| Black Friday Survival Tips Research deals in advance. It’s never too early to make a list and check it twice. Plan your shopping destinations and their store hours. You don’t want to be the last one through the door, so plan wisely. Teamwork is always the best way to attack different stores or separate sections of the same store. But make sure you designate a meeting area. You don’t want to leave any team members behind. Bring a snack. Only amateurs stop at the food court on Black Friday. Budget wisely. If it’s not on the list, then tear yourself away from it. |
You’ve seen the ads promising deals not to be missed and discounts you’ve been waiting for all year long. It’s not Christmas and definitely not Thanksgiving. It’s the wonderful, unofficial, shop-’til-you-drop Black Friday.
As happens every year, Black Friday specials are taking over the news, Web and ad space everywhere. This unofficial holiday has become a national phenomenon, making this day one of the busiest shopping days of the year. As department stores and malls prepare by placing ads and coupons on their websites and through commercials, sites like theblackfriday.com and blackfriday.info are busy tracking those retailers in order to find consumers the latest and greatest deals.
Adding to the craze is Cyber Monday. Just in case there’s still money left in your account come the Monday after Black Friday, you can still do some damage with the help of your mouse.
Here are some examples of what you can expect to see at major retailers for Black Friday:
Macy’s
Men’s and women’s boots, 20% off
Select wool coats, $29.99
Target
All Leapster software, $15
Wii Fit Plus Bundle with Balance Board, $67
Canon Rebel XS 10.1 MP Digital SLR Camera, $479.99
Emerson GM527 Portable DVD and Karaoke Player, $84.99
iHome Portable Stereo Alarm Clock/Speaker for iPod, $29.99
Special Black Friday Hours
South Coast Plaza is tentatively set for its normal hours of operation (10 a.m.- 9 p.m.) with certain stores opening earlier.
Neiman Marcus: 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
Nordstrom: 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
Bloomingdale’s: 8 a.m.-10 p.m.
Macy’s: 4 a.m.-11 a.m.
Irvine Spectrum Center is set to open 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
Target: 4 a.m.-11 p.m.
Nordstrom: 8 a.m.-10 p.m.
Macy’s: 4 a.m.-11 a.m.
Brea Mall is set to open 5 a.m.-10 p.m.
Macy’s: 5 a.m.-11 p.m.
Nordstrom: 8 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
Sears: 4 a.m.-9 p.m.
