Best Buy's "doorbuster" Black Friday deals probably won't result in the literal busting of doors
By Paul Miller 
posted Nov 13th 2008 3:53PM
posted Nov 13th 2008 3:53PM
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so sad
I knew this year's Black Friday was gonna suck. Circuit City usually has the best doorbusters and they are chapter 11.
Consumer Spending is expected to be the lowest its been in 25 years according to Reuters.
These deals suck, but if your shopping online this year check out
Three Top Coupon Websites
http://www.curiousread.com/2008/08/three-top-coupon-websites.html
Good luck with the shopping!
yeah...seriously, a guns n' roses cd for 12 bucks? not to knock on guns n' roses...but seriously, 12 bucks? i bet once you're able to preorder on amazon, you'll be able to order it for less...regular price, not a doorbuster mind you
They should rename Black Friday to Bleak Friday.
According to http://bfads.net/Best-Buy-Black-Friday-Ad-Posted
"There isn't anything good to say about this advertisement, it's really horrible. Right now it looks like there could be four scenarios:
1. This is the legitimate Best Buy BF ad and it is horrible
2. This is the Best Buy BF advertisement that runs in Wisconsin, where they have laws that don't allow stores to do loss-leader items (more information here)
3. This is a decoy and the "real" advertisement is still yet to be released
4. Best Buy will be relying heavily on their "Secret Sales" rather than their actual Black Friday ad"
A 50" Panny Plasma for 900 isn't a bad deal, and I'd probably pick one up tomorrow if that were the normal price (if only just for my bedroom, since it's not 1080p). All of the rest of the stuff is garbage though.
Man...if you had told me a year ago that a 50" plasma from Panasonic would be going for under a grand this Christmas, I'd have punched you. I got a 32" LCD for my bedroom a year and a half ago (or thereabouts) from LG, and it was a grand. That's 18 inches...in one year....it's almost unbelievable, and it makes me look at my piddly 32" LCD (even if it's a great set and I love it) and think how much better it would be at 18" bigger. Then again, I really only watch the daily show and the news in my bedroom, so it's not a huge deal.
Just think...by next year it might be a 60" Plasma for a grand....... *Drool*
The bigger the TV, the worse the picture quality is. I know people who think 32" is too big for their bedrooms. Most people think 50" is too big for their living room. Unless you've got a huge bedroom the 32" is probably more than enough.
yea this is a lame ad. I was however fortunate enough to stumble upon an "open bin" sale on video games. I was in purchasing the great Nikon D90 and saw all of these bins of games. each game was $10. i picked up stuff for the PS3 and XBOX 360, but they had games for each system.
The Guns N Roses Disc is actually pretty good for something 14 or so years in the making. http://rockandreview.com/blog/post.cfm/guns-n-roses-chinese-democracy But I wholeheartedly agree that this is something that should not be listed as a "Door Buster" item. I mean, what a joke.
If companies like this are still recovering from a slow year, that's one thing, but to insult our intelligence with an ad that is anything but great deals and calling it "door buster" is quite another.
Not like i would have gone anyway, but this was still a lame attempt.
I think BB has finally come to the conclusion that people will come buy shit no matter what the price is on that particular day.
Order online, and order early my friends. Stay thirsty my friends.
Exactly,
Most people that run to BB to purchase something aren't necessarily the most savviest of shoppers.
Bingo.
We have never had a real "black friday" in Canada since our thanksgiving falls before Halloween, but I know that on boxing day the sales have been all smoke and mirrors for a few years now north of the border. People still assume the crappy deals are good deals and drop cash like mad anyway.
Yep, With most of their "big box" competitors either in bankruptcy or near it, they have no motivation to sell cheap. Wal-Mart is their biggest brick & mortar competitor and that's sad.
I buy all of my stuff online, BB doesn't deserve my business. And don't even get me going on Geek Squad!
I can't condone any adult standing in line at 3am for anything. I've never done it, and I never will...if it ain't still there @ 12pm...I'll just wait till next week and pay a few extra dollars.
Well about 3 years ago(yeah I said 3years) I got a MAG 32" HD LCD tv for 499$ at Staples. Today they are STILL only at $499... Maybe 1080p but still. I only had to get up at 7:30 drove to my Staples less than a mile away and picked it up. Was worth it to me... I also stood in line that year at Microcenter for an hour to get a XBOX Pro(or whatever w/20gig) for 199$ w/ two games. I saved at lease 300$ bucks that year by sacrificing a couple hours.
Early bird gets the worm. If cash is disposable to you then good for you.
"Early bird gets the worm."
I view it as "The second mouse gets the cheese."
