Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Walmart has a few holiday deals of its own. Who will win the Black Friday shopping wars?
Amazon is not content to have higher-than-average sales from Black Friday through Cyber Monday. It wants to cash in on the eagerness of holiday shoppers by offering thousands of deals. Starting this Friday, November 22,
Amazon’s Black Friday deals week begins with more “deals of the day” and bigger discounts on including everything from kids’ toys and electronics to fashion and kitchen products. The deals will continue through Black Friday, November 29.
“Whether customers are getting a head start on their gift lists, readying their homes for family festivities or grocery shopping for holiday feasts, Amazon makes the holidays easier than ever with top deals and low prices. In fact, according to a recent Profitero study, Amazon prices were found to be 20% cheaper on average than other online retailers,” said Amazon in its November 18 announcement.
In addition to the daily deals, Amazon will offer select one-time only deals from top-tier and most-loved brands with “jaw-dropping prices” on November 28 (Thanksgiving), November 29 (Black Friday) and December 2 (Cyber Monday). Amazon said these deals are expected to sell out, so customers should watch for them online or in the Amazon shopping app.
Here is just a sampling of the Black Friday deals preview Amazon offered:
- Echo Dot is available for $22, a savings of $27.99.
- Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote is half price at $19.99.
- Fire 7 tablet is available for $29.99, a $20 savings.
- 50% off men’s and women’s clothing from Amazon Brands, Amazon Essentials, Goodthreads, Daily Ritual and The Drop
- 30% off Amazon Basics including bedding and bath, office furniture and supplies, phone accessories, kitchen electrics and housewares and luggage and travel items
- 50% off Oakley and Ray-Ban sunglasses
- 50% on top watch brands including Daniel Wellington and Movado
- Discounts on Samsung, Sony and LG televisions; Xbox One; Kodak and Polaroid photo printers; Garmin smart watches; Instant Pot; Ashley mattresses; Nespresso; and Bose and Sony headphones
- 30% off Barbie, Hot Wheels and other Mattel toys
- Smart home products like Chamberlain MyQ Garage Hub, iRobot Roomba 960 and 675, Netgear WiFi and routers
Amazon subscription services are also included in the savings.
- New Audible members who sign up November 25 to 27 will receive a $15 Amazon gift card as a bonus and will save 53% on the first three-months of membership at $6.95 a month.
- For a limited time, Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers can get four months of the premium music subscription service for $0.99.
- With the purchase of certain Echo devices, new Amazon Music Unlimited customers in the U.S., U.K., Germany and Japan will get four months free.
- Prime Video customers will save 50% off rentals or movie purchases on new releases between November 29 and December 5.
- New subscribers can get three months of Kindle Unlimited for free.
Amazon hopes to make holiday shopping easier – and faster – with free delivery on more than 100 million items. Prime members in the U.S. can get Prime Free One-Day Delivery on more than 10 million items and Same-Day Delivery on millions of items in 46 major metro areas. Customers also have the option of picking up their purchases at Amazon Hubs or at an Amazon locker. Not a member? Amazon is offering a free 30-day trial.
Amazon is always trying to outdo itself – whether it is beating its Prime Day, Black Friday or Cyber Monday records. They aren’t competing against just themselves though. They are also competing with other large retailers including Walmart, who launched its Early Deals Drop on October 25 to help shoppers get their holiday shopping done earlier.
“Customers count on Walmart for the best prices every day, and the holiday season is no exception. Our price leadership is strong, and growing, and we’re excited to deliver savings for all of our holiday shoppers,”
said Steve Bratspies, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer, Walmart U.S.
The popular U.S. retailer revealed additional ways to save – including Black Friday shopping – last week. At 6 p.m. on November 28 (Thanksgiving), Walmart stores will open for Black Friday shopping. Shoppers who don’t want to wait can take advantage of Black Friday sales at Walmart.com at 10 p.m. EST on Wednesday, November 27. They’ve also created a Black Friday Store map for their app to make shopping easier. In addition, Walmart is offering “Buy Now” deals already to pass along big savings on electronics, toys, vacuums and more. Oh, and there is a pre-Black Friday event online starting at midnight on Friday, November 22.
Insider Take:
Amazon and Walmart have been competing for years with online sales, memberships, shipping times, groceries and more. This year, Walmart is trying even harder to beat Amazon at its own game. Each retailer has its own advantages and disadvantages. Shoppers may choose to go with their favorite retailer, or try both, depending on where they get the best deal. Despite Walmart’s deals, Amazon still seems to have the biggest group of offerings, and membership definitely has its privileges on the company’s subscription products. Who do you think will win the Black Friday shopping wars?
Dana Neuts is Subscription Insider's Senior Staff Writer, covering our daily subscription news as well as member features, case studies, and reports.
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