Posts Tagged ‘Holiday Shopping’

Wednesday, Oct 31, at 7:00 AM

8 Stores Offering Holiday Layaway Programs for 2012

Just a few years ago, layaway programs were not in favor with most retailers.

BradsDeals lists 8 stores offering Layaway Programs this holiday season.

The payment program had fallen out of favor with the vast majority of shoppers, and only a few retailers thought layaway was worth the time and hassle to keep it alive.

However last year, layaway programs made a strong comeback among many retailers, especially Sears and K-mart, when they declared their National Layaway Week to help kick off the 2011 holiday shopping season. This year layaway programs are in high demand with stores, some programs even started early as September this year. Layaway competition is fierce this year, as major retailers like Toys R Us and Walmart have been heavily advertising their layaway programs leading up to the 2012 holiday season.

Earlier in September, Toys R Us announced that they would waive fees making its layaway service free for shoppers until October 31, but now the retailer has now decided to extend their layaway plan to December 16th due to seeing its popularity with customers. Walmart and K-mart both ante up their layaway programs as well. K-mart waived fees for shoppers and Walmart reduced their upfront fee from $15 to $5. Since the American economy is still putting a serious burden on American family incomes, retailers are hoping to make the holiday months easier, offering you several layaway options this year. Like last year, we’ve listed several stores and their layaway plans to aid you in purchasing your holiday items over time. Most of the stores are similar to last year, but some stores have changed their fees from last year due to the high popularity of layaway this year.

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Posted in Best Buy, Burlington Coat Factory, Featured, Holiday Shopping, Kmart, Sears, Toys R US, walmart | No Comments »

Tuesday, Oct 30, at 7:00 AM

Black Friday from the retail employee’s point-of-view

Wilbur

Wilbur, a former retail employee, has worked on every Black Friday since he was 16.

Yes, we all know that on Black Friday the main focus is on the shoppers. Where will they shop? How much money will they spend? How many people are going to participate on this glorious shopping day of the year? But, we almost never think about the employees who works on Black Friday, who deals with the chaos of Black Friday and manages the event to go smoothly.

So, we decided to get a perspective on what store employees go through on Black Friday, by interviewing, Wilbur, a 25- years old Southern Illinois University  alum, who throughout his college career worked as a retail employee and has worked on Black Friday ever since he was 16.

Krystal: What stores have you worked for?

Wilbur: Gap Outlet and Banana Republic Outlet

Krystal: How many years were you employed at each store?

Wilbur:  I’ve worked Black Friday since I was 16.  I worked at Gap for seven years and Banana Republic for one.

Krystal: What were your positions?

Wilbur: Sale Associate

Krystal: What time did you have to be at work on Black Friday?

Wilbur:  It varied, every year was different. Every year was a different schedule/routine. The first Black Friday I worked at Gap, and I  had to be at work at 5pm.  I worked the midnight shift for three years, 2008 to 2010. In 2008, I worked on Black Friday at Gap in a mall in Pleasant Prairie , Wisconsin.  It was the first time the area had opened stores at midnight. The line to get to the mall was backed up all the way to the highway.

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Posted in Black Friday, Featured | 3 Comments »

Wednesday, Oct 3, at 7:00 AM

Black Friday Fashion: How to dress for the biggest shopping day of the year

Are you prepared for the biggest day of the shopping season? Black Friday 2012 is only 51 days away, and whether you like it or not, it requires a lot preparation, planning, and patience. So besides scanning the ads in advance for the best sales, what else can you prepare? Your Black Friday outfit, of course! If your venturing out November 23rd, 2012, it’s important to dress appropriately. Here are some of basic Black Friday fashion tips to help you prepare for this glorious shopping day.

Black Friday Outfit

Photo by Alaskan Dude

  • Wear something you can easily take on and off. For instance, try yoga pants, a zipper or button-up sweater, and layer a tank top underneath in case you get a little bit warm while running around the stores. Dressing rooms can be a little hectic during Black Friday, so you want to make sure your wear something that you can quickly get in and out of, if you want to try anything on.
  • Carry a smaller purse. Larger purses might become too bulky while trying to shop. Totes, messenger, cross body bags are all great to carry because it keeps your hands free to persue sales racks and to scavenge through items to find all your gifts. Assuming that  you find all the good deals, your going to have so many items in your hands from shopping, you only need the essentials in your purse (cell phone, keys, credit card, and coupons).

