Contest: Win GottaDeal.com Reusable Grocery Bag 4-Packs - WINNERS CHOSEN!

[jamlei]

1. It would have to be JC Penny just because I had a daughter that wanted a lot of clothes!

2. PLAN PLAN PLAN! A good strategy will make it more enjoyable and ensure you get the deals you want.

3. Maps where all of the big deals are located. I think it makes it less chaotic when people know where they are going. The coffee wouldn't hurt. And I wish Target would bring back their gift packs they used to give away!

[julz0420]

1. In your opinion, what store had the best Black Friday ad last year (2008) and why?

I had the most items saved on my shopping list from Wal mart last year. I was also able to ad match which helped out a lot w/ some of the other stores I knew I wouldnt be able to get to before what I wanted was gone (not that it mattered since I got stinking sick on T'giving and missed the whole dang thing... can you tell I'm still bitter about it?!)

 

2. What would be your #1 piece of advice to someone totally new to Black Friday?

Dont let yourself get overwhelmed. What you need to do is just pay attention to store opening times and ads. Figure out what you want and plan from there. (and always, ALWAYS check in often on GD of course!)

 

3. Besides offering great deals, what else can a store do to get you to shop there on BF?

Ditto on the freebies!! Even the 5.00 GC Sears gives (or gave) out was enough to lure my mom and I in back in 07. We wouldnt have even gone if it wasnt for that. And we both ended up spending some money, even after using our GCs. Something that wouldnt have happened otherwise.

[pogiporkchop]

1. Tie between Target and Meijer. Don't remember why but spent a fair bunch of $$.

2. Prepare by utilizing GD and watching You Tube clips of Black Fridays past.

3. Offer coffee and donuts and freebies, give out maps of the store and have the poor employees thoroughly prepped for BF. Make them watch past BF action on You Tube

[jonboy_nellie]

1. I think the best ad was Circuit City as they had really good prices across the board and lots was available online with free shipping. I'm going to miss that this year.

 

2. Have a plan, research the items you are interested in and the stores. How early you have to arrive varies greatly based upon the item/store and knowing what to expect will pay off.

 

3. Freebies, coupons, or even just having an organized store with helpful employees all will bring me in. Also, hosting a charity drive will make me want to stop in and contribute if I can, ie toys for tots, a giving tree, etc.

[steph3306]

1. In your opinion, what store had the best Black Friday ad last year (2008) and why?

2. What would be your #1 piece of advice to someone totally new to Black Friday?

3. Besides offering great deals, what else can a store do to get you to shop there on BF?

 

1. Target had more of the things on sale that I needed for my shopping list

2. Stay up all night make your plan, buy what can online and then go shopping!!

3. Well the snowglobes seem to do it for sears!! A coupon for a later date would work for me. Buy so much and get a gift card.

[neboo]

1. Walmart-They had things I wanted and nowhere else really wowed me.

2. Remember to keep your cool. Step outside of your comfort zone a little. Don't be "rude", but I guarantee anything you do that would normally be crazy is normal on BF.

3. Create a great checkout system.

[lilac100]

1. In your opinion, what store had the best Black Friday ad last year (2008) and why?

 

Tough one, but I would choose Kohl's. I guess I'm a little partial because my teenage son went there with me.

 

2. What would be your #1 piece of advice to someone totally new to Black Friday?

 

A notebook, pen and someone to help gather stuff while you stand in line. You should have a seperate list for every store and decide what you want most. Say Best Buy has a computer you want and sears has a Christmas Tree. Which do you want more because odds are after standing in the first line they will be out at the second store, so go for what you want the most first.

3. Besides offering great deals, what else can a store do to get you to shop there on BF?

 

Have better organization. If I could go to a store that actually had a quick kind of checkout I would go there first. I spend way too much time in line for the things I buy. I can't tell you how many times I've left a store because the line was 2 hours long.

[TRucidation]

#1, best ad in my case for local stores was OfficeMax/Depot on a Brother Laser printer. Office Max had it priced low (forgot how much), OD has it with a rebate. So, Office Depot PM Office Max and then I got the rebate on top of that.

 

#2 Bring a credit/debit card instead of a wad of cash so you don't get robbed. Canvas folding chairs, dress in layers, really helps if you have a buddy with you or you make friends with the person next to you.

 

#3 Better deals is what will get me there. Best Buy brings the people in the very front of the line donuts and coffee from Krispy Kreme, Old Navy gave away S2 Pebble Mp3 players, little nicknacks like that don't hurt.

Police or security presence wouldn't hurt for some stores.

