Josh Elledge - Chief Executive Angel
Black Friday roundup of the best deals
I have been offering Black Friday tips and deals to audiences for over 10 years now and I’ve seen the progression of ‘Black Friday’ go from truly being an all-out humongous one-day shopping spree to pretty much a month-long event. You might even say that it’s more of a ‘season’ than an event. Just as an example, Amazon has been doing their countdown to Black Friday since Nov 1. Walmart deals began showing up on Nov 9. While some stores, like Kohl’s, Best Buy, and Macy’s had Black Friday deals in July. Yup July!
According to the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics, overall spending is expected to increase between 3.6 and 4%, for a total of $678.75 billion to $682 billion, up from $655.8 billion last year. They also found that 59% of shoppers will be doing their shopping online.
Online shopping has caused some stores to reevaluate whether or not it makes business sense to be open on Thanksgiving Day this year. Others have shortened or changed their in-store shopping hours to when they’ve found most shoppers to be in the store.
Keeping these things in mind, here are my 3 best tips for Black Friday shopping this year:
- Be sure you are comparing any discounts to reasonable retails. It’s not hard for a retailer to say a shirt is 75% off – selling for $20 – when the suggested retail is listed as $80. That 75% off sounds so impressive and like such a bargain… until you realize that the true value of the shirt is really about $30, and thus a discount of only about 33%.
- Is Black Friday the best day to shop? Black Friday prices are rarely just the day after Thanksgiving anymore. Many retailers are offering Black Friday prices all week long next week. So be sure you watch the dates and times for each item you’re interested in purchasing. You might find that what you want is actually a better deal Thanksgiving Day or that you could wait until Saturday and still get the special pricing – when fewer shoppers are fighting for the bargains. You don’t want to miss your savings day by simply assuming it is Friday.
- Comparison shop both from ad to ad AND online. With the information of the sales and prices at your fingertips, you can comparison shop easily. Check throughout the internet to see if you can get the same item for less money. Your best price might be at another store’s brick and mortar location or it might be from an online source. You’ll have to consider shipping when shopping online but many places are currently offering free shipping at low spend thresholds, so don’t let possible shipping deter you from buying online.
Exclusive deal offers from Visit Orlando
For those living in the Orlando area and/or are planning to spend some time here over the next several months, I have some terrific deals to pass on to you today that you won't want to miss from Visit Orlando:
Attraction Deals
Save an extra 10 percent on all tickets Visit Orlando sells – more than 50 attractions, dinner shows, theme parks and more – including these already discounted offers:
- Walt Disney World Resort:LOTS of Disney Springs Shopping dealsBuy 4 days, get the 5
th day free and receive a free round of miniature golf (Valid at Disney’s Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course or Disney’s Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course) with the purchase of a Magic Your Way® Base Ticket or with the addition of the Park Hopper® option. A total savings of more than $95!
- Universal Orlando Resort:
Universal Orlando VIP Experience 2017 Black Friday Offer
- On sale dates: 11/22/17 – 11/27/17
- Guests can receive 25% off a VIP experience at Universal Orlando Resort on select dates from 11/27/17 to 12/31/18
Blue Man Group at Universal Orlando 2017 Black Friday Offer
- On sale dates: 11/22/17-11/27/17
- Guests can purchase a Blue Man Group ticket at Universal Orlando for $29.00 plus tax on select dates from 11/24/17 to 2/28/18
- SeaWorld Orlando:
Blue Friday Sale Kick-Off
This Thursday marks the official start of SeaWorld’s biggest sale of the year: Blue Friday. Ocean-deep discounts on admission and park experiences provide incredible value for holiday shoppers, including the following offers:
BOGO (Buy One, Get One) Offers:
- BOGO Free: SeaWorld Orlando Single-Day Ticket
- BOGO Free: 2-Park Tickets (SeaWorld and Aquatica)
- BOGO 50% off: SeaWorld Orlando/Aquatica One-Year Annual Pass
- BOGO Free: Beluga and Walrus Up-Close Tour
- BOGO Free: Quick Queue Unlimited at SeaWorld
- BOGO Free: Dine With Shamu
- BOGO 50% off: All-Day Dining
- LEGOLAND Florida Resort: Save more than $20 per ticket on a 1-day pass. Want more than a 1-day pass? Get $50 off AWESOMER ANNUAL PASS Vacation Packages starting at $85 per Person! ($160 Value)** Awesomer & Awesomest Annual Pass Members: Save 30% on your Stay at LEGOLAND® Hotel*** or Beach Retreat!
- The Coca-Cola Orlando Eye: Save 35% off the gate price.
