By Christine Frietchen on October 23, 2009 in
We know, the Halloween candy hasn't even cleared the shelves yet, but we're already getting holiday-shopping emails and Christmas catalogs. With holiday spending expected to be about the same as last year (1% less according to the National Retail Federation), retailers will be working all the angles to get you into the store (or onto the website) on Black Friday and beyond. But will you take the bait?
We surveyed 1,200 readers of ConsumerSearch and About.com to find out.
How early would you roll out of bed to snag one of those Black Friday doorbusters? More than half of you -- 55% -- said you'd hit the store by 6:00 a.m. or earlier to snag a particularly good deal. And more than a third -- 37% -- of survey respondents say they'd drive 30 minutes to two hours just get get a must-have gift.
How do you know that Black Friday circular is really advertising a good deal? More than half of you say you do some research beforehand to figure out if the stuff in the Black Friday ads is really worth it. That's makes a lot of sense, since ConsumerSearch has found that some of those advertised doorbusters aren't that special; you can sometimes get a much better product for the same price or less -- a good reason to check ConsumerSearch reviews before your set the alarm.
Watch for gift-card gotchas. Gift cards are at the top of kids' and teens' wish lists, and adults like them too. But you told us that 43% of you have at least one gift card sitting unused in your wallet or purse. That's a good reason to put some thought into what gift cards you buy. Our gift-card report has helpful tips on gift-card shopping.
So what about the Black Friday deals themselves? Those Black Friday circulars are just now starting to be leaked and posted online, but none of them are finalized or official. There are some pretty good guesses as to what will be the big items. Here's our take on Black Friday shopping predictions. We predicted a couple of weeks ago that we'd see $150 netbooks, and sure enough, the leaked (but totally unofficial) OfficeMax Black Friday circular did indeed include a $150 Acer Aspire One netbook.
We'll keep reporting on where the best deals are; you can see all of our holiday-related posts in our Black Friday section.