[Mammacash]

1. Kohl's for clothes

2. Plan ahead for what, where and when.

3. Have plenty of the sale items so we don't have to fight over them or go without.

[audrey06]

1. In your opinion, what store had the best Black Friday ad last year (2008) and why?

 

Well, it was actually Walmart. The $10 sweeper, $30 printer, cheap yoga pants, and the $400 32" lcd flatscreen Emerson TV was the killer steal for me. People were fighting over the 5-10 they had in the store.

 

2. What would be your #1 piece of advice to someone totally new to Black Friday?

 

Get to the store early and peruse the aisles to know where they have set everything out. If it is an electronic item, it may not be in that department. Last year, the 32" tv was in the girl's dept., and the 52" one was in grocery.

 

3. Besides offering great deals, what else can a store do to get you to shop there on BF?

Having ORGANIZED CHAOS. Having cashiers at every lane that are highly trained and not thrown on there to just cover. Having staff that actually know where each BF deal is located. **And of course, having killer deals!!**

[Rockfordmom]

1. In your opinion, what store had the best Black Friday ad last year (2008) and why?

 

Any stores that didn't threaten with a lawsuit to get GottaDeal to pull their ad or not allow GottaDeal to put it up.

 

2. What would be your #1 piece of advice to someone totally new to Black Friday?

 

Come to GottaDeal often to check for new ads & tips!

 

3. Besides offering great deals, what else can a store do to get you to shop there on BF?

 

Give their ad to GottaDeal early!

[jonesy]

. In your opinion, what store had the best Black Friday ad last year (2008) and why?

Best Buy, but only because they had all the electronics I wanted included, after all it is all about me, right?

2. What would be your #1 piece of advice to someone totally new to Black Friday?

Read this site 3 times a day, Planning, Planning, Planning and more planning

3. Besides offering great deals, what else can a store do to get you to shop there on BF?

A good gimmick, I am afraid they do get me with these, a gift card, breakfast, cute bags or gift wrap for my purchases,

[CindyIUP]

1. Kohls, I just love Kohls!

2. High-speed internet - I did by BF shopping online in front of my pc - probably not what most consider a "true" BF experience.

3. Coupons that are good on sale merchandise and don't have a lot of exclusions.

[teach2nuts]

1. The store that has the best Black Friday was Walmart.

The toys were cheap. Leapster were $25.00, Wii games were $15.00, Pajamas were $4.00 a set, Children's bedroom slippers were $4.00, Christmas trees were on sale for $25.00 pre-lighted, DVD's were $3.00-$5.00, High School Musical dolls were $5.00. I am always looking for the children's items that are on sale. My husband and I have 13 nieces and nephews to buy for.

2. Piece of advice. Take your sale papers, circle the items you plan to purchase at each store. Take all papers with you to Walmart and ad match as much as you can. This will help with you with not having as many stores to visit. Find other friends at work or church that love the rush on Black Friday. Divide stores with your friends. Make a list of what you want for example at Kohl's. Have your friend give you a list of what she wants from Walmart. You send your friend to kohls for you and you go to Walmart for you. My friends at work share their list. You keep cell phones handy and make contact with one another and let them know if you were able to make their purchases. Everyone at work helps each other out. I even have friends purchasing Clarks at Belk while I am buying a shopping cart of toys at Walmart for 4 people. Everyone gets what they want and you arfe not running around crazy from store to store.

3.A store can get me to shoe there by having unannounced specials. Many stores will tell you if you are a frequesnt shopper there will be deals every hour on certain items. Also, may stores have good sales throughout the year and always have discounts around every holiday. Many stores can get me to shop there by offering great online specials on Black Friday.

 

I love Black Friday and all the craziness. Live for it every year!!!

[PerkynPunctual]

1. In your opinion, what store had the best Black Friday ad last year (2008) and why?

 

I got the most mileage out of the Lowe's ad last year.

 

2. What would be your #1 piece of advice to someone totally new to Black Friday?

 

Keep a sense of humor and a good attitude. Being grouchy and aggressive just ruins it for everyone.

 

3. Besides offering great deals, what else can a store do to get you to shop there on BF?

 

Coupons for later in the weekend always make me happy.

[lakj98]

1. I would have to say Target. Only because I made a list of what I wanted to buy from each store and my list for Target was the longest.

 

2. Somethign I learned here on GD. Make a BF folder. Someone here suggested it and I did it last year for the first time. I will do it every year now. made my shopping alot easier. Put copies of all of the ads in there along with my shopping lists for each store.

 

3. I agree with what someone else said...Freebies. That is about the only thing I can think of that would get me into a store besides great deals. Also maybe if they had longer sale hours.

