Black Friday deals may be disappointing for those who have been looking forward to big sales after Thanksgiving, as a research reveals that 93% of establishments recycle their deals from year-to-year, letting buyers purchase year-old items for the same price.
The day after Thanksgiving is always busy for shoppers who are called to stores by the big discounts supposedly being offered. However, AL.com says that it might not be the best time to shop if one is looking for discounts. According to the article, a study conducted by NerdWallet revealed that most of the discounted offers available this year are the same as those offered last year.
NerdWallet says that 77% of Americans shop on Black Friday, which may not be a wise idea after all. The site relays, "The long-held idea that the day after Thanksgiving is the best day of the year for sales, with unprecedented deals there for the taking, is wrong."
NerdWallet's analysis comes after looking at 27 establishments offering Black Friday deals and finding out that 25 retailers have at least one product from their 2013 brochure that is now included in their 2014 offers. "That means 93% of retailers are repeating Black Friday products-and prices-from year to year," the site concludes.
CNBC lists a scenario where paying for the same price as last year is problematic, with Office Depot allegedly pricing the Brother Digital Color Wireless Printer for $349.97, the same price as last year, despite its year-old technology. Meanwhile, if one is buying KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer, still offered for $299.99 like last year, it may not make much difference, since "mixer design has not changed much in the past year."
On top of that, some Black Friday deals are also the establishments' way of selling limited featured-items. An example listed by AL.com is Sears' offering of a Samsung 55-inch 1080p Smart LED HDTV priced at $599.99, apparently originally priced as $1,199.99, encouraging many to buy it for a discount of $600. "However, NerdWallet checked the store's website in early November and found the set was being sold for $807.49," says AL.com. This brings down the discount to only $207.50.
Instead of joining the Black Friday rush, AL.com is recommending the day after Christmas, Labor Day, Memorial Day, and July 4 as good days to shop instead.
Aside from recycled offers, shoppers might also want to watch out for protests, as Reuters reports Walmart employers over 1600 stores participate to ask for an increase in wages. Labor group Our Walmart also had a similar protest last year in 1200-1400 stores, adds the article.
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