UPDATE: Check out the best Black Friday clothing deals Store Black Friday Deal Gaiam Gaiam coupon: Buy 1 item, get 50% off 2nd sitewide ShoeMall ShoeMall Doorbuster Deals: 50% off select items American Eagle American Eagle Outfitters: 50% off, stacks with clearance 7 For All Mankind 7 For All Mankind Sale: 30% off sitewide GUESS GUESS Factory: Extra 50% off sale items Kate Spade Kate Spade Black Friday Sale: Up to 75% off See the latest Black Friday clothing deals Black Friday 2013 Clothing Predictions One of the best trends we've seen in recent years is the growing prominence of Black Friday clothes sales. Apparel merchants at all ends of the fashion spectrum, from department stores to luxury boutiques, have begun to offer some of their best discounts of the season — and the year — during Black Friday. We reviewed the best of the best Black Friday clothing sales and coupons from years past, compared them to our current deal data, and came up with our best-informed guesses on what you can expect when you head to the stores (or online) this Black Friday season. Read on for this year's predictions for clothing and shoe sales. Sitewide Coupons Sweeten Black Friday Clothing Deals Last year, we predicted that Black Friday would bring not just the best discounts of the year for clothing merchants, but also the best extra percent-off coupons (which stack with ongoing sales). In general, we were correct. During 2012's Black Friday season, we saw coupons that took an extra 30% to 50% off sitewide, yielding best-of-the-year discounts from stores like Levi's, Nautica, Avenue, Lucky Brand, Banana Republic, Abercrombie & Fitch, and more. Better yet, most merchants also offered no-minimum free shipping on all orders. Even the stores that didn't have huge stacking discounts offered sales that took 50% to 75% off. Overall, last year's Black Friday season was a stand-out time for clothing discounts. In the months leading up to it, only 9% of clothing deals were marked Editors' Choice; however, that number climbed to 26% during Black Friday. Moreover, very few of the top deals since then have matched the sales offered on Black Friday and Cyber Monday last year. For this year's shopping season, we predict that merchants will once again offer their best sitewide coupons of the year. Furthermore, we'd be surprised if many sites charge a minimum for free shipping; why not dodge the crowds this year and just buy clothes online? Black Friday Shoe Sales Will Make You Jump for Joy In the months leading up to Black Friday last year, only 10% of all the shoe deals we listed were hot enough to be considered Editors' Choice. During Black Friday and Cyber Monday however, that number jumped: an astounding 31% of shoe deals were marked Editors' Choice: we once again saw the best sitewide discounts of the year from brands like PUMA, Nike, Crocs, Rockport, and more. These stand-out sales usually took 30% to 50% off sitewide, or offered "buy one pair, get one pair free" discounts. This Black Friday, we expect shoe merchants to once again offer their best sitewide sales of the year. However, be wary: popular pairs may have limited sizes and stock. Also, based on last year's trends, don't expect to get free shipping without making at least a $25 minimum purchase. Designer Brands Will Still Shine Brightest at Outlets Last year, we despondently predicted that luxury department stores would only offer sales via their outlet stores. We are (somewhat) happy to report that we got this one wrong. During the Black Friday season last year, we saw discounts of up to 60% off select items from Saks Fifth Avenue, while Neiman Marcus took up to 65% off select styles, with an extra 20% off in-cart for good measure. Better yet, both stores offered free shipping on all orders. However, they were by no means the best sales we'd seen from these merchants all year; both stores had offered similar or better discounts as recently as September 2012. So as predicted, we saw better discounts from outlet stores: Last Call by Neiman Marcus took 40% off already-discounted prices sitewide, and threw in free shipping on all orders. Looking forward to 2013's Black Friday season, we think that luxury outlets will once again offer the best discounts on designer apparel. As we mentioned earlier this year, high-end outlets are multiplying in response to shoppers' interest, and this could easily translate into bigger and better online discounts at outlets like Last Call, Barney's Warehouse, and Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH. However, with the sale of Saks Fifth Avenue to Hudson's Bay Co. (which owns Lord & Taylor) and the recent rumor that Neiman Marcus will also be sold, now could be the time for radical departures in the sale models at these flagship department stores, just in time for the holidays! Summary: Black Friday Clothing and Shoe Predictions "Best of the year" coupons that take an extra 30% to 50% off Base sales that take 50% to 75% off and offer no-minimum free shipping Shoe sites may have their best sitewide sales of the year, but don't offer free shipping Expect the best discounts on high-end goods to come from luxury department store outlets The Complete Black Friday Predictions HDTV deals Laptop deals Apple deals Tablet deals Smartphone deals Gaming and toy deals Streaming media and Blu-ray deals Clothing deals Home goods deals
