A look at early Black Friday deals and discounts
(MoneyWatch) Even though Thanksgiving will come unseasonably early this year, there's no need to wait for Black Friday for holiday deals and door busters. Retailers from Wal-Mart to Costco have been offering deals early this year, with a host of discounted items -- from electronics to games -- available now.
And the retailers that won't start the price-slashing prior to Thanksgiving, are opening their doors early on Thanksgiving night. You might want to skip the turkey and pack your track shoes. The nation's biggest retailers are launching this holiday shopping season with a bang.
What early deals are being offered and where?
Wal-Mart has everything from clothing to electronics on an pre-Black Friday sale. There you'll find a 50-inch HDTV for $429 and laptop computers for as little as $300. Clothing and toys are also marked down substantially.
Amazon is featuring a Giulio Romano men's watch for 75 percent off at $175; a portable DVD player for $65; and a Brother sewing machine for $50. The online retailer also is featuring camera, photo and video deals this week with discounts of up to $300.
Costco is offering a ping-pong table for $100 off ($400 total) and a billiard set for as much as $1,000 off -- roughly a 30 percent discount. Computers and laptops are also being advertised at $200 to $300 discounts. The Saeco Odea Giro Plus expresso maker is $100 off at $400. And you can get a steel-framed portable basketball hoop for $80 off at $300.
Sears pre-Black Friday sale can land you a Craftsman snow blower for a $250 discount at $500; a Craftsman mechanics tool set, which normally retails for $399 at half price -- $199. Need a barbeque? The pre-sale features a four-burner Kenmore gas grill at $250 -- about $100 off regular price. If you need slow-cookers for groups, Sears has a triple-slow cooker (just like it sounds -- three slow-cookers connected together) for just $20, which is a $30 discount from the regular $50 price. And, after you finish whatever was in those slow-cookers, you might be interested to know that the ProForm 395 Eliptical exercise machine is on special members-only sale for $300 vs. its $600 regular price.
Target isn't offering pre-Black Friday deals until Thanksgiving -- and that's this year's biggest trend. Forget the post-turkey nap and hours of catching up with long-lost relatives. This year, you'll be headed to the mall within minutes of finishing the cranberry sauce. Target's 9:00 p.m. -Thanksgiving day launch of the holiday shopping season features a Canon camera bundle for $300 off at $500; an Xbox Kinect bundle, normally $300, for $200; and a $40 Target gift card with the purchase of an iPod Touch.
Toys "R" Us is hoping you'll skip the family Thanksgiving celebration completely and stand in line for their 8:00 p.m. Thanksgiving Day opening. The lure? A goody bag filled with $30 in toys for the first 200 shoppers at each store. Sure, they'll offer Black Friday deals on toys and games, too.
Best Buy is opening its doors at midnight on Thanksgiving and will offer a 40-inch TV for just $180 and laptops for as little as $350.
Macy's and Kohl's are also opening their doors at midnight on Thanksgiving. Macy's is advertising particularly mouthwatering deals on jewelry, including $160 diamond hoop earrings for just $40. And Kohl's is promising toys at discounts of 50 percent and more, as well as a Polaroid camera, normally $300, for $150.
Happy shopping.
