Official Black Friday @ GottaDeal.com Media Appearance Thread

bigjimslade · August 16, 2008

Below are news articles from the news wires and global news sources about the BF shopping season. This thread will be updated during the 2008 Black Friday Shopping season.

Have a story? Feel free to post in this thread. If you have a story that is on a store please post them in the store sections.

bigjimslade · August 16, 2008

This Left Blank

bigjimslade · August 16, 2008

Corning Hurt by Flatter Flat TV Sales

http://online.barrons.com/article/SB121866640328038563.html?mod=googlenews_barrons

The fourth quarter could continue to be weaker than seasonal, as our checks indicate TV OEMs currently operating in the red, which includes the Tier 1: Samsung/Sony and Tier 2: Westinghouse and Vizio could pull back on aggressive Black Friday promotions. Also, TV sales in China, which constitute 20% of world demand, could slow down further into the fourth quarter post-Olympics.

It looks like there may not be alot of good deals on TVs.

Brad · September 1, 2008

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Black Friday

http://www.wsbtv.com/money/17358448/detail.html

Attention shoppers! Black Friday is only 88 days away. So as you relax during your long Labor Day holiday, think about the next big holiday, and what all those stores out there want you to do: Spend your money.

That's right, 88 days and the internet experts who scour for Black Friday ads before they come in your Thanksgiving newspaper have already found the Black Friday deals at Ace Hardware.

We found it posted at one of the more popular sites to track Black Friday ads: gottadeal.com. If you don't want to check the site every day, you can sign up for an email alert when new Black Friday ads are posted

Brad · September 4, 2008

a couple of radio station web sites mentioning GD and BF:

http://www.k105fm.com/K105AirStaff/K105MorningShow/tabid/99/Default.aspx

http://www.wlit.com/pages/robin.html

Doctor Gonzo · September 4, 2008

From blu-ray.com...

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=1740

Sources: Sub-$200 Blu-ray Players Coming this Winter
Posted September 3, 2008 12:35 PM by Josh Dreuth

Sources have indicated to Blu-ray.com that at least one company will offer a limited number of Blu-ray Disc players for under $200 this holiday season. These players would likely be offered during special "door buster" sales, like those commonly seen on the Friday after Thanksgiving - a day which retailers commonly refer to as "Black Friday".

These players will likely be entry-level BonusView (Profile v1.1) players that companies hope to empty from their inventory as BD-Live (Profile v2.0) players begin to saturate the market.

Additionally, recent industry whispers that Sony would be lowering the MSRP of their BDP-S350 and upcoming BDP-S550 also appear to be true, but may only be temporary. Official word has yet to be given from the consumer electronics company, but we have been informed that if these players do receive price reductions, the prices may not last long.

Blu-ray Disc companies are determined to make Blu-ray the hot item this holiday season. No longer competing with the HD DVD format, consumer electronics manufacturers and movie studios hope to lure consumers to the high definition format this Winter with inexpensive players and a wide variety of titles.

Edited September 4, 2008 by bigjimslade

bigjimslade · September 5, 2008

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/080904/20080904005328.html?.v=1

Welcome Back From Summer Vacation - With Black Friday Only 84 Days Away, Keynote® and Best Buy Team Up to Share Best Practices for Online Retailers

-- Online Retailers Enter Crunch Time to Prepare Their Web Sites for the Upcoming Holiday Shopping Season
-- To Help Retailers Prepare for the Onslaught, Keynote and Best Buy Are Teaming Up to Host a Free Webinar on September 16 Entitled, "Best Practices for Optimizing Site Performance to Minimize Abandonment"
-- 2008 Holiday Survival Guide Portal Available for Online Retailers

I hope the retailers take the advice and get their websites in order so they wont crash like they have in years past. This article is a good read.

bigjimslade · September 5, 2008

http://www.star-telegram.com/business/story/885901.html

Holiday shopping could be grim for retailers

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — When it came to buying their children new jeans and trendy tops, parents held the line: They focused on basics at discounters and waited for the best deals, resulting in weak August sales at many stores. That’s a bad sign for the holiday season as families may be just as cautious with their gift-giving.

Even lower gas prices may not offer retailers much relief in the months ahead because shoppers are still seeing personal incomes fall and food prices remain high. In fact, Wal-Mart Stores, the world’s largest retailer, as well as warehouse-club operators such as Costco Wholesale remain among the few bright spots as shoppers focus on the lowest prices.

"Consumers are feeling pressured economically," said Stifel Nicolaus & Co. analyst Richard Jaffe. But he added that what has also hurt the back-to-school business is the lack of new trends to excite teens.

