FILE - In this Nov. 28, 2013 file photo, customers shop at a Target store in Colma, Calif. Experts say Thanksgiving weeke
For all the talk about Black Friday’s irrelevance as a shopping “event,” there are still plenty of people looking to brave the crowds in search of great deals on the day after Thanksgiving. The weekend overall is poised to be a a win for retailers, with 140 million Americans expected to go shopping in stores and online, effectively unchanged from last year, according to estimates by the National Retail Federation. Consumers don’t just want discounts, says NRF president and Chief Executive Matthew Shay. “They want exclusive offerings and a good reason to spend their discretionary budgets.”
Winter gearBut there are plenty of items that will be cheaper at other times of the year, analysts who track deals say. For starters, retailers have no incentive to discount the hottest and most up-to-date holiday toys. Since many children will be clamoring for the same items as their peers there could be shortages, so parents will be more willing to pay full price to make sure they can secure the gift. With those caveats in mind, here are 10 other things to avoid buying on Black Friday:
This is a category that typically sees selective discounts during Black Friday because stores know people are on the lookout for winter apparel in November, but it’s still worth passing up, says Mark LoCastro, spokesman for sale aggregator DealNews.com. And good luck getting a steep discount of 50% or more on sought-after down overcoats before the holidays, he says. “Excellent statewide coupons will lead to some serious discounts on all kinds of apparel,” LoCastro says. “However, you’ll see the best deals on these items during winter clearance sales in January through March.”
Tools
Although there are some credible savings on specific tool sets and tool storage items in Black Friday advertisements, there are bigger savings in late spring, particularly around Father’s Day in June, says Brent Shelton, spokesman for deal site FatWallet.com. Specialty brands like Craftsman dominate the majority of tool deals on Black Friday, but there is a wider selection of deals for some of the higher end brands like DeWalt and Milwaukee tools around Memorial Day and Father’s Day. In fact, Father’s Day sales were ranked the best time of the year to find tool deals by a ratio of more than 2-to-1 over Black Friday, according to FatWallet’s “2014 Tools Buying Survey.”
Cheap tablets
Many stores will carry cheap tablets to get consumers into their stores, says Jeff Lee, a spokesman for deal aggregator site TechBargains.com. “These usually carry very minimal specs and you will likely end up with a slow buggy tablet,” he says. “History has proven that it’s all but impossible to find a deal on recently released Amazon tablets during Black Friday,” Lee says. (Amazon is offering $40 off any device with a $99 subscription to Amazon Prime.) That said, Target is offering the latest iPad Air 2 for $499 with a $140 gift card, while Wal-Mart is offering the same device for $489 with a $100 gift card.
The annual “white sales” take place in January as stores get rid of their heavier bedding and fall and winter colors, experts say. Black Friday is not a clearance sale for luxury linen brands like Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren. They’re not entirely absent from Black Friday store sales, however. For instance, Macy’s has some markdowns on selected bedding, but there is a much larger variety of high-quality Egyptian cotton bed linens on sale after the holidays, according to Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at market research firm NPD Group. Many people are preparing their homes now for guests, so there’s less incentive for retailers to offer big deals.Bed linen
Decorations
Christmas decorations and wrapping paper are tempting to buy on Black Friday, but much cheaper after the holidays if you can wait that long, experts say. Although prices are cheaper on many Christmas trees and ornaments — known as “wallet-openers” in the business to get people into their stores to buy more expensive items — the best pricing comes right after Christmas when retailers try to clear out all the left over stuff in January, Lee says. For those who can’t wait, Target is already offering up to 25% off plastic trees, and up to 40% off certain decorations and garlands.
Fitness equipment
“The holiday season is a minefield for calorie counters, so buying a treadmill during Black Friday may feel like prudent planning,” LoCastro says. “But our research shows you’d be better served by waiting a few weeks.” While there are a few headline-grabbing deals on sportswear and equipment during Black Friday, November is one of the worst months to make a purchase in this category, he says. What’s more, the quality and quantity of deals for exercise equipment improves later in December. Last year, almost 30% of December sports deals were marked as “editor’s choice” by DealNews versus 15% in November.
Doorbuster TVs
These are obviously the big attraction on Black Friday especially for sports fans, says Sean Graw, spokesman for sale site BradsDeals.com. Doorbuster TVs are often for lower-end models. RCA, Razor, LG and Samsung LED televisions often target the Black Friday market with unrealistic original prices and don’t have the same features as year-round models, Graw says, and they might not have as many HDMI ports for digital televisions and streaming systems or audio outputs. “Generally speaking, non-doorbuster models are superior products,” he says. LoCastro agrees: “The best brand-name TVs tend to see better prices after January’s annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.”
Airline and vacation packages
Although many HOTEL WEBSITES
offer discounts on Black Friday to fill empty rooms, this still isn’t the best time to book a flight or plan a vacation, LoCastro says. Airlines expect a lot of travelers and adjust their prices accordingly. Over the past three years, only 11% of Black Friday airfare deals were marked “Editors’ Choice” by DealNews.com during the shopping holiday — and only 8% of vacation packages earned the same distinction. “Those averages are virtually indistinguishable from the numbers we see throughout the rest of the year,” LoCastro says. “Instead, plan travel of any sort in January, as that month typically boasts a higher number of deals.
offer discounts on Black Friday to fill empty rooms, this still isn’t the best time to book a flight or plan a vacation, LoCastro says. Airlines expect a lot of travelers and adjust their prices accordingly. Over the past three years, only 11% of Black Friday airfare deals were marked “Editors’ Choice” by DealNews.com during the shopping holiday — and only 8% of vacation packages earned the same distinction. “Those averages are virtually indistinguishable from the numbers we see throughout the rest of the year,” LoCastro says. “Instead, plan travel of any sort in January, as that month typically boasts a higher number of deals.
Luxury goods
Once again, there will also be few doorbusters on luxury goods. Neiman Marcus doesn’t typically release any planned promotion details until the final week of November. Tiffany & Co. avoids the Black Friday mayhem altogether and has a policy of not offering discounts. Saks Fifth Avenue hasn’t posted any Black Friday deals yet, but last year had 40% off selected garments and “buy one, get one free” offers on some menswear. “It’s much better to get jewelry and watches in December, when retailers panic and try to sell their overstock, says Graw of BradsDeals.com. Stores are getting better at managing inventory retailers and would rather sell out than sell off high-end goods, he adds.
Perishable gift baskets
It might seem like a good idea to stock up on gift baskets. But food spoils, which makes retailers increasingly nervous as the season wears on, leading them to slicing prices closer to Christmas, Graw says. “Wait until later to buy these,” he adds. Although there may be a small spike in these deals during the Black Friday season, LoCastro adds, there were the fewest offers in this category during Black Friday last year, he says. “Instead, wait to buy your flowers and chocolates closer to the biggest romantic gifting days of the year, Christmas and Valentine’s Day,” LoCastro says.
Source: YAHOO.COM
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