Black Friday Sales

Learn where to find the best Black Friday bargains

Many people have a specific store in mind when they prepare for Black Friday shopping, but it can be worthwhile to look around at other retailers' Black Friday ads when Thanksgiving approaches. Some stores can be counted on to provide the best deals on a specific type of product, while others tend to offer appealing discounts on a range of merchandise. Learn where to go for different Black Friday deals.

Black Friday Retailers

There is a variety of discount and department stores that will avidly compete for your business when Black Friday rolls around, but each store tends to excel in a few areas. Discounted electronics are among the most popular Black Friday deals every year, and will comprise many of the top door-crasher sales. The best Black Friday deals on electronics can usually be found at specialty stores, so Best Buy and Circuit City sales will draw many people who are in the market for televisions, Blu-ray players and home theater systems.

However, there are often some surprises from discount stores, and recent years have seen some of the best deals on specific models coming from Walmart sales. Your best bet will be to review the Black Friday bargains in all of the ads that come your way to determine which store has the best prices, and find comparable models that may work as a good back-up plan. Since most stores will advertise that they have limited quantities of the most sought-after items, there is a chance that that you won't be able to get what you came for, and there won't be much time or space to browse around for a good replacement.

Among the big discount retailers, Target sales and Walmart Black Friday specials will generally cover everything from kids' clothing to the latest gadgets at very competitive prices. Many retailers have also begun to offer some great sales in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, or in the case of Sears sales, weeks before Black Friday arrives.

Black Friday Online Sales

Although most door-crasher Black Friday sales are only offered in the store, you can find some great deals on the retailers' websites beginning early Friday morning. Amazon is the leader in online Black Friday deals, with a huge virtual store containing almost any product you could ask for at competitive prices. However, more brick-and-mortar retailers have begun to expand their Web-based business, and companies like Toys "R" Us have developed a strong presence on social networking sites like Facebook where they offer exclusive deals to their fans.

A website like PriceGrabber.com will let you compare prices in order to find the best deal, or you can explore the sites on your own. Remember to read the fine print—factor in any shipping charges to get an accurate price and take note of the return and exchange policy.