"What you have in your closet is certainly adequate. And that’s not satisfying for retailers and teens," he added. "The fear is that they stay in flip-flops."

What’s happening

Ken Perkins, president of the research company RetailMetrics, agreed that shoppers remain focused on price. "I don’t see anything changing anytime soon. Parents are still going to buy for Christmas, but it is definitely going to be less than last year."

As retailers reported their sales results Thursday, most mall-based apparel stores turned in sluggish results. Teen retailers that fared poorly included Wet Seal, Abercrombie & Fitch and American Eagle Outfitters. And high-end retailers Saks and Nordstrom posted weaker results as their affluent customers start to feel pinched.

The International Council of Shopping Centers-UBS sales tally rose 1.7 percent in August, below the 2 percent forecast. Excluding Wal-Mart, the results were essentially unchanged from a year earlier. Last month’s pace was below the 2.3 percent average since the beginning of the industry’s fiscal year in February. The tally is based on same-store sales, or sales at stores open at least a year, and are a key indicator of a retailer’s health.

Other factors

A report from the Labor Department offered more evidence of the weaker job market, a bad sign for consumer spending. The number of workers seeking unemployment benefits jumped unexpectedly last week, reversing three weeks of declines.

Such reports aren’t comforting to retailers as they prepare for the critical holiday season. Many had entered the fall season with inventories well below their levels a year ago, but that backfired at several stores including TJX, Wet Seal and Bon-Ton Stores. All three were hurt by having too little clearance merchandise, cutting into sales to bargain-hunting consumers.

One encouraging factor is that Hurricane Gustav, which hit the Gulf Coast on Monday, wasn’t as bad as analysts feared — and that sent oil prices even lower. Gas prices have fallen from more than $4 a gallon to a national average of $3.678 on Wednesday but remain well above the year-ago figure of $2.792, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service.

Still, Michael Niemira, chief economist at the ICSC, thinks that gas prices will have to fall to $3 a gallon or below before shoppers will increase their spending. And even then, Americans face other economic worries such as slowing personal income, higher food prices and a slumping housing market.

"The fall in oil prices is a bit of good news, but we need to see more positive economic news," Niemira said. Oil prices, too, remain volatile. Retailers are preparing for the next series of tropical storms, which could send oil prices back up.

Wal-Mart

Helped by sales of groceries and back-to-school products, Wal-Mart reported a solid 3 percent gain in same-store sales. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters had expected a 1.6 percent increase. Including fuel, same-store sales rose 3.5 percent. Wal-Mart added that as with all seasonal events, customers are waiting longer to do their shopping and said that with more schools opening later this year, overall business picked up at the end of the month.

Target

Rival Target’s same-store sales fell 2.1 percent, although that was better than the 2.6 percent decline expected. Target also said in a prerecorded call that back-to-school sales picked up speed late in the month. The cheap chic discounter hasn’t fared as well as Wal-Mart in the weak economy as Target heavily emphasizes nonessentials such as home furnishings and trendy jeans.

Apparel

Most mall-based apparel-store chains that cater to young shoppers struggled. Limited Brands, the operator of Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works, suffered a 7 percent drop in same-store sales, mostly in line with the 6.9 percent decline estimated.

Abercrombie & Fitch’s 11 percent drop was worse than the 7.9 percent expected. Wet Seal recorded an 8.7 percent drop, steeper than the 7.5 percent forecast. American Eagle reported a 5 percent dip in same-store sales, not as steep as the 6.5 percent decline expected.

bigjimslade · September 18, 2008

Shoppers to cut back holiday gifts: Reuters poll

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080917/lf_nm_life/usa_poll_holiday_dc_4

Fitch says Holiday retail sales likely weak

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080917/fitch_ratings_holiday_retail.html?.v=1

Weak holiday sales expected

http://money.cnn.com/2008/09/16/news/economy/holiday_sales/index.htm?section=money_latest

TNS Retail Forward Forecasts Weakest Holiday Sales in 17 Years

http://www.ddimagazine.com/displayanddesignideas/content_display/industry-news/e3i68343da3c822c82400dd81216332b553?imw=Y

Scout for Deals Long Before Black Friday

http://www.pcworld.com/article/150807/scout_for_deals_long_before_black_friday.html

bigjimslade · September 22, 2008

Consumer-electronics stocks may get holiday price cut

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/yourmoney/chi-ym-electronics-0921sep21,0,1293768.story

http://www.electronichouse.com/article/early_black_friday_forecast_149_blu_ray_499_42_inch_plasma/