Like 000000, I to have saved a large amount of cash thanks to BF deals:
My brother and I went to Staples last year to get some $350 Compaq laptops. We waited 2.5 hours and got the last two coupons for the desired products. We returned home and they really were only worth the $350 (however still better than the 300 MHz PII towers at home). One of the new comps was dead out of the box...
This lead to hours of arguing with both Staples and Compaq. Eventually the dead one was sent back to the manufacture and exchanged for a slightly better one. This "improved" one had as many issues as the first lemon laptop. Compaq said to keep it and sent us a comp that retailed on their site for $1200. Eventually with a bit of playing my bro got the broken laptop working (minus the track pad).
I viewed it as a $1200 bonus for a few hours of time.
It's been like this in Canada for ages. I thought it only happened here and that they wouldn't dare do that in the US. After all, they are awfully close to being a monopoly up here. I guess they aren't afraid of competition any more.
What? We don't have Black Friday sales in Canada, because our Thanksgiving is in October. Our big doorcrasher day is Boxing Day.
Andrew, good to see that I'm not the only one to notice this (see my comment above).
Peter, you're right about boxing day, but I haven't seen a real 'door crasher' on boxing day or any other day for years here.
I was referring to the practice of calling things "doorcrashers" when they're barely worth being called sales. BB and FS now do that year-round for major holidays. And they are rarely worth their name.
That's pathetic. I guess now that BB is the only pretty girl in school, she figures she doesn't have to try anymore.
You do realize that BBY didn't just make this ad up last week, right? This is something these companies plan months in advance.
No it is a good possibility that they made this last week. Time to see what the competion is doing, time to request stock from the distributors, and time to haggle the vendors down on their cost. At most companies usually will only plan their ad about a month in advance, with the exception of the stores that do a blanket discount on the store. Never plan an ad that far out in advance because you never know what will happen to supply and demand.
circuit city has been dying for sometime now. the place never has any of the items on sale and it has a feel of a tomb
Best buy purchased about 70% of what would have been circuit city's holiday stock.
And they got it for a discounted price because circuit city couldn't pay for it.
I'm going to Target, last year they had a 500GB external hard drive for $70 and a ton of $5 DVDs. Target FTW!!!
I'm going to Target, last year they had a 500GB external hard drive for $70 and a ton of $5 DVDs. Target FTW!!!
im pretty sure that circuit city might end up with the best deals regardless of the bankruptcy...
bank of america hooked them up with a loan so i would think they are making the effort to do something for the holidays
A PS3 for $399!!!! Oh wait...
Though the prices haven't changed, they are now bundled with extra stuff.
Ratchet and Clank for PS3 sounds good at the price of free.
Still probably doesn't beat what BB's competitors are doing, but it's not exactly the standard as most of you have made it out to be.
And here I was all excited that there were no deals at all, and as a BB employee, I'd have an easy day ahead of me...
I've given up on getting in line early. The last time I did it there were people who got in line at 6pm on Thursday. You can't compete with people who have no life.
Agreed. I usually find great deals all year around anyway using slickdeals, dealhacks and other sites as well. All it takes is patience and will power trying to save money until you can blow your wallet load on the items you want. I went 2 years ago during black friday and there was too many people trying to break down doors for items that were not even all that great.
Well said. I remember reading about people lining up for blocks to get cheap gas and even getting in fights over it. I couldn't help but wonder why anyone would wait in line for hours even for a FREE tank of gas, I mean even at the peak, a single tank wasn't exactly a fortune.
There's loads of deals to be had online, and you can do it in the comfort of your own home. No way I'm gonna wait in line for hours outside in the cold just to save a few bucks.
First off, you couldn't pay me to stand in line at 3 am in the freezing cold to save a few bucks on electronics. I dont understand why if anyone wanted one of theese items, why they wouldnt just purchase the night before or even a week before, go back to the store on Black Friday after the comotion has did down, and just return the item and repurchase at the discounted price. (don't tell me they wont let you because they will, I did it two years ago on a TV at PC Richard)
I'll take my chances at Sam's. This sale is liquid feces
FRYS FTW!!!!!
Fry's? Isn't that risking your life? it'll be like attack of the zombies on red-bull.
black friday indeed
When Black Friday comes
I'll stand down by the door
And catch the grey men when they
Dive from the fourteenth floor
When Black Friday comes
I'll collect everything I'm owed
And before my friends find out
I'll be on the road
When Black Friday falls you know it's got to be
Don't let it fall on me
that was gay...
So was your mom until I did her.
I waited out in the cold one october night back in 2000 to get the gem that was a PS2. Went to school late the next day and performed in the opening night for the school play on zero hours sleep in the past 36 hours. Armored Core 2 made it totally worth it.