Accommodation Deals in Orlando
- The Grove Resort & Spa: Save 50 percent off best available rates for one, two and three bedroom residential-style suites at this new resort near Walt Disney World, when booking Nov. 24-27 for stays through September 30, 2018.
- B Resort & Spa: Use the code “CYBER” when booking online to enjoy up to 25 percent off guest rooms, a 50 percent reduced resort fee and a free room upgrade from Chic to Captivating. This offer can be booked from Nov. 24–27, for travel dates Nov. 27, 2017 to Dec. 31, 2018.
- Coco Key Hotel and Water Resort Orlando: Use the code “CYBER” when booking online to enjoy up to 30 percent off guest rooms, a 50 percent reduced resort fee, a free upgrade to pool or waterpark view, 10 percent off food and beverages and a free-tokens $5 gift card. This offer can be booked from Nov. 24–27. Travel dates begin Nov. 27 and extend through Dec. 31, 2018.
- The Villas of Grand Cypress: Book online from Nov. 24-27 to save 15 percent on a two-night stay through December 20, 2018. Save an additional 5 percent per added night, up to 5 nights, for a maximum savings of 30 percent.
- Orlando World Center Marriott: An exclusive Cyber Monday sale provides 15 percent savings when booking Nov. 23–27 for stays from Dec. 7 to Jan. 15, 2018.
- Rosen Centre, Rosen Plaza and Rosen Shingle Creek: Book a getaway at any of these Rosen properties Nov. 24–27 for stays between Dec. 1-27, to receive 30 percent off the best available rate, plus 30 percent off select on-site restaurants.
Flight Deals to Orlando
- Via Airlines: Use promo code “CyberMonVia2017” online to receive 25 percent off all ViaAir flights to and from Orlando-Sanford International Airport. This offer must be booked on Nov. 27 for travel dates Nov. 27 through March 31, 2018.
Hot Black Friday shopping deals
For Amazon shoppers, be sure to sign up for your Free Trial of Prime if you aren’t a Prime Member. Prime Members get early access to Lightning deals. Black Friday deals have already begun on Amazon!
Deals you may not want to miss at Kohl’s this year
What makes these Kohl’s deals real deals is that even though you may see the same advertised prices somewhere else, what you won’t get anywhere else is the bonus Kohl’s cash that you’ll receive with each of these purchases — that lowers your bottom line price. Remember Kohl’s Cash is the same thing as free money if you intend to shop at Kohl’s again. Plus you'll be earning 1 Yes2You point for every dollar you spend — 100 pts. = a $5 reward.
- Microsoft Xbox One S 500GB Console
Black Friday Price: $189.99 (was $279.99)
Kohl's Ad (pg 1)
Bonus: $45 Kohl's Cash + $5 Yes2You
- Sony PlayStation 4 1TB Console
Black Friday Price: $199.99 (was $299.99)
Kohl's Ad (pg 1)
Bonus: $60 Kohl's Cash + $10 Yes2You - PlayStation 4 GranTurismo Sport VR Bundle
Black Friday Price: $299.99 (was $399.99)
Where: Walmart (pg 7) - Fitbit Charge 2 Heart Rate + Fitness Wristband
Black Friday Price: $99.99 (was $149.99)
Kohl's Ad (pg 1)
Bonus: $30 Kohl's Cash + $5 Yes2You - Haier 55-inch 4K Ultra HDTV
Black Friday Price: $299.99 (was $399.99)
Kohl's Ad (pg 1)
Bonus: $90 Kohl's Cash + $15 Yes2You
More TV deals
- Sharp 50-in LED 2160p 4K Ultra HDTV Roku TV
Black Friday Price: $179.99 (was $499.99)
Where: Best Buy (pg 1)
In-store only - VIZIO 60″ 4K Smart HDR Ultra HDTV (E60-E3)
Black Friday Price: $699.99 (was $969.99)
Where: Dell (pg 3)
Bonus: $200 Dell eGift Card - Polaroid 32″ LED TV
Black Friday Price: $89.99 (was $129.99)
Where: Target (pg 7)
Misc good deals
- Hoover Rewind Upright Vacuum
Black Friday Price: $44 (was $88)
Where: Walmart (pg 28) - Keurig K250 2.0 Brewer
Black Friday Price: $89.99 (was $150) with free shipping
Where: JCPenney - 5 Port Smartphone & Tablet Charging Station
Black Friday Price: $19.99 (reg. $50)
Where: Amazon + FREE shipping with Amazon Prime
Each year at this time, Kohls also has a variety of name brand household items at super low prices. My favs are:
- Various small kitchen appliances priced at $9.99.
- Bed pillows and bath towels starting at $2.99.
