lists, TVs will again serve as the primo "loss leader" to get you into a store or site.
Word has it that retailers will offer variations on a 32-inch, 720p (that's lines of resolution) high-definition TV set for as little as $70 ($10 less than last year).
Logic will suggest such a set will be inferior to a 1080p HD TV though in-store pre-inspection will probably demonstrate you can't detect a difference with that size screen when standing just a few feet away.
The most attractive TV deals will reportedly be on 60-inch screen sets - with BF prices starting at $549 for "second tier" branded HD models. And if you're craving an Ultra HD TV (with four times the pixel count of HD), the already leaked deal (from Dell) on a Vizio M60-C3 suggests you'll be able to order or take one home for $799.
Black Friday backlash. Hate the idea of holiday sale madness ruining Thanksgiving, both for families who feel compelled to eat and splurge, and the poor employees who have to work the holiday?
Give props and belated business to Staples, GameStop and REI. All are giving their retail store employees a paid day off on the national holiday though their websites will be active.
And REI will even extend the holiday to Black Friday, giving themselves a big pat on the back in the process. Said CEO Jerry Stritzke, "Black Friday is the perfect time to remind ourselves of the essential truth that life is richer, more connected, and complete when you choose to spend it outside. We're closing our doors, paying our employees to get out there, and inviting America to Opt Outside with us because we love great gear, but we are even more passionate about the experiences it unlocks."
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