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Monday, Sep 24, at 10:07 AM

No Kindles at Walmart this Black Friday or Ever?

Kindle Fire HD

Walmart won’t be selling the Kindle HD on Black Friday.

Will you be buying the new Amazon Kindle Fire HD this Black Friday? If so, it won’t be at Walmart! Although, this will be one of the hottest items of the holiday season this year, Walmart announced that they will no longer sell Amazon.com Kindle products, in their stores or online. Last Friday, Walmart PR put out the following written statement :

“Our customers trust us to provide a broad assortment of products at everyday low prices, and we approach every merchandising decision through this lens… This decision is consistent with our overall merchandising strategy.”

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Posted in Featured, walmart | 4 Comments »

Friday, Sep 21, at 7:00 AM

What’s the “Hot Toy” this holiday season? Here are our predictions on the top 10 toys to buy.

Now that Walmart and Toys R Us both have released their holiday lists, it’s time to start thinking about what toys will be hot on Black Friday. Every year  there are certain toys that are deemed the, “Hot Toy” of the season. Adults will go to great lengths to get these items, including: standing in line for hours, purchasing it online for 4 times its actual value, ripping it out of another adults hands. Every year, like clockwork, the race to get these toy will begin. What will it be this year? Last year we compiled every hot holiday toy back to the teddy bear mania of 1903. Here are our predictions on what will be the hottest toys for the 2012 holiday season.

Top 10 hottest toys to buy this holiday season

  1. Furby 2012 - The new Furby was designed with softer fur, and is available in more vibrant colors. It also has more internal sensors, so it is more responsive than the former Furby. The Furby 2012 can be connected to the iPhone and iPad mini to use with downloadable apps to up the fun factor.
  2. Tablets - Tablets have been found to be a  great learning and entertainment tool for kids. A few suitable tablets for kids include: the  iPad mini, LeapFrog LeapPad2 Explorer, Tabeo Kids Tablet, and the Nabi 2 Tablet for Kids
  3. Fijit Friends - Fijit Friends are interactive toys you an can poke, squeeze, and talk to and it will react. Their soft skin allows them to move and dance, and they are programmed to respond to over 30 phrases.
  4. Web Shooting Spider Man - This Spider Man action figure shoots webs out of its wrists, like the real spider man!
  5. Nintendo Wii U - Hitting stores November 18th, the Nintendo Wii U is available in white and black. The white console contains 8 GB of storage, and Black contains  32 GB . The  new controller is called the Wii U GamePad and has an embedded touchscreen.  Both come with a HDML cord, and are compatible with Wii.  The new controller allows the user to continue playing the game on it, even when the television is off.

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Posted in Featured, toys | 7 Comments »

Tuesday, Sep 18, at 12:10 PM

Could the holiday shopping season be a miracle for retailers this year?

In a tumultuous time in our economy, are Black Friday and Cyber Monday coming too soon? According to Donald Liebenson of Millionaire Corner, the holiday shopping season can represent up to 40 percent of sales for retailers. Consumer spending comprises 70 percent of the economy, but with consumer confidence being tainted over the economy in recent years, it may have a devastating domino effect on how retailers perform this holiday season.

Black Friday Shopping

photo by tshein

In a nutshell, retailers are hoping for a holiday shopping miracle this year.  Here are some early predictions,according to Liebenson, about how retailers anticipate they will  sustain and perform this holiday season.

  • 75 percent  of retailers forecast an increase in holiday shopping this year.
  • 57 percent of retailers plan to hire the same amount of season workers as last year, and 36 percent of retailers say they will be hiring, up to 10 percent from last year.
  • Retailers report that 74 percent of their seasonal hires will be placed in stores and 12 percent in distribution centers.
  • Almost, one-third of retailers will start their holiday promotions and inventory strategies early this year.
  • 58 percent will wait until November to start their holiday promotions, while almost half report they will launch their promotions, as early as October.

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Friday, Sep 14, at 11:24 AM

How the Internet Stole Christmas: Shopping for Electronics is shifting to the Internet this Holiday Season

Black Friday always makes me think of my dad, who, for years, has spent Thanksgiving circling about half of the Best Buy mailer, strategizing on how he can get to all of the merchandise he wants before the other 100 people waiting in line behind him. Electronics shopping online for Black FridayHe, like thousands of other Americans, have stood in line at electronic retailers for many hours on the morning of Black Friday hoping to score amazing deals on electronics for gifts and for themselves. This year, though, the lines may be significantly shorter, and electronics stores less crowded.

