‘READY TO GO’: Local retailers prepare for Black Friday madness
The Black Friday sales are ripe to be picked. All that’s missing is the shoppers.
“We’ve been at it for weeks,” said Joey McKinstry, store manager at the Destin WalMart. “We start putting our plans in place a few months ahead of time.”
After the turkey coma wears off, shoppers will have plenty of options as they head out to find the must-have deals and steals that die-hard Black Friday shoppers are looking for. From TVs to iPads, electronics are always key items when the doors open.
WalMart will be featuring a 3-pack of sales Thanksgiving Day. Beginning at 8 p.m., shoppers can find an XBOX 360 Skylanders bundle for $149; a Nintendo Wii console for $89; and a Playstation 3 bundle for $199.
McKinstry told The Log that from 10 to 11 p.m. Thanksgiving Day, shoppers are guaranteed to find three amazing deals in stock at their stores — a 32-inch LCD TV for $148; a 16 GB iPad 2 for $399 (plus a $75 gift card); and an LG Blu-Ray player for $38.
The final sale of the day kicks off at 5 a.m. and features a wide variety of holiday gifting ideas, such as jewelry and lounge chairs to vacuum cleaners and sewing machines.
“We’ve got a lot of merchandise this year,” McKinstry said. “There’s probably three times what we had last year.”
Just a few miles down the road at Target, doors open at 9 p.m., and shoppers can expect to find plenty of deals on everything from TVs and iPads to video games and cameras.
Shoppers can find a Nikon L310 digital camera for $99.99; an Apex 32-inch LCD TV for $147; and a Nook Simple Touch E-Reader for $49. While supplies last, Target will have doorbuster deals, such as a 50-inch LCD TV for $349 and a Blu-Ray player for $69.99.
Silver Sands Premium Outlets
Start the holiday season with added savings at the After-Thanksgiving Sale featuring Midnight Madness at Silver Sands Premium Outlets. The sale kicks off as Thanksgiving ends and runs through Sunday with a wide range of extraordinary savings, early-bird offers and more. Select stores, including Calvin Klein, Kenneth Cole and Tommy Hilfiger, will open as early as 9pm on Thursday. It is the sale event of the year and shoppers will be able to find incredible deals throughout the entire weekend, including 10 percent – 70 percent off the entire store at Banana Republic Factory Store and 30 percent – 50 percent off throughout the store at Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th.
The center will provide ample parking for shoppers and buses. For a complete list of sales visit www.premiumoutlets.com/silversands or call (850) 654-9771. Extended shopping hours: Friday: Midnight – 10 pm (select stores open at 9 p.m. on Thursday), Saturday: 8 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday: 9a.m. – 8 p.m.
Retailers throughout Destin Commons will be offering up deep discounts as part of the outdoor mall’s Black Friday promotions. The center will open at 8 a.m. for anxious shoppers. In addition to the blockbuster deals, former presidential candidate and Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee will be signing copies of his newest book, “Dear Chandler, Dear Scarlet,” at Books-A-Million Nov. 23 at 2 p.m.
For those looking to meet jolly old St. Nick, Bass Pro Shops is the place to be. Children can have their picture taken with Santa Claus while sipping on hot chocolate.
Bass Pro Shops will open at 5 a.m. Nov. 23, featuring tremendous sales, such as $10 jeans, fleece and other apparel, Store Manager Ryan Cox told The Log.
“We are going to have some good deals on hunting and fishing items as well,” he said.
Shoppers looking to beat the Black Friday madness can get an early start at Bass Pro, as they will be rolling out their 5-day sale beginning today, with everything from jackets and GPS devices to binoculars and turkey fryers discounted.
Belk stores will open Friday, Nov. 23 at midnight. The first 250 customers will receive a free gift card with a guaranteed $1,000 winner in every store. The after Thanksgiving sale features over 330 early bird specials from 12:00 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Best Buy will open its doors at midnight for Black Friday shoppers. For fans of “Breaking Bad” (Season 4) and “The Hunger Games,” both will be on sale for $8.99. Other sales include a 40-inch LCD TV for $179 and a Samsung laptop for $349.
Big Lots will also be opening its doors early for Black Friday, with plenty of deals beginning at 6 a.m.
With their plans in place, the team at WalMart expects to see thousands of shoppers come through the store looking for the best deals.
“We are excited and ready to go,” McKinstry said.