This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Black Friday — the official start to the holiday shopping season — will be a much different experience this year.
The biggest change is that many retailers for the first time are opening on Thanksgiving night instead of the early morning hours on Friday as in years past. Toys R Us gets going the earliest, pushing up the start of Black Friday to 9 p.m. Thursday. Walmart kicks off Black Friday — or should it be called Black Thursday — an hour later. Target, Best Buy, Macy's, JC Penney and Kohl's all are breaking with tradition, as well, opening at midnight Thursday.
The good news is that shoppers won't have to wait in line for hours overnight in the cold for the best bargains. The bad is that lines will start forming as early as Thanksgiving morning, a time when most people generally are with families, preparing for the big feast.
The earlier openings don't seem to be deterring shoppers, though. About 34 percent of shoppers still plan to be out on Black Friday, according to a survey by the International Council of Shopping Centers, up from 31 percent last year. If you're among them, here's some advice:
Log on first
Not sure where to start? Websites such as Blackfriday.gottadeal.com and bfads.net have an assortment of Black Friday ad circulars from all the major retailers. If you're looking for the best price on a particular item, or simply want to see what's on sale, these sites are a great resource.
Also, check the website of any store you're thinking of shopping at on Black Friday. Many provide all the information about the big day, such as store maps and when various specials will be offered. Walmart, for example, is offering doorbusters while supplies last at 10 p.m. and midnight Thursday, and 8 a.m. Friday.
A number of retailers are offering printable coupons on their Web pages for added savings. Hallmark Gold Crowne stores have a printable coupon worth $5 off a $10 in-store purchase. (Go to Hallmark.com and click on "offers.") Target, in its Black Friday ad, offering Merona brand women's sweaters for $12. Use a printable coupon from the Target.com (click on coupons) worth $4 off and you'll pay only $8. (Target's printable coupons are available while supplies last and can disappear at any time.)
A website check also can reveal unadvertised specials. Target is unveiling some "secret" doorbusters that aren't in its printed Black Friday ad. Go to Target.com/MoreTVs. Apparel retailer H&M, which recently opened at Fashion Place mall in Murray, is offering a coupon worth 20 percent off one item. Go to hm.com/us/newsletter to get that coupon.
Get social
This year more than any other, retailers are offering additional coupons and other money-saving offers on Facebook. Once you figure out which stores you are going to shop, go to each store's website and Facebook page.
Check in with manufacturers
Websites such as Fisherprice.com/save and Hasbro.com have printable coupons that can save you money. They can be used at any store that accepts coupons, including Toys R Us. (Kohl's, however, is one major retailer that does not accept manufacturer coupons.) Crayola, for example, is offering coupons at Facebook.com/Crayola. Some manufacturers have other offers that can be paired with Black Friday doorbusters. In its Black Friday ad, Target is offering an Oral-B Professional Care Electric Toothbrush for $34.99. Oral B is offering a $20 manufacturer's rebate for that product at Oralb.com.
Get bonus offers
If you're headed to a mall, most are doing something special for Black Friday. The first 200 shoppers in line at 10 p.m. Thursday at Tanger Outlets in Park City get a $10 gift card, while the first 100 in line at 2 a.m. Friday get a $20 gift card. Go to bit.ly/ufggm9 for more information. Also, shoppers who spend $100 at Fashion Place mall on Black Friday get a bonus $10 mall gift card. Go to bit.ly/vBSMIt for more information.
The Gateway shopping center in downtown Salt Lake City has goodies for the first 100 shoppers in line at the concierge office on the upper level near Starbucks at 9 a.m. Friday. Its offering gift bags that contain gift cards valued from $10 to $25.
Elsewhere, individual stores are offering bonuses when shoppers meet certain threshholds. Kohl's shoppers, for example, will earn $15 Kohl's Cash for every $50 spent in store or online on Black Friday. All Kohl's store will be open for 24 straight hours — from midnight Thursday to midnight Friday.
Shop at home
Black Friday bargains have generally been an in-store phenomenon. But this year, many retailers are offering the same specials online, said Dev Shapiro, spokesman for Blackfriday.gottadeal.com. For example, Best Buy is offering the Wii game "Toy Story Mania" for $10 in-store, and at the same price online in limited quantities (with free shipping). The same often goes for big-ticket items such as televisions.
And with so many free shipping promotions included, shoppers won't pay a premium to buy in the comfort of their own homes. Best Buy is offering free shipping on most anything on its web page, no minimum purchase required. Crate & Barrel, which also recently opened its first Utah location in Fashion Place mall, is offering free shipping on most online purchases totaling $99 or more through Dec. 21.
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