Time Magazine has reported that with the rise of online shopping, especially in the electronics sector, forecasts indicate that electronics retailers might not get as much foot-traffic this holiday season, even on Black Friday. It is predicted that online shopping will increase 3.8% during the holiday season, projecting $469.1 billion in overall sales. (more…)

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Monday, Sep 26, at 4:02 PM

Black Friday 2011 is Coming, and We’ve Got You Covered.

We’re just a little under two months from Black Friday now. Can you believe it? Time is FLYING! Have you started thinking about your shopping strategy yet?

Black Friday 2011 Craziness

Don’t pull your hair out over Black Friday shopping! Subscribe to Brad’s Daily Alerts and we’ll let you know when stores announce hours and deals.

No? Okay, so we totally expected that. The kids only just started school and haven’t even thought about their letters to Santa. The trees are still green (mostly), the air conditioner is still running some days and you haven’t put away your shorts and sandals yet. We get it, truly we do. Summer is barely over and we’re already talking about holiday shopping! You’re probably thinking we’re crazy for bringing it up.

But we do have one serious piece of Black Friday advice that you can implement today – right here, right now. Something easy for you to set and forget until you start hearing sleigh bells on television commercials. Want to know what it is? Drumroll please!

Subscribe to our Black Friday Email Alerts.

The minute the stores start announcing their store hours, we’ll be on it. And when they release the ads with all the deals? You’ll find those here, too. And if you’ve signed up for our daily email alerts, you’ll be the first to know when we’ve got them.

So sign up today, then pack your bag for one last picnic at the beach. Where Black Friday 2011 is concerned, we’ve already got your back!

Photo credit: Jan Papas

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Posted in Black Friday Ads, Featured | 12 Comments »

Wednesday, Jun 29, at 10:30 AM

5 Months Until Black Friday!

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Would you believe me if I told you Black Friday is just a mere FIVE MONTHS away? I didn’t want to believe it at first either. Summer seems to be flying by quicker than it began and for some, it’s already time to start planning for the best shopping day of the year.

Last year there was huge buzz about how early Black Friday sales started.  This year, it is rumored that Black Friday sales could start even earlier! To ease the stress on the day after feasting, you could do a few things now to get prepared:

1. Make your list early.
Start thinking now about items you may want to buy or track the price of.  Yes, even start listening to your kids’ hints (we know they start in February) and start watching ads and sales. The best advice we can give is to keep an eye on prices all year round, so that you know what kind of deal you’re getting when the prices drop.

2. Don’t be afraid to start shopping earlier.
It isn’t uncommon for stores to offer Christmas in Summer sales. Tiger Direct has been having a Black Friday Sale every Friday. If you already have your list made, it is really not a bad idea to start hoarding gifts a few months ahead. If someone on your list asks for a new Wii game and you see it on sale for a great price in July, pick it up now!

Another great perk to shopping early, is the extremely satisfied feeling of getting something first. Popular toys and other items are going to sell out. We see it every year; a huge price drop turns into a huge sellout. Get a heads up on a sale, plan for it and get it before anyone else can.

3. Take a peek at last years’ prices.
Use last years’ prices as a goal for this year. We saw a Westinghouse 40″ LCD HDTV for $298 at Target.com last year, perhaps this year your goal should be to either match that price or find an even better one. A great resource would be our Black Friday 2010 Ads. We still have these available for viewing and they will help you brush up on last year’s sales.

4. Think about new releases.
If you’re going to buy a new electronic item, do a little research on whether or not there will be a new model coming out. Apple is especially known for this. They will introduce their new items in the fall, like the upcoming iPhone5, rumored to be introduced this fall, in order to up their sales for the holiday season. This is great for shoppers, as older models may drop in price or may be easier to find.

5. Look at spending predictions.
In 2010, we saw stores doing everything they could to get buyers’ attention. If spending predictions are down, retailers are more apt to drop prices lower to entice customers to buy. If you notice trends like “spending down from forecast/predictions”, you should be on the lookout for better deals in upcoming sales. Retailers want you to spend, if you’re not spending, they’re going to try to make you by offering deals you just can’t refuse. Keep an eye out for them.

Let the countdown begin! We are already excited for this upcoming  Black Friday. Keep checking back for news, updates and predictions.

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Posted in Black Friday Ads, Featured | No Comments »