Best Black Friday Deals at Target, Walmart and More

Patch has compiled the best big box discounts to give bargain hunters a leg up on the competition. Don't forget to show some love to local businesses on Small Business Saturday, too!

Best Black Friday Deals at Target, Walmart and More

Ready, get set, go shopping! The bargain hunting starts early this year, so Patch has compiled the best big box discounts to give you a head start.

If you want the best Black Friday deals, you'll barely have enough time to gobble down your turkey; forget about your pumpkin pie. Stores are opening earlier than ever on Thanksgiving to grab Black Friday shoppers. Toys 'R Us, Walmart, Kmart and Sears open their doors at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Target opens at 9 p.m. Many others open at midnight or very early Friday morning. Several stores are offering waves of doorbusters. Many also are advertising online deals, which include free shipping, and Black Friday prices all day Thanksgiving. The early start to Black Friday has even prompted some opponents to start petitions against the practice. [Please remember to patronize small businesses Saturday in Berkley and Huntington Woods for Small …

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'Black Friday Creep' Spurs Online Petition Drives to Save Thanksgiving

Thousands are signing an online petitions against Black Friday store opening hours that have been pushed into Thanksgiving Day.

The trend for stores to open earlier and earlier to take advantage of Black Friday sales—even to the point of opening in the evening on Thanksgiving Day—has prompted an online petition drive to give Thanksgiving back to employees and their families. The original petition was reportedly created by a Target employee upset that the retail giant is opening on Thanksgiving and requiring employees to work instead of spending time with their families. Target stores will open their doors at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving. As of Tuesday morning, there are more than 179,000 signatures on the petition. (Check out the petition here.) A press release from Change.org reported that they have seen dozens of new petitions pop up about Black Friday hours. "…

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Have You Shopped on Your Mobile Device?

Black Friday spending reached all-time levels this year, but the biggest jump was in 'couch commerce.' Have you shopped mobile this year?

  Spending reached all-time Black Friday highs this weekend as a record 226 million shoppers jumped into holiday purchases – many of them using mobile devices to do so. The average holiday shopper spent $398.62 Black Friday and Saturday, according to a National Retail Federation survey. And Black Friday global mobile payment volume increased 516 percent from 2010, according to data from PayPal. A lot of mobile shopping appeared to take place from the couch following Thanksgiving dinner: Five times as much was spent that day via mobile as was spent on turkey day 2010, PayPal's blog reports. According to eBay, U.S. shoppers purchased nearly 2 1/2 times as many items through mobile devices this Black Friday compared with 2010. What about you…

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Kids Wish for 'iHoliday' in 2011

iPad and other Apple devices top kids' wish lists, survey finds, while shoppers can expect to find bundled gaming systems.

As you are making your holiday shopping list and checking it twice, be aware that what many kids really want are the top-selling Apple devices. The Apple iPad is the most desired consumer electronic among kids ages 6-12 this holiday season. A recent Nielsen survey shows: If you are looking for a deal on an iPad, the only discount shoppers can snag will be on Thanksgiving Day, when Jon Vincent of BlackFridayinfo.com said the company will offer its once-a-year 5 percent to 7 percent discount on the device and other Mac products online only, according to thestreet.com. Retailers are offering gift cards with the purchase of iPods to significantly reduce the price, it said. Two products that offer unique gaming technologies – Nintendo 3DS (25 …

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