The Ultimate Insider Black Friday Guide

Where to Go for the Best Deals
By Rebecca Kern, U.S. News & World Report

With a slowly recovering economy, retailers are looking for ways to lure wary customers into their stores on Black Friday. Some retailers are attracting shoppers by staying open on Thanksgiving Day, in addition to extending their hours on Black Friday. Wal-Mart leads the pack, with most of its stores remaining open for 24 hours on Thanksgiving Day as well as Black Friday. On Thanksgiving, the Gap will open at 9 a.m., Banana Republic at 11 a.m., and Old Navy at noon. Toys "R" Us stores will open their doors at midnight before Black Friday. Others are employing social media contests to draw in customers, like J.C. Penney Co.'s Facebook sweepstakes, in which winners will receive a Penney's $500 gift card, assistance from personal shoppers, and a limo ride to the store.

Here's where you can score some impressive Black Friday deals:

Wal-Mart will allow customers to camp out next to their desired items beginning on Thanksgiving Day, and Black Friday specials will last from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. Featured items include a Magnovox Blu-ray player for $78, a Sanyo 50-inch plasma 720p HDTV for $598, a Tom Tom GPS for $59, a reversible fleece jacket for $7, and a Barbie Power Wheels Ride-On for $88.

For the young at heart, Toys "R" Us will give 250,000 free Crayola 64 Boxes with any purchase, along with an $18 Crayola coupon on Black Friday. The store will also have thousands of the popular Zhu Zhu Pets Hamster in stock, along with doorbusters like a $50 gift card with the purchase of an iPod touch. Toys "R" Us will extend sales from Friday to Saturday, with deals that include select Nintendo games for $9.99. For more sneak peaks at the specials, visit the Toys "R" Us Facebook page at midnight on November 23 or take a look at 100 additional "Mystery Deals" on Toysrus.com at midnight on November 25.

Those looking for fashion items for less will have quite a selection. The Gap will offer a buy-one, get-one-free sale for adult sweaters, kid's fleeces, and pajama pants beginning November 25. Old Navy will offer doorbusters, including a free Rock Band guitar for the first few customers in line on Thanksgiving Day, $15 sweaters, and 50 percent off outerwear. On Black Friday, you can buy one cashmere sweater or scarf and get one free at Banana Republic.

Victoria's Secret will have "Pink Friday" specials beginning at 5 a.m. on Black Friday, with select stores opening at midnight, and will offer a free Victoria Secret tote with a $60 purchase. Meanwhile, Bath & Body Works will offer a VIP Bag that contains over $100 worth of products for $15 with a $40 purchase in its stores. The bath products retailer will open the doors at 6 a.m.

In the home appliance arena, Home Depot will offer $400 worth of savings on a pair of Maytag washers and dryers, a RIGID Dry/Wet vacuum for $19.88, and a Makita 18-Volt Hammer Driver Drill & Impact Driver combo kit for $199. These deals will begin on Thanksgiving Day online and in stores at 6 a.m. on Black Friday. Meanwhile, the deals at Lowe's last from 6 a.m. on Black Friday through Monday, November 30. They include a Whirlpool Cabrio washer and dryer for $998 and a Whirlpool 24.8-cubic foot French Door Refrigerator for $898.

Target will release its specials on November 25 at target.com/weeklyad and will have an online-only Thanksgiving Day sale. Customers looking for Black Friday deals will receive maps listing the store's specially priced items. They will also receive a $10 gift card when they spend $100 or more from 5 a.m. to noon on Black Friday.

Deals on electronics will be a big hit on Black Friday this year. Staples plans to offer an HP laptop with Intel Celeron processor for $299.98, a Garmin Nuvi 225W GPS 9 for $119.99, and an HP 8GB flash drive for $12.99. Also, electronics retailer Best Buy is currently offering deals on TVs before Black Friday, which include a 32-inch Dynex LDC HD TV for $299.99 and a 40-inch Dynex 1080p for $499.99.

Shoppers looking for jewelry discounts should stop by JCPenney stores. The general merchandiser's Black Friday specials — which last from 4 a.m. to 1 p.m. — include Timex watches starting at $27.50, 1/5-carat T.W. diamond stud earrings for $49.99, and ½-carat T.W. diamond necklaces, bracelets, or earrings for $79.99. JCPenney will also have big sales on clothing and footwear for kids, teens, and adults.

Macy's will also offer specials on jewelry, apparel, and luggage from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Black Friday, as well as 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, November 28. Deals include diamond accent earrings for $34.99, ½-carat diamond studs for $199, and Victorinox Swiss Army watches for $139. Also, all kids' coats and sleepwear are 60 percent off.

At Kohl's, shoppers will find more than 300 savings offers online and in stores from 4 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Black Friday. Kohl's shoppers can get a $10 gift card for every $50 they spend in store or online. Their specials include a 7-inch portable LCD TV from Digital Labs for $69.99, 50 to 60 percent off apt. 9 sportswear for misses, petites, and women, 50 percent off name-brand children's toys, 40 to 80 percent off kitchen electrics after rebate, and 55 to 60 percent off sterling silver jewelry.

For shoppers who don't feel like combating the mind-numbing traffic and meandering lines, most stores will offer the same specials on their websites. Amazon.com will offer its Black Friday specials from November 23 through November 30 at amazon.com/blackfriday. Deals include up to 70 percent off diamond stud earrings, a KitchenAid Pro 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer for $299.99, and Fujifilm 10 megapixel J28 for $79.99.