[theboyzmom]

1. In your opinion, what store had the best Black Friday ad last year (2008) and why?

2. What would be your #1 piece of advice to someone totally new to Black Friday?

3. Besides offering great deals, what else can a store do to get you to shop there on BF?

 

 

1. Around here, I'd have to say Target...due to GD I was able to get most of my 'hot' items the day before and then was able to price match on BF...made it MUCH easier!! lol

 

2. Have a game plan! If you think you are going to just 'walk around' and see what's on sale...you will miss it all! Go through the ads the night before and make a list of what store and items you want...when you hit those crowds that early in the morning, it helps to know exactly what you were hoping to find.

 

3. Crowd control and freebies...I miss the days where the first 100 got a gift bag...it doesn't even have to be anything big...just the idea of getting something. I also like when they do 'activities' with the crowd waiting to get in to shop...group led singing, or a coupon to the first person who can show me a pack of gum, etc

[3 boys]

Best ad.... Walmart bc they price match and have the best deals on EVERYTHING.

 

Advice to newbies: MAKE A LIST(I use index cards and write info on each card for each item\store) and pre-plan(GD is great for that)

 

What store can do to help... BE NICE! We are spending money(no matter how crazy early it is:)

[dymplz8]

1. In your opinion, what store had the best Black Friday ad last year (2008) and why?

 

For me last year I would have to say Walmart was the best store that I shopped at. With two kids under 10 they had alot of items on sale last year in their toy section that my kids were happy to get Christmas morning. My local store also price matched two items for me from another store so that was helpful too.

 

2. What would be your #1 piece of advice to someone totally new to Black Friday?

My #1 piece of advice would be go into this with a plan! You can't just get up and decide to go to the store you want right when it opens and expect to get the deals. You have to strategically map out your stores, times and items beforehand. I would advise them to go to gottadeal.com and pull the ad threads and make a solid plan before leaving their house.

 

[B]3. Besides offering great deals, what else can a store do to get you to shop there on BF?

The earlier a store plans on opening, the better the chance they will get my business because it allows me to hit more stores throughout the day. It also doesn't hurt if they are offering extra incentives on top of their great deals.

[guilliam]

1. In your opinion, what store had the best Black Friday ad last year (2008) and why?

Target had the best Black Friday ad in my opinion because they offered a wide variety of items and restocked often

 

2. What would be your #1 piece of advice to someone totally new to Black Friday?

GET THERE EARLY!!! You can't just walk in at the time the sale starts and expect to get the deals.

 

3. Besides offering great deals, what else can a store do to get you to shop there on BF?

The main thing would be to have an adequate amount of the sale items and not just 2 or 3 of each item. But having enough staff to get you through the the checkout in the shortest amount of time would be GREAT!!

[smurfgirl]

1. In your opinion, what store had the best Black Friday ad last year (2008) and why?

Walmart- They had the most toys and they pricematched things from Target.

2. What would be your #1 piece of advice to someone totally new to Black Friday?

Take along a friend!

3. Besides offering great deals, what else can a store do to get you to shop there on BF?

Freebies as your walk in the door, door prize drawings.

[biomajor]

1. Staples--they had what I needed at the best prices without the hassle of Best Buy. They also have the best system!

 

2. Wear Comfortable Shoes and take along your mp3 player.

 

3. Breakfast while you wait in line is always nice. Games and prizes are good too :)

[fluresentcrayon]

1. In your opinion, what store had the best Black Friday ad last year (2008) and why?

For me, it was Target and Kohls for the best deals. I got a lot of games, music, dvds, etc at Target and tons of clothes and goodies from Kohls. I also loved that Kohls did their KohlsCash promo so I was able to go back later with my KohlsCash and pick up a few other goodies!

 

2. What would be your #1 piece of advice to someone totally new to Black Friday?

Be organized and above all have fun!

 

3. Besides offering great deals, what else can a store do to get you to shop there on BF?

Freebies, using the ticket system and having maps showing where the hot deals are located in the store. Oh and offering free coffee to the faithful line standers would be a nice touch!

[codeblue]

1. In your opinion, what store had the best Black Friday ad last year (2008) and why?

I didn't think there was really one fabulous ad for me last year as there was a few items from each ad that I wanted. But Walmart and Kohls usually take priority as a first stop since they price match and if you have the 15% for kohls MVP that is an extra bonus.

 

2. What would be your #1 piece of advice to someone totally new to Black Friday?

divide and conquer go with friends. Also, don't forget the jewelry counters at least at kohls anyway. Go in grab a number to be waited on do your shopping and check out the items you want then treat yourself to an inexpensive piece of jewelry so you can pay for your many bargains you find on gottadeal. This system is like having an extra friend to hold your spot in line and saves waiting later.

