As Thanksgiving inches closer and families ready to enjoy the holiday with turkey, football and fun, diehard shoppers are preparing to stake their claims to the best deals money can buy during Black Friday sales.
Although Black Friday deals are now typically offered on Thanksgiving and before, interrupting festivities for some, the event still carries the Friday lure, as some get a thrill out of beating the crowd to their desired items during the rush.
The National Retail Federation expects total retail sales for the 2015 holiday season to reach $630.5 billion, up 3.7 percent from the almost $608 billion spent in 2014.
Some of the retailers that offer the best deals can be found in town, so you don’t have to travel over the hump to cash in on the deals yourself.
WalletHub, a social media network that helps its users make financial decisions, released its list of the best and worst retailers for Black Friday shopping.
Here is a list of stores that can be found in town:
Sears: Coming in at No. 11 on the list, Sears offers its customers an average discount of 41.7 percent off their normal pricing. The Sears Hometown Store, located at 1360 E. Highway 372, isn’t the full version of the company’s popular stores, but it could be your place to score a deal on the appliance you’ve been needing or those tools you’ve been wanting at a lower price.
You don’t have to wait until Friday to enjoy Black Friday prices, as Sears will have a three-hour block on Wednesday where customers can take advantage of the deals early by donating $5 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation at the door. On Thanksgiving Day the store will be open from 6 p.m. until 11 p.m. and Friday from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. For more information call Sears Hometown Store at 775-751-1557.
CVS Pharmacy: With their average discount of 37.8 percent, the drugstore CVS Pharmacy placed No. 14 on the list. The local store is located at 100 S. Highway 160 and shoppers will have three days to capitalize on its deals. They can save on toys with buy one get one free deals, cosmetics with buy two get one free, food and candy deals, and more. For hours and more information call CVS Pharmacy at 775-727-5566.
Home Depot: The home improvement giant Home Depot will save consumers an average discount of 31.4 percent on Black Friday, good enough to land them at the No. 21 spot on the list. Big savings on home items like refrigerators, stoves and dishwashers.
Walmart: The big name store already known for its cheap prices, Walmart, will slash prices even further, accounting for an average discount of 30.1 percent, landing them at the No. 23 spot on the list. The local Walmart, located at 300 S. Highway 160 will open its doors Thanksgiving evening at 6 p.m. and will feature special buys such as a 50″ HDTV for $269, a Samsung Galaxy Tab for $79. For more information call Walmart at 775-537-1400.
Walgreens: Once known for being one of the only big name stores open on holidays, Walgreens is now just part of the group open and offering deals to consumers. With an average discount of 28.7 percent, Walgreens, located at 770 S. Highway 160, rounds out the list of local big name stores at No. 26. The deals will include 40 percent off children’s toys priced $14.99 and more, buy one get one free ‘As Seen on TV’ products, 50 percent off fragrance sets and more. To take advantage of Walgreens deals, you must have one of the retailer’s Walgreens cards. For hours and information call Walgreens at 775-751-8399.
If you don’t see the deal that you want in one of the stores in town, consumers can travel to Las Vegas to take advantage of other retailers that made the list of Best Black Friday Deals.
Several of the top 10 stores on the list can be found over the hump, including the department store that topped the list at No.1, JC Penney, which offers an average discount of 68 percent. No. 2 on the list, Kohl’s, averages a 66.7 percent discount, while Macy’s, who ranked No. 5, has an average discount of 56 percent and rounding out the top 10 is Office Depot and OfficeMax, who have an average discount of 42.8 percent.
Contact reporter Mick Akers at makers@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @mickakers