Article By: Chris Barth and Zack O’Malley Greenburg, Forbes.com
Black Friday doorbuster sales make early appearances via Twitter, Facebook.
If your washer and dryer are on the fritz, consider doing laundry at your neighbor’s house for the next two weeks. A quick trip to Sears now could get you two new Kenmore units for $435 apiece–or you could wait a fortnight and buy them for $199 each.
This is just one example of the unbelievable deals big retailers will be offering to consumers the day after Thanksgiving, or “Black Friday,” as it’s come to be known. The term “black” does not carry some sinister connotation, but instead reflects the fact that big sales on this top shopping day can tip retailers into the black for the entire year.
Some of the best deals, including the aforementioned washer and dryer, are already starting to trickle out. Sears, Staples, Lowe’s and Macy’s are among the stores that have announced some of their deals early.
“We leaked our ad so that our customers would have time to prepare for their Black Friday shopping strategy,” explains Colleen Carbott, a spokeswoman for hardware giant Lowe’s.
Sneak Peek: Black Friday’s Best Deals
More from Forbes.com:
Some retailers, like Best Buy, Walmart and Target, are remaining tight-lipped about their plans. Others, like Nordstrom, shy away from the mania typically associated with Black Friday.
Black Friday deals have been around for decades, but this year a new trend has been gaining steam: Advertising sales through social networking sites. Staples has already announced a few of its deals via Twitter, including an HP 20-inch wide-screen LCD Monitor marked down from $150 to $100. Lowe’s sent out an advance copy of its doorbuster ad earlier this week through Facebook.
The sale announcement “was first posted on Nov. 5 to our Facebook fans, so they would get the first peek,” explains Carbott. “In addition to giving our Facebook fans the first glimpse of what we will offer on Black Friday, we also gave away quantities of coupon codes for certain products through our Facebook page.”
There’s at least one tech-savvy company that won’t be joining the Black Friday discount crowd: Apple. The company’s iPad may turn out to be the most sought-after gift of the year, but discounts appear unlikely. Shoppers looking for an affordable alternative will instead have to consider the Literati E-Reader, which Macy’s will sell for $125, a 25% discount, on Black Friday.
Frigidaire Eight-Bottle Wine Cooler
Original Price: $109
Black Friday Price: $49
Savings: 55%
Store: Lowe’s
Kodak EasyShare MD30 12.1-Megapixel Digital Camera
Original Price: $119.99
Black Friday Price: $69.99
Savings: 42%
Store: Staples
Samsung 40″ 1080p LCD HDTV
Original Price: $849.99
Black Friday Price: $497.99
Savings: 42%
Store: Sears
*Original price from similar product.
Literati E-Reader
Original Price: $199.95
Black Friday Price: $149.99
Savings: 25%
Store: Macy’s
HP 20″ Wide-Screen LCD Monitor
Original Price: $150
Black Friday Price: $99.98
Savings: 34%
Store: Staples
Tradesman 10″ Table Saw with Leg Set
Original Price: $139
Black Friday Price: $59
Savings: 42%
Store: Lowe’s
Kenmore Washer and Dryer
Original Price: $434.99 each
Black Friday Price: $199.99 each
Savings: 54%
Store: Sears
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