RETAILER BLUES: Hammered by high food and fuel prices, consumers have cut back. And analysts already are talking about a bleak Black Friday.

http://www.startribune.com/business/28633874.html

JennG · September 23, 2008

http://www.prweb.com/releases/blackfriday/predictions2008/prweb1370034.htm

Black Friday Predictions for 2008 from GottaDeal.com, Web's Largest Black Friday Site

Brad · September 26, 2008

If you are interested in keeping updated on the big retail news and trends for the holidays, I'd recommend signing up for the NRF SmartBrief daily newsletter:

http://www.smartbrief.com/nrf/

They send you an e-mail each morning with the latest news stories about retail chains. There is also a version for online retailers you can also subscribe to.

bigjimslade · September 29, 2008

62 Million Consumers Begin Christmas Shopping Before 'Black Friday'

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080925/nyth092.html?.v=101

Blu-ray Player Prices Keep Falling

http://www.tvpredictions.com/blu092308.htm

bigjimslade · October 3, 2008

'Black Friday' Escape Package and $100 Shopping Spree at The Gardens Mall Brighten Holiday Shopping

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080929/nem070.html?.v=61

Nintendo Promises to Ship More of Wii for Holidays

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/03/business/03game.html

clevermom2004 · October 6, 2008

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2008/10/03/the-tallies-are-starting-to-roll-in-on-our-black-friday-2008-sco/

Walmart

Status: Tough economic times are boom times for the discounter.

What's likely to be on sale: Everything. The retailer will be cutting prices early and often this season -- like announcing a $10 toy deal at the start of October -- to try to get the scoop on everyone and keep its #1 position. Expect laptops in the $299 range, popular video games for $10 and toys for practically nothing.

Prediction: Walmart will win in holiday sales, but extra-deep discounting will hurt the bottom line.It will also open Christmas shops within its stores over the next 10 days, which will offer deals such as an ornament value pack for $5.

Best Buy

Status: Even when the economy is doing poor, consumers still want their gadgets

What's likely to be on sale: HDTVs, laptops, picture frames and GPS. Expect to see extra long lines at Best Buy this year as many first-time Black Friday shoppers looking for new TVs in response to the digital switchover. Dan de Grandpre from Dealnews.com predicts that shoppers will find very aggressive pricing on laptops and Blu-Ray players as well as Insignia and Westinghouse HDTVs.

Prediction: Lines stretched around the block will bring in record sales for the electronics giant

Toys R Us

Status: Facing a poor outlook in toy sales this fall

What's likely to be on sale: Young kid's toys and video games will dominate the ads this fall. Also look for Toys R Us to be pushing lead-free and U.S.-made toys. There will definitely be rock bottom prices to aim for consumer's shrinking disposable income.

Prediction: Many BOGO and B2G1 sales will bring in shoppers with young children at home who still expect Santa to shower them with presents

Circuit City

Status: Under new leadership, Circuit City will be counting on Black Friday to bring in a profitable quarter.

What's likely to be on sale: Home theater, games and cameras. Like Best Buy, Circuit City will be looking to lure in customers who are upgrading to their first HDTV. Don't be surprised if Circuit City also offers crazy deals for a quality 7.1 surround sound home theater in a box system below $200! Dan de Grandpre from Dealnews.com expects similar laptops deals as well as "wicked" HD TV deals from Circuit City.

Prediction: Circuit City may do well this year by being a one-stop Black Friday shop

Staples

Status: Weak in the last quarter as consumers restrict spending

What's likely to be on sale: Routers, memory of all kinds and software. Dan de Grandpre from Dealnews.com expects to see low prices on both digital picture frames and portable DVD due to the chain's numerous rebates.

Prediction: If the back-to-school drive is any indication, outrageous doorbusters will drive traffic and sales, but low prices may not help the financial outlook

Office Depot

Status: A new credit deal may give the chain deep pockets to offer great deals

What's likely to be on sale: Consumer technology. Office Depot will come out swinging this year with a $300 laptop and low priced cameras. The Black Friday ad will also likely feature Bluetooth deals and super-cheap media. Dan de Grandpre from Dealnews.com recommends that shoppers check online for Office Depot's deals before heading out to the lines since Office Depot will likely offer free shipping with no minimums.

Prediction: It will look to online sales and free shipping to wow shoppers this year

JC Penney

Status: Sales were plunging even before a weak back-to-school season

What's likely to be on sale: As in the recent past, JC Penney will be cutting prices on clothing for the entire family, but will be gunning especially for the teen audience -- at least as shopped for by moms and dads buying presents (while the teens themselves seem only to be heading to Aeropostale).

