Black Friday and No Deals to Speak of
Last year (2006) was the first time I ever went out shopping on Black Friday. Given my Christmas gift situation at the time I actually found several items I needed to purchase at extreme discounts. Coming home last year my wife and I agreed that going out on Black Friday was a lot of fun. We got some good deals and had a good time. Let’s do it again next year. Well, Black Friday 2007 came and went and I was highly disappointed.
Flat panels hot but should you buy now?
Due to the current economic condition I expected some serious savings this year. Flat panel LCD and plasma televisions appeared to be the hot item this year but I couldn’t find any “real deals.” Flat panel televisions prices have been on a steady decline since the mid summer. No, I don’t have actual retail statistics to back up that claim, but based on my casual observations that is what I’ve noticed. If that observation holds true, then further price reductions are on their way. No need to buy now when the prices will probably be better after Christmas.
Is the Wii this season’s “must have” gift?
Flat panel televisions are popular this year but I hardly call them a “must have” gift. And as I thumb through the Black Friday ads, I just don’t see anything to call a “must have” gift. Yes, iPods are popular but not to the point that inventories will be depleted, and those things never go “on sale.” Game consoles are still popular but the xBox 360 and the PS3 are expensive and I don’t believe Halo 3 has risen to the level of “killer app” for the xBox 360 to make it a “must have” gaming console. That leaves the Nintendo Wii.
Still hard to find the Wii has made Nintendo a “player” in the video game console market once again. If you haven’t played a Wii game, you don’t know what you’re missing. The games are simple and the graphics are almost laughable; however, the “fun factor” is through the roof. The included game, Wii Sports, is probably the most popular game for the console; however, I predict that this year the latest version of Zelda coupled with the Link Crossbow Controller will be the next most popular game for the Wii.
Was Black Friday everything you expected this year? It wasn’t for me
The one store I did shop on Black Friday was Guitar Center. Drawn by the promise of 20% off any single item I was disappointed to find what I came for was NOT in stock. No, they didn’t “run out” while I was there, they simply didn’t have it. It’s on their web site but not in their store. Unfortunately, 20% off did not include rain checks or web site purchases. Some retailers (the ones with a real sense of customer service) will order anything for you if you come into the store and still give you the sale price — not at Guitar Center.
How was your Black Friday experience? Did you stay home or brave the crowds? What do you see as this season’s “must have” gift? Does this season even have one? Did you get any great deals? Did any exist?
on November 27th, 2007 at 9:34 am
You and I haven’t even discussed Black Friday prior to this post and it appears we’ve reached the same conclusion: no deals this year. Last year, I was shopping for a laptop as was everyone else so the lines were long for the handful of $299 laptops being dangled in front of us by all the major retailers. I refused to stand in line so I ended up getting a used one on Ebay for $225 that was missing a hard drive and caddy that I already had. One year later it still works great. Score: Barry 1, Black Friday 0.
This year, I didn’t have any electronic gadget needs and my local Hummer dealer wasn’t giving away any H3’s so I stayed in bed. From the comfort of my leather recliner, laptop in hand, I watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade with my family while doing my online Christmas shopping. It sure beats hanging out in a cold tent in front of Best Buy.
on November 28th, 2007 at 5:33 pm
Newspaper article “after Black Friday”, many stores kept back some of the goodies and sale prices to entice the shoppers to keep shopping thru the weekend. Interviews with shoppers were included in article, and most were disappointed at supply of advertised items. Some retreated to stores with shorter lines and/or more cashiers. Perhaps so they wouldn’t have to wait so long to hear “sorry, sold out”, “no, not sure when more will come in”, “bye - have a nice day”.
hey, if you had a good time - ok!