Nothing in that ad would make me take a leisurely stroll over to BB on an uncrowded sunday afternoon.
That cheap plasma is only good to bust doors with. 720p at 50"? That's horrible! Not worth it at all. I'll sleep instead...
What's funny is that you can find that TV on sale sometimes for $900 elsewhere...
There are no good deals.
Why do you all want to spend money on crap so badly? you guys never heard of a bank?
You see a Bank is a place where you put disposable income when you have nothing to spend it on...
... so that nice men in expensive suits can spend it away in the "Stock Market" casino down on Wall Street and come back the next day through your back door (labeled "Taxes") to beg for more.
...says the apple whore.
fine, then buy bullion... not the ones you put in chicken soup.. gold
"You see a Bank is a place where you put disposable income when you have nothing to spend it on..."
....says the poster with the Apple avatar. :/
HEY THAT IS ALMOST 30% OFF A GNR CD.
Thats a good deal if you think about it, i mean no one has invented a system of computers connected over wires that allow you to share things like music for free. If such a thing existed that deal would be crap, but it doesnt so I am waiting at Best Buy!
Wait? Whats that you say?
except its the shitty version of GNR
While they aren't as great as the original GNR, they're still better than most of the shite out nowadays.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hw5Zut3AAq4
"they're still better than most of the shite out nowadays."
but so is throwing silverware into an abandoned refrigerators
Chinese Democracy? That's worth $12, I think.
$12 Canadian, maybe.
Yeah, I pre-ordered for the same price.
"I was walking the streets at night, just trying to get CHINESE DEMOCRACY!"
Yeck.
At least we can thank GNR for the free Dr. Pepper.
http://www.nme.com/news/guns-n-roses/35433
Its a 720P Plasma not an LCD.
there are always better deal online than those black friday stuff... I woke up and went to store on BF just to see crowd of people for fun, for the past few years...
It says "No Interest for 18 Months" - I'm beginning to think thats about right - maybe longer...I know its been at LEAST 18 months since I had any interest in ANYTHING in Best Buy.
No interest? Exactly. None what-so-ever.
better deals will probably be had on-line anyway
the closest Fry's to my house is in the ghetto and I wouldn't camp out there unless I had a death wish
Pssh, just bring a 40 of Old English and wear a wife beater. And leave your belt at home, you won't need it anyway.
I sell TVs at bestbuy and I've been telling people for weeks that there aren't going to be great deals on Black Friday. They refuse to believe me and choose to "wait and see". I think I'm just going to print these out at work and leave them laying around. That should be interesting.....muahahahahhaha!!!!!!
why do you care? you don't get commission off of it. A better plan would be to tell people of the deals so they can camp out for 24 hours and once in the store they will be pwned!
Yeah, I'm HT Sales at BBY and I've had customers imagining amazing sells on that awesome Samsung or Sony. Little do they know that most "Box" stores sell the crap (i.e. insignia, funai, westinghouse, ilo, vizio) and keep the good stuff marked the same, if not higher, than the week or two before. Black Friday is so much better online, and perhaps if customers stop treating BF like it's a holy day, BBY won't make the poor saps who have to work get up at the butt crack of dawn. Support more sleep! Shop Online this Black Friday!
Ah, so that's why they put out a memo to make sure Customer Service is #1. The sale prices are garbage.
I seriously thought I missed something in this ad. I looked at it and found NOTHING worth jumping in line for. My wife and I do this as a tradition and make a whole day of it. It's fun for us to watch the crazies (okay so maybe we're crazy too) run around. Two years ago, some guy tried to jump the line as we were going in and I think the people behind us rolled him!!!
And I've never gotten into a fight over anything. As a matter of fact, the Target we went to last year gave out free hot chocolate while we waited in line. They were nice.
I would have taped that episode
This is what happens when your competition dies off...
@ narmaka5000
True, there's no commission, but we do have a daily budget that we have to meet. That's not really what bothers me though. I couldn't care less about the budget, i cant MAKE someone buy a TV if they don't want too. What bothers me is the fact that I'm able to make people really great deals, and i mean REALLY great deals, and they can't see the huge savings in front of them. Instead they still choose to wait. I don't blame them, i mean it is their money, but would you pass up a 50" 1080p Pansasonic plasma and a Bluray player with an HDMI cable for $1600? The TV alone is regularly $2199.99.
Is that at the discretion of all Best Buy associates? Could a haggle out deals with all of the salesman there? I dont shop at Best currently because of the high prices, but if deals can be had like you say, then I may give them a try.
sad thing is you actually think that is a good deal....
