If you are someone who traditionally waits till Black Friday and Cyber Monday to do the bulk of your holiday shopping, you might want to change your plans this year.
With expected shortages everywhere, stores are now rolling out early Black Friday deals, which are surprisingly good for this time of year.
Walmart has just releasedits first Black Friday ad,listing dozens of "Deals for Days" that start Nov. 3 online, and Nov. 5 in stores, when the kids are still eating their Halloween candy.
A second round of new deals launches a week later, Nov. 10.
A third, not-yet-announced Black Friday event will take place Thanksgiving online (stores are not holding in-person sales Thanksgiving night for the second year in a row).
But unlike during previous years, these are the real thing, not some Black Friday preview sale that everyone knows won't be the lowest prices of the month.
Starting Nov. 3 online (and on the 5th in stores), Walmart will offer:
- Chromebooks for $87
- Keurig K Compact coffee maker for $35
- 65 inch Samsung HDTV's as low as $568
- Toys as low as $5
Those are real Black Friday prices, three weeks early.
Paid members get first dibs
But from the "doesn't that stink" file, is the fact you may have to pay a fee to guarantee an early spot shopping the best deals.
Walmart will start all the deals four hours early forWalmart Plusmembers if you pay $98 a year for membership.
It's Walmart's version of Amazon Prime.
Amazon has done the same thing for several years: you need to be a paid Prime member ($119 a year) to access their Lightning Deals before the general public.
But to bargain shoppers, having to pay to get an edge may have you saying "doesn't that stink?"
Target and Best Buy are also launching early Black Friday deals in the days ahead, to help shoppers not get frustrated by bare shelves after Thanksgiving.
Sure, you may save a few bucks shopping on the traditional Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but understand the risks of not finding what you want, so you don't waste your money.
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