Prediction: Doorbusters, like the 88-cent items offered this fall, may do better than any new "fashion" lines that the store adds.

Kohl's

Status: Kohl's is down but not as down as some (like Penney's, which was down 38%)

What's likely to be on sale: Kohl's will be heavily discounting apparel but should also be counted on to provide a large selection of boxed gift items for family and friends. Many of Kohl's best deals will go quick so be sure to get there for the doorbusters. Also expect a celebrity-friendly marketing campaign that will try to lure in youngsters.

Prediction: Kohl's will be cutting prices on loss-leaders to fill up the store with excited customers in order to boost overall sales.

Sears

Status: Struggling the most (down 62% last quarter) and trying to stay out of bankruptcy.

What's likely to be on sale: Sears will offer alluring prices on clothing and their Craftsman line of tools to bring in shoppers early in the day. Expect in store sales to be complimented with several online only deals! And keep a watch out for competitive prices on big-ticket items and home electronics, which may end up besting Best Buy and Circuit City.

Prediction: With price guarantees and 0% financing Sears will be a busy store on Black Friday.

Old Navy

Status: Struggling even as consumers head for low-cost brands, down 9% at last check

What's likely to be on sale: Old Navy typically offers up fewer items than most Black Friday retailers but that the deals will still be plentiful on cold weather clothing. Online discounts may be the best bet, as the parent company just merged all of its brands onto one shopping site.

Prediction: Old Navy will draw crowds but it's not likely the deals will inspire long lines.

Amazon

Status: Riding high on digital sales and low prices Amazon is set up to offer great prices this Fall

What's likely to be on sale: Dan de Grandpre from Dealnews.com predicts that consumers will see amazing prices on home and garden items as well as tools and hardware. Due to moves Amazon took last year he wouldn't be surprised to see them beat other retailers prices in the days and weeks leading up to Black Friday.

Prediction: Amazon will use free or cheap shipping and discounts across the board to come out on top of online retailers this Black Friday.

Home Depot

Status: Trying to rebound after summer store closings.

What's likely to be on sale: Christmas decorations and tools. Home Depot will try to lure in economically-stressed homeowners who want to fix up their places on a budget, but may have a hard time doing that because home equity loans are tight and consumers don't have a lot of budget even for DIY projects.

Prediction: Home Depot will do best with small-ticket items and household staples, but will not lift its outlook significantly.

Ace hardware

Status: Trying to compete with Lowe's and Home Depot for recession DIYers

What's likely to be on sale: Tools, tools, tools. Some of Ace's deals have already been leaked and show that accessories are also key this year -- like toolboxes. Expect to see doorbuster deals on power tools and many other practical items for around the house.

Prediction: Ace will be facing stiff competition this year as the big box chains worry about the bottom line, so expect better-than-usual deals

Target

Status: Doing well, but still falling behind Walmart

What's likely to be on sale: Target will continue to draw in customers with low prices on apparel, DVDs (including TV box sets) as well as toys and videogames. The chain will have a few deals on electronics, but the bulk of their low-priced items will be on low-cost items for holiday shopping.

Prediction: Look for Target to go low as it senses wallets tightening even more in its core demographic

angelic680 · October 9, 2008

KB Toys is matching Walmart's Toy price cuts for BF!!! They will be reducing prices of $10 or less for 200 toys while Walmart is only offering a selection of toys at that price. Lets get the war started, I think we can expect more competitions due to the economic downturn this holiday season!! Wooohoooo

http://www.forbes.com/markets/2008/10/02/kbtoys-walmart-retail-markets-equity-cx_lal_1002markets25.html

Brad · October 11, 2008

GD is briefly mentioned in this video:

http://cfc.ktul.com/videoondemand.cfm?id=24764

Doctor Gonzo · October 14, 2008

USA TODAY article: "Fearing a holiday letdown, retailers shifting strategies"

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2008-10-13-retail-gloom_N.htm

missyjane · October 15, 2008

Here's an article that just popped up, it caught me as funny because the guy is predicting the prices on hot items such as a 42" tv at walmart for $599, so I went to compare it to Brad's predictions, let's just say I'm hoping for Brad's because he's predicting $499.

Just thought it was a hoot, the media is getting ready...

http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/144/shop-for-the-holidays-nowor-wait/

Link to the Official Black Friday Predictions:

http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com/BlackFridayPredictions