I'll stick with Newegg thank you very much.
If you want a cheap crappy TV then check out the one newegg has
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16889433001
$500 for 42 inches and 720p, not bad. IDK how much shipping is thought.
The only thing that I saw was maybe Transformers BR DVD for $9.99. That's it. YaY
I don't know about you guys, but the Frigidaire HE washer/dryer pair for $999 is a pretty hot deal, and its not even a doorbuster. I may have to roll on over Friday night if I have any troubles securing Sears' better deal on the $899 Samsung set earlier in the day.
do you competively race washers too!?!
I've been waiting anxiously for this ad and this is a complete let down. I actually enjoy going out and being part of the madness but nothing here is worth having. First time in years.
This year the deals at best buy sucks. It doesn't even warrant going to best buy on black friday. Last year it was whole other story when the had a $200 with a printer.
This by far is the saddest day is Black Friday History. This has to be a pre-black friday sale. I can't believe BestBuy would go out like this. These are all regular priced items. I'd rather shop at Buy.com - Now how am I to spend my friday morning. I guess I could purchase a netbook, and tether while I figure out where I'm going to shop.
This actually makes me happy. Now I won't care about not standing in line and missing great deals, because there are no great deals. Best Buy has good prices anyways... this just looks like a regular Sunday ad.
Best Buy wouldn't know good prices if they walked up to it, punched it in the face and said, "Hi! We're good prices!"
I am actually looking to see what Apple has up their sleeve for Black Friday. If they have a Nano for cheap, I will hit that up like its Vanessa Hudgens
apple? black friday? hah!
Wow, talk about a crappy BF ad.
It's actually not a crappy TV. Check avsforum.com for details, it's a sweet plasma TV, best bang for your buck out there. At 50" if you are more than 8' away you probably can't tell the difference between 720p and 1080p (none of the professional reviewers can). If it's a 50" set you probably are more than 8' away and it has the best blacks out there aside from spending thousands on a Kuro. Panasonic plasmas are the second best in the business right now, just behind the Pioneer Kuros which are top of the line at top of the line prices. It's not a screaming deal, but that TV is $1100 if you head down to any local store today, and a little over $900 if you buy it online but then enjoy sending it back if it's not what you want.
1080p = noisy picture on anything but bluray. Except the new Kuro's, but...
It is a bit dissapointing, but who are they competing with these days? I worked at one of the first BB's in Florida starting back in 1996. Started 2 weeks before the store opened and worked in Audio sales. Black Friday used to suck because there were 4 major competitors all veying for the same business. Crazy deals on computers back then would cause fights, no one gave out coupons at the door and lines would be an hour long at the check out well into the evening. Now CompUSA gone, CC gone, Tweeter gone, there is no one to compete with for the same business. Where else can you go, and look at Panny, Samsung, Pioneer, LG, etc... all on the same wall, turn the corner and see every major computer manufacturer and then check out tons of music and pick up a washer and dryer? I quit Best Buy after 2 years and went to work for Sound Advice. Anyone from Florida will remember what a great place that was until Tweeter ruined it and now themselves. Perhaps we are all on a path to never seeing a product before we buy it. We'll be at the mercy of Forums and Blogsters to let us know just how sweet the new products are and what 1,000,000:1 contrast ratios look like.
1080p is a great example of the flaws in that system. It just isn't any better unless your into bragging about numbers. Best Buy is one of the few places where you can leave the blogosphere and go see for yourself. Its just sad and unfortunate thats where the retail market has ended up.
Um you forget about frys? There normal sales put this ad to shame!
1080P is important when your TV doubles as your computer monitor.
I work also work at BB and have told people deals are not going to be good this year but people think that because the economy is in the crappier that companies are going to want to sell stuff at major losses for some reasons.
Oh well, hopefully this will just make my job easier come BF, but I know there will still be those crazy people that camp out all of thanksgiving to buy their crappy $12 CD.
I mean the prices are not BAD, they just are not work the chaos when you could get the exact same deal from a online store like Amazon or something.
Am I the only person that goes just to push and trip people?
I mean, I'm a bad person for doing it, but the people that have to run like animals are just so much fun to watch as they fall over.
cow tipping, heffa' tipping, same diff.
hot dam, 1TB external for $150. Could pick up a few those for my "collection"
Best Buy doesn't actually have to provide good deals anymore to get people in the store, so why hurt their own profit margins by actually offering good deals? People are still going to come in.
Best Buy = Walmart in less than 5 years.
Best Buy = Walmart in less than 5 years.
No Brain Snapping Bargains then...
I've heard from a Corp. Best Buy employee that BB has indeed created fake BF ads..