Black Friday 2014 Starts Nov 1 for Amazon, Walmart & more

Black Friday– A Man Made Monster is on the Lose

Halloween is over and now some retailers are telling us that Black Friday starts as November begins.  Anxious to pump up the  peak retail season, Amazon and Walmart are already proclaiming their Black Friday deals.  I’ll be interested to see if consumers take the bait, because usually, the deals get better later in December the closer we get to Christmas.   Since Black Friday is no longer just one day, consumers just keep waiting for the prices to drop.  So what are Amazon and Walmart doing to bring in customers.  Mostly specials on electronics and toys.  Look for deals at Walmart at their upcoming “Cyber Event” on Monday, Nov. 3rd.   At Amazon, the deals will roll on through the holiday season with two special deals each day.

Walmart hopes to lure customers into their stores for Black Friday savings all through Nov and Dec 2014.

So here’s what’s on offer at both retailers to get customers to spend their cash early.   The Cyber Event at Walmart offers these deals starting at Midnight PST Nov 3, 2014:

• Sony 48” LED HDTV for $348, was $448
• Nintendo 2DS Handheld Video Game System for $79, was $129
• Barbie Dreamhouse for $120, was $148.82 and
• Nextbook 7.85” tablet with 8GB memory for $49, was $99

Personally, I’m afraid to shop at Walmart in person for any of these deals.  People go crazy at Walmart during these events and there have been shootings.   Shopping online on the Walmart website is a better option in my opinion. For Fashion at Walmart, look for Shauna Miller’s Penny Chic dresses back online and already selling for under $17.00.  I own one of these dresses (the curvy dress in black)  and it fits really well.  This season’s collection includes a long-sleeve wrap dress that is a budget alternative to Diane Von Furstenberg’s classic. It may not be the finest material , but for that price, what can you expect?

Over at Amazon,  there are lots of  Black Friday specials already online.  The focus is on electronics, cameras, TVs and toys on Amazon.   Follow @amazondeals on Twitter to get the updates.

Not to be outdone, Sears has announced that they will offer Black Friday deals during their upcoming  friends and family sale on Nov. 9.  Look for deals on electronics and sales on the Sears fashion brands including the Kardashian Kollection.  Most of the Kardashian Kollection is already reduced from about $80.00 to approximately $33.00 per dress.  If you’re considering buying from the reality TV stars’ fashion brand, be sure and read the reviews.  Even at 60% discount some of this garment sound overpriced based on the quality of the fabric and design.

If you’re looking for good deals on Fashion, you’ll be better served shopping deals at these outlet stores, rather than going to Amazon, Walmart or Sears:

Saks OFF Fifth: Discounts off designer apparel, cosmetics, fragrance, jewelry and handbags.  If you’re in Los Angeles, there’s a great Saks Off Fifth in Orange County at the Outlets at Orange.  Right now the store is having a “fashion finds” event with discounts up to 40% off.

Neiman Marcus Last Call: regular reductions on top designer brands direct from parent company Neiman Marcus.  Look for Roland Mouret, Burberry, Milly, Valentino, Escada, Carolina Herrera and many more.  These are not seconds, or clothes specially made for an outlet store,  but previous seasons from the designer’s original collections.  In Los Angeles you can also find Last Call at the Outlets at Orange.