10 Things You Should Know About Black Friday

According to the management consulting firm Accenture, American consumers are increasingly embracing the concept of shopping on Thanksgiving Day and evening. Accenture’s annual shopping survey says that among those planning to hit the shops on Thanksgiving Day or Black Friday, 38 percent expect to visit four or more stores, and more than one-third plan to shop before midnight on Thanksgiving Day.
According to the management consulting firm Accenture, American consumers are increasingly embracing the concept of shopping on Thanksgiving Day and evening. Accenture’s annual shopping survey says that among those planning to hit the shops on Thanksgiving Day or Black Friday, 38 percent expect to visit four or more stores, and more than one-third plan to shop before midnight on Thanksgiving Day.

Black Friday is only one day away, but these 10 little tidbits should help shoppers between now and the big morning. Actually, make that the big evening ...

You might have to cut Thanksgiving short.

The most dedicated deal-seekers might want to wrap up the Thanksgiving festivities a little earlier than usual. Some retailers have announced plans to open at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

Many consumers voiced their complaints about the early start times, but there’s a lot of value in it for these stores. According to the management consulting firm Accenture, American consumers are increasingly embracing the concept of shopping on Thanksgiving Day and evening. Accenture’s annual shopping survey says that among those planning to hit the shops on Thanksgiving Day or Black Friday, 38 percent expect to visit four or more stores, and more than one-third plan to shop before midnight on Thanksgiving Day.

Shoppers are getting smarter and retailers know it.

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STANDARD

According to Accenture’s survey, even those planning to spend more this year will be hunting for bigger discounts. In fact, 62 percent of respondents said it will take a discount of 30 percent or more to persuade them to make a purchase. That number is up 10 percent from 2012.

The survey shows that bargain-conscious U.S. shoppers are tracking prices very carefully, and 39 percent said that if they discover that an item they’ve already purchased is subsequently offered at a lower price, they would likely return it and re-purchase it. Additionally, 45 percent said they plan to use competitor price-matching tools to track prices, and 24 percent said they will take advantage of extended return policies.

Retailers will be blending online and in-store shopping experiences more this year.

Online, in-store and mobile retail initiatives are all increasingly coming together to provide a seamless shopping experience for consumers on Black Friday. Shoppers can buy online, pick up in stores, enjoy ubiquitous returns and price match with other stores and sites. It’s not perfect yet, but according to a report in Forbes, this holiday will be much improved over the last.

Wait for bargains on high-end TVs.

Of course, Black Friday always comes with its share of great bargains on mid-sized HDTVs. This is an excellent time to buy an off-brand 42-inch or 50-inch set. Experts like the ones at Dealnews.com predict the prices will largely fall under the $300 price range.

If you want a major brand HDTV like Samsung, Sony or LG, however, hold off until January or February of 2014. The newer models don’t hit the market until mid-January and that’s when retailers will clear their shelves of the 2013 models. To recap — if you care about quality, wait a few months. If a cheap HDTV will suffice, buy on Black Friday.

However, keep an eye on Panasonic’s plasma TVs.

Panasonic produced the best plasma TVs around. Just ask the folks at HD Guru, PC Mag.com, CNET.com or Consumer Reports, who all gave the company’s 2013 line of high-end plasmas fantastic reviews. The only problem was that the demand for plasma screens — no matter how great — declined as sales of cheaper LCD sets increased. For that reason alone, Panasonic recently announced that it will be halting production of plasma TVs in December.

“I’ve spent the best years of my professional career recommending Panasonic plasmas to just about everyone, secure in the knowledge that they provide great picture quality and value. I can’t help but feel a sense of loss,” says CNET.com senior editor David Katzmaier.

Many viewers, however, still prefer plasma screens, which have wider viewing angles, less blurring and, in some cases, better picture quality. Those viewers should keep their eyes out for dropping Panasonic prices from now through February. A great Black Friday deal on any TV might not beat what could very well be a steal on a stellar Panasonic plasma at the beginning of 2014.

The video game console wars will bring you savings.

While Microsoft and Sony will be rolling out the high-priced Xbox One and PlayStation 4 — and all of the games and accessories that go with them — the rest of the video gaming universe will experience huge price reductions.

Nintendo just dropped $50 off the Wii U and you can expect retailers like Best Buy to sell some of Nintendo’s most popular games for low, low prices on Black Friday. The same goes for Sony’s handheld PS Vita, which recently fell to $199. Some of the price cuts have already taken place. GameStop is selling an 8 GB memory card for the PS Vita for merely $10 (they’re usually $25). Furthermore, retailers will slash the prices of Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 games as they prepare to clear their shelves for games for the new consoles.

Cookware discounts start getting crazy before Black Friday.

There are only two days a year when cookware is absolutely essential: Thanksgiving and Christmas. That’s why retailers roll out the discounts on cookware in the weeks leading up to Black Friday, but keep them going throughout the holiday season.

According to Dealnews.com, there was a 41 percent increase on cookware items going on sale last November. So, if the predictions hold true, shoppers will score some great deals on those pots and pans, small appliances and bake ware over the next couple of weeks.

Don’t buy the iPad 2. Buy the iPad 4.

If you’re thinking of buying an older iPad to save money, think again.

According to Dealnews.com, Apple’s 16 GB iPad 2 will continue to sell for $399. A few retailers, like Walmart, are currently selling the 16 GB iPad 4 (with Retina display) for $449. The website predicts that the price will most likely drop to $399 by Black Friday. Hence, the newer model is the far better buy.

Check out the News-Press and a couple of websites every day until Black Friday.

Retailers have already started running their Black Friday ads and they will continue to do so leading up to Thanksgiving morning. If you’d like to keep up on all of the great local bargains, check the St. Joseph News-Press every day through Nov. 29 for the advertisement inserts.

Additionally, the Black Friday sections of Dealnews.com and Fatwallet.com will keep shoppers informed about which Black Friday deals are among the best of the bunch. Dealnews.com also offers a number of calculated predictions for Black Friday deals that have yet to be announced.

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