Just when you take down the skeletons, throw out your carved pumpkins, and pack up the scary Halloween decorations, you turn on the TV and it’s already Christmas.
Wait a minute… did we fast-forward through Thanksgiving?
The traditional Black Friday shopping scene is coming earlier to many stores that are already painting their sale signs with red ink and slashing prices left and right, beginning the first week of November!
As seen in this CBS News video, giants like Sears, Walmart, and Best Buy want their registers ringing NOW — marketing to eager shoppers who can’t wait until after Thanksgiving to gobble-up Black Friday deals.
The dismal economy is partially to blame, but like it or not, retailers’ favorite holiday — Black Friday — is creeping in earlier and earlier every year.
Big Stores Starting Early
Toys R Us launched its campaign on Halloween with an 80-page catalog — The Great Big Christmas Book — and there’s even an iPad app available to download the deals.
On the 1st of November, my favorite department store Macy’s debuted their Holiday Gift Guide, which helps you find items specifically for the people you’re shopping for based on how much you’re willing to spend.
Already famous for signature sales on name-brand collections, Kohl’s is jumping on the bandwagon, offering discounts from 40% to 50% off apparel, kitchen appliances, and toys every weekend leading up to Black Friday. The superstore is also extending its hours to midnight — a move most retailers don’t make until the big weekend.
Not Buying It?
If you’re like me, and not falling for the early sales — A. Thank you, and B. Let’s hope it’s worth the wait!
Sure, these pre-Black Friday sales rock. But, I’m betting most stores aren’t pulling out all the stops just yet. After all, each corporate store is fighting for your business with not only its regular competition, but also its sister stores.
What does that mean? Well, look at bebe, a high-end fashion store for the “modern, sexy, and sophisticated woman.” In the Chicago area alone, there are 8 stores. While the corporate big-wigs want all of their stores to perform well on the biggest shopping day of the year, each lead manager is under pressure to beat out the other stores in the district. A little friendly competition goes a long way — from bonuses for mangers, to in-house discounts for top-performing sales associates on Black Friday.
Therefore, there are Black Friday sales now, but the real marketing won’t start until the week leading up to Thanksgiving — with phone calls, emails, and catalogs full of “doorbuster” incentives.
And that was normal — releasing the sales about a week beforehand.
But not anymore.
Forget suspense, shoppers need to know NOW. That’s why I think lots of retailers are hijacking the Black Friday label and slapping it on regular sales you would see every month anyway. Can you really blame them?
Waiting In Lines? Forget It!
Looking to ditch the seemingly forced shopping day all together?
If crowded malls, messy stores, limited parking, and long lines on Black Friday aren’t your scene, but you still want the elf-sized prices, go cyber!
Many retailers offer free shipping, gift wrapping, and bang-for-your-buck deals online that you would find in the jam-packed stores anyway.
Here are my favorite sites for pre-Black Friday steals:
- For electronics, movies, and books: Amazon (psst… on the Monday before Thanksgiving, you’ll find Amazon’s best Black Friday specials!)
- For Christmas cards and beauty products: CVS
- For brand name clothing, accessories, and home decor: Ideeli
- For toys: Target
- For sexy undergarments, perfume, and stellar shoes: Victoria’s Secret
All of these crazy Black Friday sales may leave your wallet empty, but make sure to set aside enough change to buy your Thanksgiving Day turkey.
And please, don’t decorate for Christmas until Black Friday. Or the next thing we know, retailers will be skipping Halloween too… now that’s scary!
