Black Friday: Who Has the Best Deals? (Post your bargain finds-2011)

Washington, D.C. (Nov. 15, 2011) -- We've now reported on the upcoming Black Friday deals from 10 different retailers that sell consumer electronics. Whether it's CE giant Best Buy or discount specialist Walmart or the regionally popular Hastings entertainment chain, America's favorite retailers are hoping to woo the discerning Black Friday shopper.

But which retailer will offer the best Black Friday deals on CE products and High-Definition TVs? After a careful study of the discounts being planned by the 10 retailers, we have ranked the stores in order based on best price and the uniqueness of the items they will sell.

Before we declare our winner, a little background on the Black Friday phenomenon itself: Retailers traditionally offer deep discounts on the day after Thanksgiving (Nov. 25), better known as Black Friday, the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season. In the weeks leading up to the big day, web sites such as Bfads.net and BlackFriday.info receive previews of Black Friday ads that the retailers are planning to run. (Much of our Black Friday reporting here was based on some excellent work by Bfads.net; we recommend that you visit them for a more comprehensive look at all Black Friday offers, not just CE products.)

1. Best Buy: In addition to the best prices, Best Buy will offer the highest quantity of discounted consumer electronics products on Black Friday. That should be no surprise considering that the store specializes in CE.

But the lower prices is what really caught our attention. For instance, how would you like a Toshiba Wi-Fi-ready Blu-ray Player for $39.99? Or how about a Sharp 42-inch, 1080p LCD HDTV for $199? Or how about a Microsoft XBox 360 Kinect for $99? A Dynex 24-inch, 1080p LCD HDTV for $79.99? And how about Mad Men, Seasons 1-4 on Blu-ray -- just $8.99 for each season. All great prices that make the special trip on Black Friday well worth the effort and time.

2. Walmart As a discount store, you would expect Walmart to offer some eye-popping deals on Black Friday and the retailer doesn't disappoint. For instance, Walmart will sell a Blu-ray player for $49; select Blu-ray movies for $1.96 each; an Emerson 32-inch LCD HDTV for just $188' and an Emerson 40-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV for $248. All great deals but they simply fall short of Best Buy's overall offer.

3. Target: I frankly expected a little more from Target, but the retailer does deliver with a Westinghouse 46-inch 1080p LCD HDTV for $298. Still, I was hoping for more products that made me sit up and take notice.

4. Staples The office supply store is short on discounted TVs and typical gadget fare. But it will offer some cool stocking stuffers for great prices. For instance, how about a digital camera for $19? Or a Belkin wireless router for $24.99? Or a Logitech Web Cam for just $14.99?

5. Sam's Club: Sam's Club also was a small disappointment with few big-ticket items with big discounts. But how would you like a Samsung 51-inch Plasma HDTV for $498? Or the Blu-ray edition of Transformers: Dark of the Moon for $9.98? Might be worth a trip on the big day.

6. Costco Likewise, I was expecting more from Costco. But the retailer will sell a 32-inch, 1080p HDTV for $199 and a Blu-ray-equipped laptop for $599.

7. Sears The retailer will sell a lot of TVs on Black Friday, but the deep discounts are few and far between. The best of the bunch: A 32-inch LCD HDTV for $199 and a Sharp 60-inch LED HDTV for $999.

8. Kmart How would you like a Sony Blu-ray Player w/Wi-Fi for $79? Or a Fujifilm 14MP Digital Camera for $49? Or an XBox 360 with built-in Wi-Fi for $149? Well, you can get them for the same price or lower at most of the stores above them on this list. Nothing special here.

9. Radio Shack Radio Shack also disappoints with a Toshiba 32-inch LCD HDTV for $259 (many stores are selling 32-inch sets for under $200) and a Casio 12.1 MP Digital Camera for $99, among other lowlights.

