Black Friday: Is it worth all the hype?
Black Friday isn’t what it used to be. Once a doorbuster dash by only the most committed Christmas shoppers in the wee hours following Thanksgiving, “Black Friday” sales have stretched from three-hour mad grabs to multi-day specials lasting a week or more.
Still, some savings are well worth the effort this week, especially on big items. (And not necessarily just for gifts, as our brand-new TV from Best Buy can attest.)
The financial data site WalletHub sifted through retailer claims to give us the lowdown on what shoppers really are — and really aren’t — saving. Claims of “50 percent off” don’t mean as much if prices are first jacked up higher than the competition, right?
More than 12 percent of items at major retailers will actually be more expensive on Black Friday than their current Amazon.com prices. Then again, you might save $800 on a man-shed this weekend (try fitting that under the tree).
Savvy shoppers opt for research over hype.
So if you’re in the market for any of these, here’s what you’re likely to save on Black Friday compared to the rest of the year, according to WalletHub’s “2019’s Best Things to Buy on Black Friday” report.
Savings by category:
1. Jewelry (up to 70 percent savings) — Macy’s has some great deals.
2. Books, movies, and music (44 percent) — Target and Fred Meyer have a good selection.
3. Clothing and accessories (39) — JC Penney and Kohls are favored.
4. Consumer packaged goods (37) — this is a catch-all for food, clothes, makeup, household stuff, and other things frequently replaced.
5. Toys (33) — It’s not in the WalletHub report, but I have to plug Figpickels and Shenanigans here. Such creative toys downtown are so much fun for even adults to browse.
6. Appliances (32) — Who knew you could buy an oven cheap at Best Buy?
7. Video games (30) — But certain games are up to half off.
8. Computers and phones (27) — Best deal is on a Thinkpad T470 at around $499
9. Furniture (26) — Or save $400 on a sectional at BigLots
10. Electronics (25) — The least rewarding category, but you might save $155 on a 65-inch Vizio.
OK, that sounds good, but experienced Black Friday shoppers know the discounts aren’t on all those products, only selected brands and items. For maximum savings, says WalletHub, certain stores offer the best deals — at (no kidding) prices better than Amazon.
Here’s a victory for old-fashioned bricks-and-mortar shopping, not to mention keeping dollars local.
Whittling those down to local outlets of bigger retailers included in the report, the stores with the most deals across product lines include:
Big Lots (100 percent of comparable products better priced than Amazon) and Costco (92 percent).
Ace Hardware (89 percent): I love our local Ace’s great staff because, like the tech-types at Best Buy, they’re so helpful when I’m clueless. I don’t get expert help from happy employees at WalMart, and Ace even has Christmas stuff.
Next is Target (88 percent), Staples (87), Fred Meyer (82), Kohls (81), Best Buy (79), and JC Penney (77). Add some pretty creative, more locally relevant specials at local stores (not covered by the WalletHub lists) such as Black Sheep for athletic and outdoorsy types, or T-Blue for the latest fashions (guys, the T-Blue staff offers gift suggestions for the missus).
Don’t forget to check your credit card benefits. Some include price-drop protection and theft/damage coverage. Plus, some store cards don’t have annual fees and offer interest-free financing (just ask about deferred interest and charges after the “interest-free” period, which can be high).
A longer list, specific deals, and expert advice are at WalletHub.edu. And remember, shop local as much as possible. Online-only stores don’t feed money back into this community, support or employ us.
If you’re short on ideas, look for The Press special holiday gift guide in this newspaper on — you guessed it — Black Friday.
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Sholeh Patrick is a Grinchy columnist for the Hagadone News Network. Contact her at Sholeh@cdapress.com.