Blog Archives for November 2013

Whether you're an iPhone devotee or an Android addict, we've gathered the best Editors' Choice Black Friday cell phone deals for your perusal — including a slew of "for profit" promotions that include a $100 gift card for free.

Rather than sleeping through the busiest shopping week of the season — not to mention all the potential savings — and likewise, not to waste any more time thinking what to buy your nearest and dearest, we've put together the ultimate Black Friday gift guide! From secret Santas to significant others, here are some of the best Black Friday deals that will make great gifts and keep you on budget.

As humans, we glean an inordinate amount of amusement from dressing our animal companions in costumes ranging from the cute to the bizarre. We'll take any occasion — the arrival of spring, the holiday season, and of course Halloween. Thanksgiving is no exception. These are our 11 of our favorite pets that have gone all-out to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Black Friday is so close we can practically taste it! But before we charge out the door on Thanksgiving, we want to pause for a minute and think about what this all adds up to. We've crunched some big numbers in the lead up to this major shopping event, and think this is a great space to talk about Black Friday by the numbers.

We've all heard the Black Friday horror stories about out of control crowds. But is it really dangerous to head to the store on Black Friday? What steps are retailers taking to protect customers and employees during the shopping holiday? Read on to see how merchants will try to maximize safety — and profits — during the Black Friday season.

Another Kmart commercial, another uproar! The company's new boxer commercial for the holidays is ringing some people's bells. Judge for yourself if it's edgy, button-pushing, inappropriate, or just insipid.

Amazon has finally sent around a preview of its Black Friday Sale. Starting on Sunday, November 24 (that's a whole day earlier than last year), Amazon will post a new deal every 10 minutes for eight days straight. That's a lot of deals. But are any worth your time?

Some people have convinced themselves that it'll never happen; that it's all hype. But Black Friday is coming ... and it's coming soon! Have you made plans for how you're going to survive a direct strike from Black Friday? If you're an anti-consumerist, Buy-Nothing-Day believer with any hope of surviving Black Friday, you'd best enact some of these Black Friday preparations, STAT.

Here at DealNews, we like to say that every day is Black Friday. But that doesn't mean that Black Friday itself isn't an important deal day — there's a reason people camp out in the cold and trample each other for these sales! You don't have to suffer like them, though. By employing a few Black Friday shopping strategies, you can snag all the best Black Friday deals without the hassle of crowds and frostbite.

Believe it or not, there are shoppers that have already started lining up for Black Friday. Yes, it gives us hilarious images of tents outside of a Best Buy, but what makes a person go to such drastic measures?

Black Friday isn't just about tech and clothing. Joining the shopping frenzy is your neighborhood drugstore. But is making an early bird trip to the drugstore really something consumers should plan on for Black Friday? We combed through the Black Friday drugstore ads from Walgreens, Rite Aid, and a leaked ad from CVS to find out.

We strive to ready our deal slingers with ample consumer ammo via our Black Friday ad analyses, but useless "filler deals" can still be hard to spot on the big day. In order to steer clear of such fluff, we've outlined a number of pointers that will help you identify the good from the bad, because not all that glitters is consumer gold.

There are many people in this country who love fried turkey at Thanksgiving, like our dear friend William Shatner. But some culinary wannabes don't know how hazardous frying a turkey can be. So, to put it into perspective, we've put together this list of things that are actually less dangerous than frying a turkey.

Black Friday clothing sales have been steadily growing in popularity in recent years, with even luxury boutiques offering significant discounts during the shopping holiday. We've rounded up several stand-out clothing, shoes, and accessories deals that we've come across in our perusal of the leaked Black Friday ads.

Video games have been a staple in many American households since the mid 1970s when Atari's Pong console game became a hit. Now, whether you're a fan of Wii U, Xbox, or some 8-bit relic that's just a hair past the days of Pong, the question of which were the best video games of all time remains.

Black Friday can be really overwhelming, but don't panic: Here at DealNews, we spend all year preparing for Black Friday so you don't have to. Our Black Friday hub is the only place you need to go for all the latest info. So get comfy and then get clicking, deal-seekers; you've come to the right place.

Are you tired of reading rumors about the latest technology? Sick of hearing insane hearsay about Apple, Parappa The Rapper , Jennifer Lawrence, and more? Well, neither are we! Hooray! That's why we put all the latest biz-buzz from the internet into one place, the Rumor Roundup!

