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Deals abound as companies face tough holiday markets
New ballgame: Last year, "Black Friday" was the day after Thanksgiving when major items were steeply discounted for sale at midnight and remained that way until every sale item was gone. Not this year, says Dan de Grandpre, founder and editor of Dealnews, "where every day is Black Friday."
Black Friday Season: Dealnews is the Web's leading source of information on consumer electronics, gadgets and apparel. De Grandpre says the 1930s-like economy is profoundly morphing Black Friday -- it's no longer just one Friday; it's now 64 Black Fridays that run from Halloween through New Year's Day.
Deep discounts: Fewer stores will skip Black Friday and will offer more sales on luxury brands. Many retailers will go out of business this holiday season -- bad in the long term for the economy, but good in the short-term for holiday shoppers. Online shopping this holiday will see discounts as deep as those last seen in 2001 after the dot-com bust.
Dealnews: The site ( tulsaworld.com/Dealnews ) led the pack last year, revealing the biggest Black Friday secret: many stores kick off Black Friday sales online on Thanksgiving Day.
Shipping deals: This year, expect deeper shipping deals and discounts. Higher holiday gasoline prices and wariness among shoppers will drive more consumers online toward stores with shipping incentives. More retailers are offering overnight shipping deals right up to Christmas Day.
Better tech deals: Some of the biggest deals this season will be on gadgets and computers. De Grandpre says you'll see the biggest price drops on tech gifts on Black Friday.
Best times to shop: For luxury items, mark your calendar for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Dec. 1.
For items like HDTVs, GPS and Blu-ray players, wait until right before Christmas for the lowest prices.
Bargain-hunter Web sites: For a list of 47 popular bargain-hunter Web sites, see tulsaworld.com/BargainHunt .
Tulsa World consumer writer Phil Mulkins wants to know which topics interest you most.
Call 699-8888 or e-mail your interest to phil.mulkins@tulsaworld.com or mail it to Tulsa World Consumer, P.O. Box 1770, Tulsa OK 74102-1770.
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