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Deal of the Day by Kelli B. Grant (Author Archive)
The Black Friday Shopper's Guide
An estimated 137 million shoppers will hit the stores Friday through Sunday, according to the National Retail Federation. If you plan to be among them, you'll need stamina to find the best deals. Here's how to deliver a peak performance:
Scan Leaked Ads Online
No need to hold off planning your shopping assault until the official Black Friday ads land on your doorstep with the morning paper on Thanksgiving Day. Plenty are already online at sites like Black Friday@GottaDeal.com, BlackFridayAds.com, Black Friday 2006 and BlackFriday. These sites count on leaked details from retailers and their employees, and closer to the day, on the scanned copies of the actual ads. (Due to regional promotions, you may find some price variation.)
BlackFridayAds.com's scan of a Toys 'R' Us ad, for example, reveals sales of a Spectrum seven-inch portable DVD Player for $69.99 ($30 off), a Hot Wheels Shark Park Playset for $9.89 (50% off) and a Bratz Sweet Dreamz doll for $9.99 (50% off).
Compare Prices
Don't assume that just because an item is on sale at a particular retailer that it's the best deal out there, says Robyn Spizman, author of "The GIFTionary," a gift-buying guide. And to find the best price, don't use any old price comparison engine. We tested the major sites earlier this year, and found that NexTag and PriceGrabber consistently returned the most accurate results and lowest prices. Be sure to factor in shipping and sales tax, when applicable.
You also can compare prices in store, via cellphone. Just dial 1-888-DO-FRUCALL (1-888-36-378-2255) on your cellphone to reach Frucall, a free price-comparison service. Type in the barcode number of the item you're shopping for and Frucall will tell you which online retailers are selling it and for how much. (For more, see Comparison Shop With Your Phone.)
Buy Now
Wish you could get the Black Friday steals minus the grab-and-snatch frenzy of the crowds? Actually, you can:
Presale price drops. Some "sale" items featured in retailer ads are already at Black Friday prices. At Radio Shack, for example, you can snag a Magellan eXplorist 200 for only $99.99 — 33% off the regular retail price of $149.95. One of the ad sites, BlackFriday@GottaDeal keeps a running list.In-store pickup. The web sites of Borders, Circuit City and Linens-n-Things, among other retailers, let you arrange to pick up a purchase in stores. Order the sale items you want now and then head to the store on Friday to seal the deal. At Best Buy, a Canon SD600 camera will regularly cost $249.99, but will be on sale Friday for $219.99 — a discount of 12%. When you check out online, you can arrange to pick up the item at your local store. Per the retailer's price matching policy, all you need is your receipt to get the lower price on Black Friday.Price adjustments. Plenty of retailers offer one-time price adjustments for an item that has gone on sale within a set period of your original purchase. (For more, see our column It's Not Too Late to Save.) Best-case scenario, you'll just need your receipt. Or you can return the item and immediately repurchase it at its Black Friday sale price.
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