The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are right around the corner, so the obvious question is: When will we find a deal on these next-gen consoles? Unfortunately, the answer might not be what you want to hear, but your patience will pay off!

Target's complete Black Friday ad is now live! We've combed through it to find the best and the worst. And while there are some pretty great deals from the retailer, we've found that in many cases, other competitors will offer slightly better discounts.

We've already sorted through some interesting Black Friday ads, but finally, the big names for the holiday are making an appearance; Walmart, our second-best retailer for Editors' Choice Black Friday deals, has released its full Black Friday ad. And judging from the promotions below (which include some amazing TV deals and discounts on Apple products), we're pretty optimistic about what's to come for 2013.

Most of us at DealNews have stayed up late to watch just one more episode of Breaking Bad or devoted an entire rainy Saturday to catching up with The Walking Dead. And thanks to streaming TV services like Netflix and Amazon Instant Video, the common practice of "binge-watching" affords viewers the ability to view back-to-back episodes of a series — sometimes taking in entire seasons of addicting TV shows within weeks. So then why is Amazon debuting new episodes of its original series on a weekly basis?

Whether it;s a source of aggravation or pride (or likely a bit of both), owning a car requires significant investment to keep it in tip-top shape, especially if you're planning on driving it for 200,000 miles. However, there is a payoff: from zero car payments to far fewer cosmetic repairs to worry about once the car is past the 100,000 mile mark, maintaining an automobile is a rewarding endeavor. Just make sure to follow this sound advice.

What exactly motivates people to shop in-store on Black Friday? And for that matter, why do people decide to shop online instead? You might think that the Almighty Deal dictates our habits, but our reader survey and fancy Black Friday Infographic suggest otherwise.

Are you tired of reading rumors about the latest technology? Sick of hearing insane hearsay about Jason Schwartzman, Nintendo, Call of Duty, and more? Well, neither are we! Hooray! That's why we put all the latest biz-buzz from the internet into one place, the Rumor Roundup!

Black Friday will always be a frenzy of bargains, but with each passing year there are some elements that change. The best way to make the most of this epic shopping event is to be prepared, so we've compiled a list of ways that Black Friday 2013 will be different from previous years.

Black Friday and social media have had a rocky relationship as of late, and the way stores use popular social sites remains in flux. However, we can say that, based on what we know from previous years, we do know that retails will use social media for some Black Friday marketing tasks this year.

With the leaking of the 2013 Toys "R" Us Black Friday ad, parents will find a treasure trove of excellent Black Friday deals — although they might want to buy some of the best offers for themselves. Even still, we found some very popular holiday 2013 toy offerings in the massive, 28-page ad.

Tradition suggests that Black Friday dollars are spent on a pretty good cause — buying holiday gifts for our loved ones. So we were surprised to discover that a whole bunch of you guys are turning convention on its head and snatching up the greater portion of Black Friday loot for yourselves!

This is the "Holiday Creep," and he can be a real jerk sometimes. Even if you're trying to enjoy an activity that's actually appropriate for the season, he's hanging over your shoulder, whispering something in your ear about must-have toys or special layaway terms.

Ever since the Great Recession of '08, most shoppers have cut back on extravagant purchases. Lots of consumers have also pinched pennies on everyday items, from bottled water to gasoline. Simultaneously, manufacturers and retailers have been trying to sell a myriad of items to budget-minded consumers that purport to be effective tools for saving even more money. But are these gadgets, services, and memberships worth it?

There's so much news to cover as we approach Black Friday and the holiday season, you might have overlooked some important information to guide your purchases. Here are some recent features you might have missed:

• People Are Already Camping Out in Front of a Best Buy in Ohio
• 13 Things NOT to Buy on Black Friday
• There's a Reason No One Stands in Line Outside Drugstores on Black Friday
• What It Takes to Score a Black Friday Doorbuster Deal
• Walmart, Target, and Best Buy Black Friday ads
• Thanksgiving and Black Friday Store Hours
• The best TV, laptop, tablet, clothing, home, electronics, gaming, and hardware ads
• The Best Black Friday Freebies

... and more!

Earlier this week, Amazon launched its Kindle MatchBook program, which lets you download discounted Kindle eBook versions of select titles you've already physically purchased. While there are supposedly 70,000 eligible titles available, and some of them are reportedly free to download, we've yet to find great value in the service.