Cyber Monday Deals 2011 – What You Could Experience Last Year

Posted by Henry S. Parter

Black Friday is the name given to the Friday that immediately follows Thanksgiving Day in the US. It marks the start of the busy holiday shopping season, and is said to be the day that most consumers will start their Christmas shopping. Although the word “black” might give a feeling of negativity, in the retail world it refers to when a business begins to show a profit. Because many shops see a huge surge in business around this time of the year, it refers to the time when there books move out of the “red” into the “black.”

Cyber Monday is the online version of Black Friday. This is the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season online, and just mortar and brick retailers do on like Black Friday, online retailers offer many money-saving promotions and discounts on Cyber Monday to compete with the Black Friday savings at local shopping malls. Because shipping is sometimes an issue with online shopping, a large number of online retails also give free shipping along with the greatly discounted goods. Cyber Monday begins on the Monday following Thanksgiving, so therefore it falls three days after Black Friday.

In recent years, the term “Black” Friday has become more fitting as every year there are many incidents of violence and accidents occurring in shopper malls. Walmart seems to be the store that is most commonly involved, as shoppers riot to get their hands on the best Black Friday deals. In 2008, a Black Friday Walmart stampede left one person dead and a pregnant woman ended up in hospital. Aransas turned into what appeared to be a screaming herd of uncontrollable wild animals over some waffle makers that were on sale at $2 apiece. For this reason, and others, it is hardly surprising many shoppers are choosing to forego the Black Friday sales and are instead waiting until Cyber Monday to do their Christmas shopping in a peaceful and dignified manner.

Check out this video with important shopping tips:

Cyber Monday 2011 Statistics

Cyber Monday 2011 saw retail sales go up a whopping 22% over Cyber Monday in 2010. It is estimated that retail sales online reached a whopping $1.2 billion. As usual, the most popular items were tech gadgets with the iPhone, iPad and Android devices being the most sought-after. A survey conducted by the National retail Federation found that almost 10,000,000 American shoppers would purchase something online on the day of Cyber Monday 2011. Around half of them of them said they would shop from work during their lunch hour, and in the event that this would not be possible they planned to start their shopping immediately when they finished work.

Cyber Monday online shopping has become somewhat of a headache for bosses. Since Cyber Monday is not a national holiday, shopping online from work is the only alternative for many people; many of the best offers are in limited supply, and waiting until the evening would be too late to get the best bargains. Needless to say, most bosses are not too happy about this as they do not want to pay their workers to do personal shopping. Many bosses are finding ways to block Internet access to shopping sites on Cyber Monday, and although others don’t go this far they do carefully monitor their staff during working hours. It is estimated that 5% of bosses have actually fired a worker for doing their holiday shopping from work, although this is not necessarily a figure that relates only to Cyber Monday. Surveys have found that 55% of workers managed to make a purchase from work during Cyber Monday 2011.

List of websites with facts and statistics about last year Cyber Monday:

There are many interesting facts emerging about shoppers habits during Cyber Monday 2011. It is estimated the average online order was for $193. Many of these items are tech-related and the BlackBerry 32 GB PlayBook sold at a rate of 75 units every hour. The Acer Aspire 15.6 inch notebook sold out in two and half hours. It is estimated that UPS delivery service take on 50,000 temporary workers to cope with the rush over the holiday shopping season.

Best Cyber Monday Deals 2011

Generally, Best Buy Cyber Monday deals 2011 in the tech department were quite disappointing. The exception to this is a 55-inch LED, 120 Hz Samsung TV, which could be purchased at $999.

They also offered the monochrome Nook Simple Touch at a price of $79, which was $20 cheaper than the regular price.

They had some Apple 15 inch MacBook Pros available at $200, which was $150 cheaper than usual. However, supplies were limited.

If you ordered items worth more than $100, and were prepared to drive to your nearest local store to pick them up, you were given a 10% gift card.

In the non-tech department, consumers can purchase a Samsung 28 cu Ft 4 Door Refrigerator for $1,799, a saving of $1200.

Dell had some great Cyber Monday, 2011 deals, which included a 46-inch Sony Google 1080p TV priced at just below $800. As the normal price is $1400, this was a huge saving of $600. You could also get $80 off a Dell 22-inch LED ultra-thin monitor. This usually was priced at $220, but on Cyber Monday, you could purchase it for just $140. The Dell V715W, which is an all-in-one printer was reduced by $70 to be priced at $99.99.

