Box Stores’ Best Laid Black Friday Plans

They’re making a list and checking it twice

By Alan Wolf, YSN

No question it’s gonna be an unusual Black Friday next week.

Between inventory shortages, staffing constraints, higher prices, month-long pre-sales, COVID concerns, and the ease of e-commerce, lengthy pre-dawn parking lot queues will likely remain a thing of the past.

That’s not to say the box stores won’t be offering a barrage of Black Friday discounts, many of which are already underway. Here’s a sampling of the top appliance promotions from Lowe’s, The Home Depot and Best Buy, based on current ad scans at BlackFriday.com.

Lowe’s

The No. 1 appliance chain begins its Black Friday sales on Nov. 25 and places appliances front and center on its 12-page insert. This time, Whirlpool, GE, and of all brands Kenmore Elite vie for page-one attention. Whirlpool’s contribution is a basic laundry pair, comprised of a 3.5-cubic-foot top loader and 7.0-cubic-foot electric dryer that will sell for $549 each, a $100 savings. From GE comes a 1.0-cubic-foot, 1,050-watt countertop convection microwave oven that’s $30 off at $189, while the Sears brand brings a 30.6 cubic foot French door fridge with a fingerprint- resistant stainless steel finish for $2,299 — a Lowe’s exclusive that represents a $700 savings.

Home Depot

The Orange One released its 36-page Black Friday ad on Nov. 14, with power tools, rather than appliances, getting the page-one spotlight. In fact, major appliances don’t appear until page 27, where a four-piece Samsung stainless steel kitchen suite kicks off the category. Featuring a 28.2 cubic foot French door fridge; 6.3 cubic smart electric range; a tall-tub dishwasher; and a 1.9 cubic foot OTR microwave, Samsung’s “Special Buy” package goes for $2,572, representing a $350 discount. “Black Friday Savings” on select appliances are in effect throughout November.

Best Buy

Best Buy remains a bastion of consumer tech, but white goods are prominent in its Black Friday promotions. The No. 4 appliance chain, which trails BrandSource, has been posting weekly sales since mid-October with prices that are guaranteed to be the lowest through Nov. 26. This week’s top offer is a $200 Best Buy gift card free with the purchase of two or more select Samsung kitchen appliances that total at least $2,699. Shoppers can also get a $100 gift card by buying two or more select Samsung laundry models totaling $1,499 or more.

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