 

3. Besides offering great deals, what else can a store do to get you to shop there on BF?

coffee and freebies

[elicia423126]

1. Walmart had the best ad for me last year.

 

2. I would recommend checking out in the sporting good section of Walmart. My friend and I did that last year, no waiting in line for an hour to pay.

 

3. It would be nice if there were more coupons to use during early bird specials at the malls. Also, love it when a store opens a little earlier than advertised. Happened to me a couple of times!

[tinkrbel]

1. last year I did a lot of my black friday shopping online on thanksgiving day or waited until early hours when websites were launching sales. Circuit city had the best sale for what I was looking for and also had all the stuff I wanted to get at best buy same price or less without the hassle of standing in line.

 

This year doesn't look well considering they're now with tiger direct and best buy lines on blackfriday are always around the store,literally.

 

2.plan ahead. Be ahead of the game by checking online websites for all the sales and then organize yourself. I try to sort out what I need to get and then from there on whats more important/feasible. There's always smaller deals you want to get but in the overall picture you need to look at the big picture. the amount your saving vs the stress. Also, if you can cross off a few places in one shopping center/mall that helps. I usually take my mother or SO with me and split duties.

 

3.? Black friday is completely about the deals. sure if something is the same price throwing in breakfast or something else in nice but wouldn't change the order I plan to do my shopping. Saying that for years JCPenney has been a staple on my Black Friday list for their disney snowglabes.My mom, aunts, grandma and myself each have a set going back to god knows when.P.S. The reusable bag as a prize is pretty crafty when thinking about the topic:)

[nikkilugi]

1. The best ad for me was Target. I price matched at Wal-Mart a lot of stores though.

 

2. Organization - I make a list of items, the stores they can be found at and the price and bundle that with my ads so when I go to WM I have everything ready to price match.

 

3. Friendly helpful service on BF. Maps of where items are located and employees who maintain control of the crowd.

[nef]

1. In your opinion, what store had the best Black Friday ad last year (2008) and why?

2. What would be your #1 piece of advice to someone totally new to Black Friday?

3. Besides offering great deals, what else can a store do to get you to shop there on BF?

 

 

Walmart had the best BF ad because they had stuff for the entire family. I got knock out just about everyone at one store.

 

Have a plan of attack! Know exactly what you want to purchase at each store. Keep copies of the stores ads that your are going to in your car and take each one in the store. Stick to your list if you didn't think it was a good deal the night before it's not a good deal the day of.

 

Price match! Have a reasonable amount of advertised items. If a store have very limited supply of items I am more likey to skip that store all together in furture years. Once you get a bad rap it's hard to overcome

[jllauzon]

1. Target had the best ad with the widest selection of items.

 

2. Plan, plan, plan and bring a friend.

 

3. Freebies! I've been collecting JCPenney miniature snowglobes for years and I buy something everytime even if their BF sale isn't great!

[tlklcox]

1. In your opinion, what store had the best Black Friday ad last year (2008) and why?

I can't remember specifics from last year because my entire family got the stomach flu @ 11 p.m. Thanksgiving night. I just remember being so sick I couldn't even go online. Meijer usually has some good toy and video game deals but I also find Target to be very competitive lately also. I can find good deals at Kohls also.

 

2. What would be your #1 piece of advice to someone totally new to Black Friday?

Plan, plan, plan! I type everything up and organize everything I am interested in according to priority. I organize according to what store opens first, list hours (early bird hours, etc) if I have a coupon, and what I am interested in. I also bring lists of who I am looking to buy for so I can keep track. Might turn this into a binder this year. Definitely look at past BF threads for lots of tips. If going with someone else split up at a store to cover more ground. Use cell phones or walkie talkies.

 

 

3. Besides offering great deals, what else can a store do to get you to shop there on BF?

 

I think the stores need to plan properly as well. I like target because they don't let people cut in line or move the merchandise around so much that you need a map to find it! Nothing like waiting outside for 90 minutes in line for a store to let someone who just pulled up walk in when they open the doors. I think this year safety will something you hear more about after a few accidents last year. If stores are relocating things pass out the map ahead of time instead of as you are walking through the doors. And for goodness sakes get your panties out of a bunch RELEASE THE AD early to be posted online at this great website. Had to be a complete moron who decided it was bad for business and your ad was to special to be seen early. If anything you just ticked off a bunch of BF professionals who might of spent a lot more money at your store due to being so well prepared. Freebies help also!

 

That is my two cents...back off my high horse :)

Edited August 3, 2009 by tlklcox
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