Office Depot had some interesting Cyber Monday deals, which included the very popular Asus 15.6 inch laptop. On Cyber Monday 2011, you could purchase this for just under $350, whereas the regular price was $500. Another popular Cyber Monday deal was the 15.6 inch Toshiba satellite notebook, which regularly sold for $430, but on Cyber Monday was priced at just below $300.

Walmart, the home of many Black Friday incidents of violence were offering a 47-inch LG LED 1080p TV for just $879. The regular Walmart price was $1200. The Apple 3G iPad 2 was not so heavily discounted, as it regularly sold for $729, but on Cyber Monday you could purchase it for $688.

Many of the 250 items that Walmart discounted exclusively online included non-tech related goods. A Tramontina Dutch Oven was offered at under £40, a saving of around 20%.

For the kids, a Disney Cars Lightning McQueen Talking Feature Chair was priced at under $20, where as it usually retails at around $35.

The Oral B Electric Toothbrush was offered together with bonus Crest 3-D Whitestrips for under $40, a saving of around 15%.

Walmart deals were offered while stocks lasted throughout the week, and were not just specific to Cyber Monday.

Newegg was the first stop for many tech and gadget enthusiasts with their great selection of Cyber Monday deals.

This website offered a 42-inch LG 1080p LED TV for just under $500 when they usual retail price was $799. A Dell Inspiron 15.6-inch notebook was reduced by $250 to $499.

The world’s biggest online retailer, Amazon.com disappointed many consumers as they did not offer a deal on the Kindle Fire. However lucky shoppers were able to pick up a big-screen Kindle DX for $259, which was a considerable drop from the usual $379. Another popular deal was the Canon Powershot 10-megapixel digital camera which was reduced to $291 from $399.

The Microsoft Xbox 360 250GB Holiday Bundle, which included the games Fable III and Halo Reach, was up for grabs at $199, a saving of $100.

Amazon also offered many non-tech Cyber Monday deals such as the Mercer Cutlery Genesis 6-Piece Knife Set for just below $100. This normally retails at around $250 on Amazon. The Panasonic Linear Vortex Shaving System was another great buy, as $171 was knocked off the retail price and it was available for just below $80.

If you bought shoes on Amazon that cost more than $75, you were given 25% off, and there were also many good deals in the apparel department.

Smartphones were available from Amazon for just $0.01 for anyone who was prepared to sign a new contract for two years. This was only available for people who were prepared to switch carriers. The iPhone was not included in the deal.

Like several other online retailers Amazon were offering their deals all through Cyber Monday week, or while stocks lasted.

Target had good Cyber Monday 2011 deals and many people took advantage of the opportunity to pick up a Samsung 40-inch 1080p LED TV for $700, which was a saving of $500. The LG 50-inch 720p Plasma TV was reduced by $200 and could be purchased for $549.

You could pick up movies at Target on Cyber Monday 2011 from $3.99. They were also offering between 30 and 50% off toys, as well as buy-one, get-one-free bedding and pillow sets.

The kid’s favorite toy giant started its Cyber Monday promotions on the Sunday before Cyber Monday, and customers were offered free shipping on all goods throughout the whole of Cyber week. Many items were discounted by around 25%, and they also offered a “buy one and get 60% off” deal on hundreds of video game titles.

If you bought a Xbox 360 with Kinect for $299 you could also choose between a free game, headset or controller.

Justin Bieber fans could buy a Justin Bieber doll for 20% cheaper than the usual price.

The do-it-yourself home improvement giant Home Depot had many items with a 75% discount on Cyber Monday 2011.

Other popular items included a Dyson multi floor bagless vacuum cleaner, which could be purchased for $318. Home Depot usually sells this product for around $400.

A Maytag French Door refrigerator cost just under $1200, where as the usual price is about $1600.

On Cyber Monday 2011, Sears offered web-exclusive deals on many items including diamonds, power tools, digital cameras, and more.

A great buy was a sterling silver 0.18ctw diamond stud earring for $49.99, a saving of $150.

NordicTrack ACT Elliptical was priced at just $750, whereas the original price was $1300. This was also delivered free to all purchasers.

A GE Create 12MP digital camera could be bought for $49.99 which is $80 cheaper than the usual price.

