Strollerderby : deals

They Say: Black Friday Will Be Gray

Brett Singer — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 19:00:00 GMT

So, like, will there be good deals this year or not? Inquiring minds want to know.

CNET talked to some experts in the field of bargain-hunting who offered a few tips for consumers. For example, Daniel de Grandpre of Dealnews suggests patronizing regional outlets such as MicroCenter and Fry's Electronics rather than Best Buy or Circuit City.

While there is definitely money to be saved by savvy shoppers who like to get up at 5am and hit the mall, it may also be possible to get the same deals by staying home and shopping online. Even brick and mortar stores are offering "web only specials". Kmart's "Early Black Friday" deals started on November 2, and CNET says that "some retailers are doing Black Friday month specials." Online-only outlets like Amazon.com have been pushing their Black Friday specials for several days now. So you might not even have to wait until Friday to get the stuff that you want.

One thing I've noticed is a certain desperate feeling among retailers. For example, I got this email from CompUSA a couple of days ago. Then I got it again. And again. They want to make damn sure I know what they've got on sale. Toys R Us has been sending at least one sale-trumpeting email per day for the past two weeks. And Amazon let users vote on which products they wanted discounted.

If polls are to be believed, retailer's feelings of potential doom may be justified: CNET cites a Consumer Electronics Association polls that says "consumers...plan to spend $200 less on the holidays" this year.

One bit of good news, I guess. If you do plan on shopping, whether on Black Friday or some other time, you'll probably get more for your money than you would if the economy were more robust. That's something I suppose.

Source: CNET

Babble's Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide

Will Black Friday Deals Be Good This Year?

Maybe The 80s Are Retro

Are You Cutting Back This Holiday Season?

Brett Singer — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:00:00 GMT

In case you haven't heard, the economy has been doing its imitation of David Caruso's career before he got a part on CSI: Miami (and if anyone can tell me what show that line is from, I will be impressed because it's pretty random). Which begs the question: are you going to spend less this year than you have in the past?

TodaysMama.com released the results of their survey, which says that a whopping "85 percent of moms plan to cut holiday spending due to economic conditions." (I guess all of the dads were too busy playing fantasy football and visiting strip clubs to participate in the survey. I kid.)

From the press release:

SALT LAKE CITY.– November 24, 2008 – TodaysMama.com today announced the results of their 2008 Holiday Economic Survey, revealing that 85% of Moms across the United States are trimming their holiday budgets due to concern about the long-term economic outlook. Of those, 14% plan to cut holiday spending by an astounding 75%, and 32% will cut holiday spending by 50%. The survey, which included 1050 respondents, also found that 62% of Moms do not plan to shop on Black Friday, and 66% believe it will take two to three years for the economy to recover.

So – moms, dads, and everyone else – how about you? Will gifts be closer to "a package of socks" rather than "a flat-screen television"? (Nothing wrong with that, by the way. I could use some new socks.) Are you planning to cut back on your spending this year?

source: TodaysMama.com

image: CCTV Blog

Will Black Friday Deals Be Good This Year?

Maybe The 80s Are Retro

Will Black Friday Deals Be Good This Year?

Brett Singer — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:00:00 GMT

When the economy stinks, sometimes you can count on stores lowering their prices in an effort to entice customers to part with some of their hard-earned cash. Business Week reports that sales figures are down everywhere. So on Friday November 28 – the day after Thanksgiving, aka "Black Friday" – stuff should be even cheaper than usual, right?

Maybe not. According to Engadget, Walmart's deals are looking pretty lame, at least the so-called "doorbuster" early morning specials. Specifically, they mention "the already-discounted Magnavox Blu-ray player drops from $198 to $128…50-inch Samsung plasma of unspecified resolution is only $798 (720p, bet on it), and Xbox 360 + Guitar Hero III & wireless guitar pack…for $199." Also mentioned are "a $398 HP desktop PC and $175 gas grill." In other words, if you had your heart set on a new TV or the kids are begging for Guitar Hero/Rock Band/Other Fake Music Video Game, you might be able to get as good a deal online. So far, there's nothing really worth getting up early for, shopping-wise.

We'll have to wait and see if the other stores follow suit or cut prices even more drastically in an effort to get at least SOMEBODY to consume more conspicuously than they were initially planning on doing.

Source: Engadget

Babble Podcast for November 17, 2008

The Candy That Time Forgot

Incredibly Good Homemade Halloween Costumes

The Obamas wear cheap clothes

Baby Bargains 7th Edition Out Now: Bugaboo Stroller Smackdown Included

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 15:42:00 GMT

Baby Bargains, the Bible of all deal-shopping parents everywhere is releasing its 7th Edition soon. Baby Bargains showcases great deals, including a list of the best Bugaboo stroller knock-offs, crib reviews, booster seat and clip-on high chair round-ups, and a grazillion other supplies.

Know a parent-to-be who needs a shower gift? Job not as family-friendly (remunerative) as originally thought? Your 3 year-old's birthday party break the bank and force you to find spare change at the bottom of your Kate Spade bag? This book might be just the ticket, friend.

The book also includes a summation of the world of carriers (a confusing world full of crazy patterns and large metallic rings), which on its own would make it a worthy investment of $17.95 (plus s&h).

To preorder your copy, go here.