10. Hastings The regional retailer, which has stores in about 20 states, plans to sell Blu-ray editions of newly released movies for just $12.99. Well, so does just about everyone else. Hastings will also offer a Samsung 3D Wi-Fi Blu-ray player for $99 and a refurbished first generation Apple iPad for $429. So-so.

http://news.consumerreports.org/electronics/2011/11/black-friday-tvs-walmart-target-get-down-low.html

Just a few days ago, we offered our predictions of the kinds of HDTV prices we’d see during this year’s Black Friday shopping weekend, and for the most part, we were on the money. But based on Walmart’s Black Friday ad, Best Buy’s Black Friday circular, and a Black Friday preview ad from Target, prices on some TVs may be even lower than we initially thought.

For example, we predicted we’d see $200 32-inch LCD TVs this year. Walmart will be offering a 32-inch Emerson—a bare-bones 720p set—for just $188. Target so far hasn’t announced anything priced lower, but like Walmart will have a basic 32-inch 720p Samsung LCD set for $278. Best Buy will offer a 32-inch 720p Dynex LCD set with an LED backlight as part of an online-only sale, but the price wasn’t revealed.

If you’re looking for a bigger set, there’s a surprising amount of promotional activity around sets in the 40- to 42-inch range, where we expected to see a number of $300 sets. But Walmart will have a 40-inch 1080p Emerson LCD TV for $248. Target is countering with a 40-inch 1080p Element (model ELDFT404) for $265. Walmart will also have a 40-inch 1080p Samsung LCD TV for $428.00, and a 43-inch Samsung 720p plasma for $398.00. Perhaps the best deal we’ve seen will be a 42-inch 1080p Sharp LCD TV for $200, offered as a doorbuster special. The store will also have a 42-inch 1080p LCD TV from LG—a 120Hz model with an LED backlight—for $550 and a 40-inch 1080p Samsung for $430.

Want to go even bigger? Then just $300 could yield a 46-inch 1080p Westinghouse (model) VR-4625 at Target, which is pricing that TV at $298, the lowest price we’ve ever seen for a set this size. We didn’t see anything comparable at Walmart, but that retailer will have a 51-inch 720p plasma from Samsung for $498, and a 46-inch 1080p LCD TV from the same brand for $598. Over at Best Buy, you’ll be able to get a 50-inch 1080p plasma TV from Panasonic (model TC-P30S30) for $600, or a 46-inch 720p Panasonic plasma for $400.

For those looking at the biggest-screen sets, say 55 inches or larger, Walmart and Best Buy are better bets than Target. Walmart will have a 55-inch 1080p LCD TV from LG—a step-up model with 120Hz anti-blur technology and an LED backlight—for $898. And just $100 more could get you a mammoth 65-inch 1080p Toshiba LCD TV with 120Hz technology, which is sale priced at $998.00. Best Buy will have a 55-inch 1080p Dynex (with 120Hz technology) or $600, an a 60-inch 1080p Sharp with 120Hz technology ((LC-60E70U) for just $800. Quantities will be limited, however.

If a 3D TV is on your radar, Walmart is bundling a 47-inch LG passive 3D TV (a Cinema 3D-series model with 120Hz technology and an LED backlight) with an LG 3D Blu-ray Player and 3D glasses, all for $799. We saw a bundle earlier this year—presumably the same one—at both Amazon and Best Buy for just over $1,000. For those on a tighter budget, Walmart will also have a full-featured 42-inch 1080p Vizio (a step-up passive 3D model with 240Hz technology and an LED backlight) for $598. That set comes with four pairs of polarized 3D glasses.

But even if your TV budget is only $100, you’ll find something to buy during this year’s Black Friday sales. Walmart will have a 19-inch 720p Sansui LCD TV for $98, while Best Buy will do even better, offering a 24-inch 1080p LCD TV—from Dynex, a Best Buy house brand—for just $80 as one of its doorbuster specials.

Of course, visiting stores during Black Friday—some of which will open at 12:01 a.m. on Friday this year—isn’t everyone’s idea of a good time. Just remember that many of these same retailers will be offering online specials throughout the Black Friday weekend.

< snip >

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.