Jewelry sales are among those that see incredible increases during the holiday period. It is thought that during Black Friday and Christmas, jewelry stores make around 40% of their annual revenue, compared with 19% of other retail stores.

In 2011, during Cyber Monday week Bluenile.com offered $200 vouchers for just $100 to be exchanged for merchandise. Kohl’s cut 20 percent off all their products site-wide if you entered a coupon code. This was in addition to other discounts already offered.

Travel deals are also popular among Cyber Monday online shoppers, and in 2011 you could get up to 50% off certain hotels on hotel.com. The hotel company Marriott were offering 15% off Marriott hotels worldwide, and also throwing in a free breakfast. Expedia and group on getaways offered up to 60% off specific vacation packages and hotels. The Best Western hotel group was given away between 10 and 30% off vouchers as an Internet only discount.

Stay Safe when Shopping on Cyber Monday

As always when shopping online, make sure you are not a victim of Internet fraud. Cyber Monday presents con merchants with a great opportunity to rip off unsuspecting online shoppers. If you’re going to click on a link in an e-mail, make sure you know if it was sent by a reputable person or company that you have previously corresponded with. One way to spot spam e-mails sent around Cyber Monday is they will offer incredible discounts, and you may find the website you land on is a very good copy of a well-known retailer online.

Do not enter your credit card details on any site that does not have SSL security. You can check this by looking at the address bar in your browser. It will usually begin with “http”.  However, over a secure connection the site address displayed will begin with “https”.

Happy Cyber Monday Shopping!

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Black Friday Deals 2011: The Ultimate List of Deals For 2011

Posted by Henry S. Parter

Black Friday Deals 2011

There is no doubt that Black Friday is a day that is anticipated with glee by both retailers and consumers alike. Consumers benefit because they are able to purchase a whole range of goods from electronics to house furnishings for ridiculously low prices. Retailers take advantage of disposing of unsold inventory and because they make a huge profit by the end of the day, simply by the volume of sales.

Black Friday always falls on the Friday after Thanksgiving, and it is thought by many to be the start of the holiday shopping season. Of all the days annually that you can go shopping, this will be the busiest by far. A store can get a good idea of the Christmas profits from the year just from Black Friday alone. Stores typically open extremely early, many of them as early as 4 AM, and some will even open at midnight on Thursday. Many stores do not close until 10 PM on Friday night, and any bargains that are left over will be sold in sales that are extended to Saturday and Sunday.

“Black Friday” is so-called because it marks the day that retailers typically begin to see a profit for the year, and their annual books begin to turn “black” after being in the “red” for the first time during the year.

It is also thought by some that the term was made up by the police department in Philadelphia in 1966. Because the downtown roads were packed with traffic and people due to shoppers searching for Christmas bargains, it appeared like a black mass was enveloping the city. In 1975 the name “Black Friday” became widely used after reporters from Philadelphia wrote about it in local newspapers.

Tips to survive Black Friday

Unfortunately, over the years there have been a number of people who have been hurt and even fatally, due to stampedes on Black Friday. A small number of shoppers make the event potentially dangerous because they are so keen to get their hands on bargains; they overlook the fact that their actions could hurt other shoppers.

When shopping on black Friday there are several things you should do to make sure you enjoy the experience and stay safe.

In the days leading up to Black Friday, browse through the sale adverts in local newspapers and online, so that you know where to find the best prices for the items on your list. If you are only planning on going to one local store, make sure you know where the items are usually located, as this will save you time having to fight your way through the madding crowds.

Many people arrive at the shop where they hope to grab the biggest bargain several hours before the doors open. If you also want to get your hands on a super deal, unfortunately you will have to join them, so do arrive to the venue early and make sure you have warm clothes, and some sort of entertainment to keep you occupied while you’re waiting.

If you see people are becoming frantic and pushing and shoving to get the best deals, do not get involved. Although it is a shame to pass up something that has been discounted by $100, no deal is worth getting hurt for!

  • Black Friday Deals 2011 – Best Buy

According to a number of surveys, more than 50percent of shoppers reveal that they plan on spending their Black Friday cash on electronics. Videogames also feature highly on people’s shopping lists, which is good news for the electronics giant Best Buy who are one of the largest consumer electronic chains in the US and Canada. Many people will think of Best Buy first when they need all types of electronics such as laptops, smartphones, LCD TVs and other popular gadgets.

