Wal-Mart To Start Black Friday Pricing Early (HD DVD players less than $100!)

MarketWatch ^ | Oct 31, 2007 | Angela Moore

[TrueKnightGalahad]

[Wal-Mart] Wednesday said it would start its Black Friday and holiday pricing early on some items, in a move to drive sales during the increasingly competitive holiday shopping season. Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, said it will offer Black-Friday prices three weeks early by unveiling "secret" in-store specials. The company said it will offer discounts on five popular gift items. Wal-Mart plans to reveal discounts on its Web site on Thursday. The items will be available in stores beginning Friday morning, Nov. 2 as it officially opens its special Christmas shops. The day after Thanksgiving is one of the biggest shopping days of the year and is known as "Black Friday" in the retail industry because retailers earn so much on this single day they are able to swing to profitability.

[BreezyDog]

Why is the demise of blu-ray well deserved? I think its awesome. Or do you juat have Sony Derangement Syndrome?

[njrep]

I was in a Target last month and witnessed 2 women in a fist fight over a blouse or some such that was on sale. I guess it was the only one left. I have seem filthy KMART and MACY’s stores as well as been treated rudely in Nordstroms and any number of other stores. I have also shopped at Walmart and there is a good reason they are the worlds most successful retailer by far. There prices are low and their shelves are always well stocked. I have NEVER been treated rudely in any of their stores and have been to them in at least 5 States. A widget is a widget and if you want to pay 20 bucks more for yours then that’s your business.

BTW, I worked with a guy in MA who refused to go into a Christmas Tree Shop (local discount chain in the NE Area) because he believed their merchandise was all refurbished and “seconds”. Same place I worked had a women who swore everything at Home Depot was returned items, and re manufactured merchandise.

[CharlesWayneCT]

This is a smart move. If they can get people lining up every friday morning to enter their store, once you are in you are likely to buy more than just what you came for.

I wonder if there will be a big line tomorrow morning for these DVD players. I’d love to get one but I’m not getting up at 4AM to get in line for it.

I guess it matters how many people know about it, and how many each store will have. I’m guessing they aren’t making money on this, and they will have very few of the players. I just tried to call my local Walmart and they wouldn’t pick up the phone.

On another note, there were a bunch of mad Target shoppers today. I was doing post-holloween bargain shopping, and a lot of people were there to get costumes. The costumes were in the back of the store, the rest was in the front.

Well, the people who moved the stuff around never bothered to MOVE the back of the store stuff to the front. That’s OK, but another group responsible for putting up CHRISTMAS stuff got mad at the holloween stuff being there, so they threw it all in carts.

When too many people came back and “got in their way” picking through the carts, one of the workers took the carts and moved them into the warehouse area.

So half the merchandise that they were trying to unload was now inaccessible to those who came to purchase it.

[Sans-Culotte]

He's talking HD-DVD. Everybody's got cheap standard DVD players.

[njrep]

Yeah, but do you hate Eartha Kitt (1950’s version)?

[Publius Valerius]

$998 on the website. Unfortunately, they don’t list the specs. For a 1080p set, that’s a really good price. For 720p, it’s ho-hum.

[PAR35]

Wal-Mart has had their Christmas decorations out for a month.

[njrep]

Good idea. I like XM radio however because they have 3 stations dedicated exclusively to Christmas Music, 24/7. One plays traditional, one classical and one country.

[Bogtrotter52]

Another thing about Home Depot is if you need advice along with your purchase better go to Ace or True Value. The pimply faced 19 year old at Home Depot does not have the answers.

I certainly agree about K-Mart. The one here in Kingman AZ looks as if they have not done any maintenance in quite some time.

[ArrogantBustard]

Eartha Kitt was lovely.

I just hate the song.

[7thson]

Cool!

[Scotswife]

Can you play regular DVD’s on a an HDDVD player?
Or does it only make sense to buy one if you are buying the specially formatted DVDs?

[JerseyHighlander]

FYI, Those cheap HD DVD players are only 1080i.

[ncpatriot]

That happened in Conn?

[TrueKnightGalahad]

That’s a great question, and some people may have different answers, but for me:

+ More and better movies - both already released, and in studio vaults;
+ The best upscaling of standard definition DVDs, so you can get even more enjoyment from the movies you already own;
+ Less expensive players - the cheapest Blu player is 4X the cost of the Toshiba at WalMart;
+ HD DVD players are complete - all HD DVD players come fully enabled to play all the movies and special features, including online content as all players are network and web enabled;
+ HVD is much more pro-consumer - no region coding, no Sony spyware as placed on all PS3s, etc.

There are more reasons, but these are the ones that come immediately into mind.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

I'll play too:

I can afford to go to the overpriced store, but respect my husband too much to waste his hard earned money just to keep from having to stand in line for a bit. So I'll go where ever I get the best price. ;^)

[Doogle]

yeah...finally notice the HD stuff..*LOL*
I’m still stunned how much the cost of the TV’s have dropped over the last three months. (and paying for it now..*sniff sniff*)

[kevkrom]

Can you play regular DVD’s on a an HDDVD player?

Yes. And it's supposed to make them look better.

[Red in Blue PA]

Fight the crowds for a noname cheapo brand which will be out of service in 6 months? No thanks, I will spend a little more elsewhere.

[montag813]

That happened in Conn?

Yep, Stratford