Black Friday Starts Now
By SUSAN GOODMAN
Updated 9:37 AM EST, Fri, Nov 20, 2009
It’s looking a little like Black Friday, even though the unofficial holiday for bargain hunters is still a week away.
Stores are apparently trying to grab a piece of the shrinking holiday shopping budget. Consumers are expected to spend $682.74 on holiday-related shopping this year, down from $705.01 last year, according to a National Retail Federation survey.
Starting today, Best Buy is offering Black Friday pricing on certain models of flat panel televisions, as well as other home theater products. You can get a 40-inch HDTV for $499.
To get in on the deals, head on over to the Best Buy in Meriden, Newington, West Hartford or New Haven.
Sears is also will be offering Black Friday-like deals every Saturday, from Nov. 21 through Christmas but you can’t sleep in too much to grab a deal. They are good from 7 a.m. until noon.
On Black Friday, Sears will also open at 4 a.m. and promises more than 599 doorbusters. You can shop sears.com for door-buster offerings on Thursday.
Starting this weekend at Walmart, customers will also see savings up to 50 percent on select items before Thanksgiving weekend.
Expect deals on toys and TVs. Personal shoppers advise that the key to success this holiday season is shop early.
Of course, some of the Black Friday circulars are still under lock and key because of intense competition, but here's a sneak peek of what you’ll see next week:
The execs are Target hope to lure you this year with $3 toasters and coffeemakers, deep deals on HD televisions, and discounts of 50 percent on clothes and toys. There are 20 Target stores in Connecticut.
Kohl's is opening at 4 a.m. and promising more than 300 doorbusters. You can find Kohl’s stores through the state.
Staples opens at 6 a.m. and they will be slashing select laptop prices by $300.
Kmart will go to back to basics with the Blue Light Specials of old.
Clinton Crossing Premium Outlets starts the deals at midnight on Thanksgiving night and the deals continue through Sunday.
Angela Mueller, a personal shopper, warns that the deals won't be here for long.
"A lot of companies don't have as much inventory, so my biggest concern is that people do not come early enough to go ahead and buy whatever they need or like,” she said. “Afterward, it's very difficult to sometimes find these items.”
Personal shoppers are also finding that people on tighter budgets are already turning to them this holiday season.
With retailers planning on enticing you to spend like never before, they are also preparing more after a temporary
Walmart employee was trampled to death in Long Island last year by overzealous crowds.
To avoid any lines outside, Wilmar has said this Black Friday the store will be open 24 hours, even though the sales won't begin until 5 a.m.
First Published: Nov 13, 2009 8:58 AM EST
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