Best Buy is doing well at keeping crowds under control on black Friday, which is more than what can be said for many other stores. The company has a scheme which they call “Voice of the customer through the employee” program. The company says that all customer requests and problems will result in an employee going to your aid within 20 seconds. Needless to say this is excellent service that makes shopping on Black Friday and much more enjoyable experience at Best Buy stores.

If you want to get your hands on one of Best Buy’s “Doorbuster Deals” you should think about leaving your house soon after you have finished your turkey to join the early bird queue.

Great Best Buy Black Friday Deals of 2011 included many video games. Top of the list for gamers were the Xbox 360 250 GB Holiday Bundle which came with Fable 3, Halo; Reach, and three months of Life Gold Access for just $199. This was a discount of at least $100. An Xbox 360 wireless controller could be grabbed for $39.99, which was a saving of around $20 on the usual price of $59.99.

Many videogame titles could be purchased at just $7.99 these included top titles such as Call of Duty: World at War, Toy Story 3, and Gears of War Triple Pack.

Other Black Friday deals 2011 at Best Buy included the Garmin GPS which was up for grabs for $84.99. The regular price was $149.99.

The Sharp 60-inch 1080p, 120 Hz LCD HDTV usually cost $1,099.99. On Black Friday 2011, shoppers could bag it for $799.99.

The Wi-Fi ready Toshiba Blu-ray Player was on sale for $39. It normally cost in the region of $80.

The Android-based Acer Iconia usually cost around $300 in 2011. Black Friday shoppers could take advantage of a great deal and get it for $189.99.

The Toshiba Thrive 10.1-inch Android-based tablet usually sold for upward of $370, but it could be bought for $279 on Black Friday 2011.

The Gateway Netbook usually cost in the region of about $300; it was available for $149 in Best Buy stores on Black Friday 2011.

  • Black Friday Deals 2011 – Macys

For the first time on Black Friday 2011 stores opened their doors at midnight on Thanksgiving. Black Friday deals 2011 included a 50 percent of deal on Sharper Image iPhone or iPod docking stations.

Rampage boots could be bought for $19.99, a saving of around $30. Justin Bieber’s limited edition holiday fragrance set that included a parfum spray and CD could be purchased for $65, and any purchase of a $65 received a free digital camera.

  • Black Friday Deals 2011 – Toys “R” Us

On Black Friday 2011, Toys “R” Us stores opened doors at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Those who got in quickly could buy a Sylvania 7-inch tablet PC for $79, a saving of around $50.

There was a 40 percent off deal on the Optimus Prime Transformer, and you could get it for 447.99. Leap Pad Leapster systems were offered at 50 percent off, and there was a $50 gift card deal with every purchase of the iPod Touch.

  • Black Friday Deals 2011 – Target

In 2011, Target opened doors at midnight on Thanksgiving.

One of the best Target Black Friday deals 2011 was the Philips 9″ Dual-Screen DVD Player, which was offered at just $99.

The Amazon Kindle 3G was just $85, and an Acer 10.1 Netbook could be grabbed for $157.

There was a fabulous selection of TV shows and movie DVDs for $3.99.

The Element 40″ 60HZ 1080p LCD HDTV was up for grabs for $265, and a $40 Target gift card was given with every $195 purchase of the 8GB iPod touch.

  • Black Friday Deals 2011 – Walmart

On Black Friday 2011, Walmart opened doors at 10 p.m – which meant if you were to be among the first in the queue you needed to forgo your Turkey family dinner.

Walmart stores are often the scene of Black Friday scuffles, and violence, so remember to be on your guard and step back if things seem to be getting out of hand.

In 2011, the retail giant was offering a 65-inch Toshiba 1080p 120 Hz LCD TV for $998. This TV usually sold for around $1,500 in 2011.

The Kodak EasyShare C1550 16MP Digital Camera Bundle, which is a 5 x optical zoom digital camera, was available for $49 on Black Friday 2011. It usually retailed at $89.00.

The FinePix S3280 was on sale on Black Friday for $159. The usual price was $219, and that was already discounted.

An HP Compaq Black 15.6″ Laptop was on sale at $198, a saving of $100.

The Xbox360 4GB with Kinect Console was just $199.96 plus a $50 Walmart gift card.

