Black Friday stories

19 Stories

Woman Dies in Black Friday Murder-Suicide

Nadia Ezaldein had been critically injured by ex-boyfriend at Nordstrom

(Newser) - Authorities say a woman who was shot by her ex-boyfriend inside a Nordstrom in Chicago before he turned the gun on himself has died. The Cook County medical examiner's office says 22-year-old Nadia Ezaldein was pronounced dead at 3:43pm yesterday. The medical examiner had previously identified the male...

Discounts Are Kind Of ... a Lie
 Discounts Are Kind Of ... a Lie 
Nov 29, 2013 2:54 PM CST

Discounts Are Kind Of ... a Lie

Most items that are 'on sale' were designed to sell at that price

(Newser) - If you couldn't bring yourself to rush out and do battle on Black Friday, no need to feel like you missed out: The discounts you'd be seeing if you were at the mall right now are what the Wall Street Journal calls "retail theater." Stores are...

Even a Shooting Doesn't Stop Black Friday Shoppers

Well, technically Black Thursday...

(Newser) - It's tough to decide which part of this story is worse: the crime or the aftermath. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that a police officer's arm became caught in a Pontiac Sunfire around 10pm last night while chasing after a man who was allegedly part of a Black Friday...

Do Not Buy These 6 Things on Black Friday

24/7 Wall St. lists the worst deals of retail's busiest day

(Newser) - You may be looking to spend less this holiday season—a Gallup poll says buyers will shell out an average $704 on presents, down from $770 last year—so 24/7 Wall St. wants to help you out. In order to get the most bang for your buck this Black Friday,...

California Walmart Opens Hour Early, Things Get Ugly

3 fights ensue, with 2 arrests

(Newser) - It sounded like a reasonable idea in theory: A Walmart in Rialto, California, that was scheduled to open at 8pm on Black Thursday decided to open its doors about an hour early after observing that there were already 3,000 people in line. It didn't go so well. Police...

Sears Owner Defies Thanksgiving Order

The day is for family, she tells head office

(Newser) - If you want to go appliance shopping on Thanksgiving evening, forget about doing it at the Sears Hometown store in Plymouth, New Hampshire. Franchise owner Holly Cassiano says it only took a couple of seconds for her to decide to angrily reject the head office's order to open at...

Even Starbucks Has Black Friday Doorbuster

$65 stainless steel tumbler comes with month's worth of drinks

(Newser) - This Black Friday, Starbucks won't just offer a break from the insanity; it's aiming to become a shopping destination itself. The chain is offering a 16-ounce stainless steel tumbler—filled with a month's worth of drinks—for $65, Consumerist reports. Owners of the tumbler can bring it...

Black Friday: Traffic Up, Sales Down

Thanks to Thursday store openings

(Newser) - There were nearly 308 million store visits on Black Friday this year, a 3.5% increase from last year, but sales were down 1.8% to $11.2 billion, according to a ShopperTrak analysis. Why? Blame stores that actually opened on Thursday night, CNN reports. "While foot traffic did...

The Craziest Black Friday Stories, Videos

Inside this year's throngs, crimes

(Newser) - It's not Black Friday until mob violence has erupted at a Walmart. Some of the craziest stories coming out of the day so far:
  • The Atlantic Wire points to two videos of crazy-looking throngs fighting over cheap cellphones at Walmart, and Mediaite has video of hundreds of young girls
...

Drunk Driver in Search of Walmart Deal Hits 2: Police

45-year-old woman was pinned under SUV in parking lot

(Newser) - Black Thursday shopping proved to be a treacherous affair for a Seattle-area couple, who were hit by an SUV in a Walmart parking lot last night. Police say the 71-year-old behind the wheel was suspected of driving drunk to the store in search of a Black Friday deal. But instead...

Scenes From Black Friday
 Scenes From Black Friday 
Nov 23, 2012 6:30 AM CST

Scenes From Black Friday

Long lines, but no riots ... yet

(Newser) - So far, no reports of waffle-maker-esque madness yet, as hordes of shoppers descended on stores to snap up the best deals of the year. This year, stores such as Target and Toys R Us opened on Thanksgiving evening, while retailers from Macy's to Best Buy opened their doors at...

Target Jumps on Black Thursday Bandwagon

Joins Walmart, among other places, in opening its doors on Thanksgiving

(Newser) - Target is joining the chorus of retailers who want you to shop on Thanksgiving , announcing that it will open its doors at 9pm, up from last year's midnight opening. Tasteless? Not according to a Target VP, who describes the 9pm opening as "a perfect balance." And it...

Walmart's 'Black Friday' to Start 2 Hours Earlier

On Thursday, doors will open at 8pm

(Newser) - Last year Black Friday became Black Midnight . This year, Walmart is instituting Black Thanksgiving Dessert Hour. That's right: The store's doors will open at 8pm on Thanksgiving, a full two hours earlier than they opened last year, reports the Wall Street Journal . And in a bid to ensure...

Scenes From Black Friday: Gunshots, Pepper Spray

... and some shopping, too

(Newser) - The American holiday shopping season has begun in earnest. Early signs point to bigger crowds than last year, but the violence keeps mounting on Black Friday (especially at Walmarts):

Woman Pepper-Sprays Rival Shoppers at Walmart

Twenty people injured in chaos

(Newser) - Pepper spray isn’t just for subduing protesters—it also can help you snag some sweet Black Friday deals. A woman at a Los Angeles-area Walmart sprayed her fellow customers several times last night, in what police deemed an act of “competitive shopping,” the LA Times reports. “...

Retailers Ready Black Friday 'Dogfight' on TV Prices

Get ready for 40% price cuts across the board amid weak demand

(Newser) - Planning to score a new TV on Black Friday? Apparently this is the year to do so, as deals are exploding in what one analyst calls a “dogfight” between top US retailers. Last year, some retailers only slashed prices on high-end TVs. This year, expect to see discounts across...

Stores Turn Black Friday Into Black Midnight

Target, Macy's kicking off holiday shopping season earlier than ever

(Newser) - This year's Black Friday probably won't be the most lucrative for big American retailers—but for some, it will be the longest. For the first time, Macy's and Target are planning to open their doors and kick off the holiday shopping season at midnight on Thanksgiving night,...

Record Numbers Shopped on Black Friday

But they're cautious in their purchases

(Newser) - Don’t look now, but America might be getting its spending groove back. A record 212 million shoppers hit up physical and online stores over the weekend, the Huffington Post reports, an 8.7% jump from last year. Their spending rose, too, to an average $365.34, up 6.4%...

Shopper Cuts Line, Says She'll Shoot Grumblers

Black Friday madness in Madison!

(Newser) - Not a recommended Black Friday shopping strategy: cutting to the front of the line of patiently waiting shoppers ... then threatening to shoot them after they complain. A 21-year-old Wisconsin woman was arrested last night after making just such threats. The incident happened outside a Toys 'R' Us store in Madison...

19 Stories