A wide choice of DVDs started at $1.96, and 6V or 12V Ride-Ons which included Jeep Wrangler, X Games ATV or Barbie Jeep were just $99 each.

Young girls got excited about Barbie, Disney Princess and Bratz branded fashion dolls which were $5 each, around 35percent of the usual price.

A Paula Deen 20-Piece cookware set could be snapped up at $86.44.

Starting at midnight:

Goodyear Tires started at $59, and a Vizio 42″ 3D LED Wi-Fi HDTV was just $598.

The purchase of any smartphone (except the Apple iPhone) with a contract got you a $100 Walmart gift card.

As you can see there were many great Black Friday Deals 2011, in all the biggest stores. No doubt these will be repeated in 2012, and many more amazing deals will also be offered.

If you do not like crowds and hate the pushing and shoving that is inevitable on Black Friday, then do your shopping three days later on Cyber Monday, which is a version of Black Friday for online shoppers.

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Christmas Sales Are Here: The Best Time For Shopping Is Right Now!

Posted by Henry S. Parter

40% off…50% off…sometimes even more! It’s a shopper’s paradise. When and where will you see such bargains? Why you’ll see them most often at after Christmas sales.

After Christmas sales are the ideal time to save and to save big. Whether you are looking for a giant screen television, winter coat or just want to treat yourself to something special, the after Christmas sales can be the ideal opportunity for many shoppers.

The most important thing to understand is how to shop during the after Christmas sales to your best advantage.

It’s the savvy shopper who knows the difference between a bargain…and a bust.

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Remember that just like most sales – items are only available until they are gone. This is especially true at an after Christmas sale. Items are truly priced to move when you see the great savings.

You can check out article about Christmas sales 2011 at ThePerfectToys.com guide. You certainly won’t be the only one out there trying to shop the after Christmas sales trying to get great bargains.

Our advice: Be the savvy shopper – be prepared for the crowds, get up early and have an extra dose of patience.

After Christmas sales are one of the busiest times in many stores but they are also the perfect opportunity to save save save! Your taking the time to attend the after Christmas sales can save you 50% or more on many items your family needs and wants.

Curb in impulse shopping at after Christmas sales. One of the most tempting things at these sales is that you’ll see everything at such great prices – you’ll probably want to pick up even more than you originally planned on it. This is what the store is expecting you to do and that’s how they make lots of money on these sales.

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Origin of Cyber Monday

Posted by Henry S. Parter

While Black Friday may have once been the popular day to look for bargains, Cyber Monday certainly offers some of the best online prices. The Monday after Black Friday, Cyber Monday has grown to gain global fame. Several online retailers, such as Amazon and BestBuy.com, offer online deals that cannot be found in stores.

Consumers take advantage of these Cyber Monday deals 2011 by shopping online instead of actually venturing to the store. This convenience prevents the need to wait in line and deal with undesirable crowds.

What’s more, most of the online retailers offer free shipping on this day. As a result, the trend is growing towards more shoppers seeking online deals rather than in-store prices.

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Magazines and critics have labeled Cyber Monday 2011 as “the biggest shopping day of the year.” Websites are dedicated to providing consumers with all of the information necessary for them to take advantage of the Cyber Monday 2011 deals. Analysts have even stated that in terms of sales, Cyber Monday is usually the highest spending day of the year.

Cyber Monday originated in 2005 when Shop.org came up with the term. Marketers immediately hopped on the bandwagon and began advertising deals that would become available on the Monday after Thanksgiving. Many were shocked at the response, as Black Friday crowds were nowhere near their normal levels.

Consumers then looked to take advantage of websites that published the Cyber Monday deals ahead of time. For instance, CyberMonday.com was set up so that consumers had a quick reference to any deals that were of relevant interest.

For the most part, the Cyber Monday deals are most notable on the large-ticket items. For example, televisions, laptops and digital cameras are just a few of the items that are marked down substantially.

Clothing is also priced remarkably lower than normal. Some of the most popular retailers offering significant Cyber Monday deals include Old Navy, Kohl’s, Target, Amazon.com, Walmart, BestBuy, Apple and Sears. Nowadays, all of these retailers release dedicated advertisements beforehand so that consumers are fully aware of the discounts that are available.

In addition, consumers can subscribe to e-mail lists and receive notifications immediately after new deal announcements are released to the general public.

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