Black Friday 2010
Is it worth it? That’s a great question. Black Friday is a competition for some people. They get a rush out of getting up hours before dawn, loading up on caffeine and crashing the doors of their local mall to try and find what they hope will be the best deals of the season. And we’ll have an open thread for you guys to post your black Friday observations coming up on that very day.
I’ve done the Black Friday thing twice. Neither time would I say it was worth it. The lines were too long, and the selection in store was too picked over. But who knows how it’ll go this year. The Black Friday 2010 promotions that have leaked up to this point are so-so at best. Here’s a few that could be worth your attention.
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Tommy Hilfiger: 40% off entire store – Shawl Cardigan $47.40 | 25th Anniv. Watch $69
This year has marked Tommy Hilfiger’s 25th anniversary and the brand has stepped it up big time. The new arrivals just look different. Still plenty of nostalgia worked in, but they’re not as boring as the plain stuff you see at Macy’s. The Sweater usually runs $79 and the watch $115. Both are pretty tempting with the Black Friday discount.
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Old Navy: 50% off all outerwear – Wool mix Herringbone $25 | Wool Mix Topcoat $39.75
The key to this one is whether or not their blazers will be considered outerwear. Seems like we all got a preview of a 1/2 of blazer sale earlier in the week when their wool mix herringbone was found in stores for $25. Still haven’t seen their Wool Mix Topcoat in person (I’ve checked something like four times) but at $39.75, that’s pretty low risk for a plain black cold weather coat. Old Navy on Black Friday will be a madhouse. If you don’t want to fight through an army of Moms and their charming snot nosed kids, might be worth it to pay shipping.
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Macy’s: Various Specials throughout the store – Click here for the preview
Macy’s has already posted a preview of their Black Friday specials online with an interactive feature allowing you to make a shopping list via Macys.com. The problem is, none of their specials are really all that appealing. You will get free shipping on orders over $99 with the code GOBBLE. So if you know your sizes and are ready to make a bigger purchase, skip the crush of people and order online come Friday.
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Express: 40% off everything BEFORE Noon – Flannel Suit Jacket & Pant – $155.70
Paying full retail at Express isn’t the best idea since they’re always running sales and offering up coupon codes to their mailing list members. But usually they limit their discounts to around 25 – 30%. And even then they make you hit certain price points to see the savings. So a blanket 40% off is truly a solid deal. Their peak lapel “flannel” suit (haven’t felt the fabric in person yet) has been reduced by 25% already to a total of $259.50. If that current discount sticks until black Friday, you could get this thing for $150. Not bad when you consider the regular price is $346.
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Banana Republic: NONE – They’re boycotting the day
UPDATE: Looks like Banana Republic, GAP, and Old Navy are “celebrating” Cyber Monday one week early with 40% off everything online. Here’s a screenshot, and the code you need is MONDAY40
UPDATE II: Some of the MONDAY40 codes are working, some are not. Maybe you have to be on their email list? If you just go direct to BananaRerpublic.com it says 25% off. Sneaky.
UPDATE III: Tis the season for… confusion? Thanks to Russell and Frank for mentioning in the comments section that some Banana Republic stores are doing a 40% off before Noon on Black Friday. Maybe the Chicago Tribune is misinformed, or B.R.’s publicity department wanted a little extra pub for an after Black Friday sale…
That’s right, Old Navy and Gap’s big brother is boycotting Black Friday and will be offering no Black Friday specials. Their theory (and it’s a good one) is their target demos don’t do a lot of Black Friday shopping because they don’t want to fight the crowds. So how will they capitalize on the day? By holding a “Not Black Friday” sale the Friday after on December 3rd. Watch for some picks on that day.
That’s really all the early stuff that’s worthwhile. Got any leads or seen any leaks? Post them in the comments section below. Also know that we’re working on lining up a Black Friday promotion of our own to help you stay warm and get suited up this winter. More on that (if it happens) on Friday.
any idea what timezone macy’s, old navy etc online stores follow?
SWISH!!! nice finds! Def gonig to ON and getting the cord and the tweed blazers…i need to pick up a tattershall button down, so its looking like Macy’s is the spot…From experience, H&M have excellent sales on BF…
P.S Banana is lame for that one…
hey, does anyone own the ON cord blazer? How big are the wales on them, looking at them online and the cords seem large.
I know someone who works at Banana Republic and she said they will be running a 40% off entire store promotion including current sale items.
@Tyler: You mean they’ll be doing 40% off on Black Friday, or the following day? Looks like they’re doing a serious promotion today. 40% off BR, Gap, Old Navy with the code MONDAY40. Online only. Post has been updated above.
Note that gap stores now have free shipping for a $50+ purchase. You can mix and match across all gap brands to get to the magic number. Also of course you can buy something extra to get to $50 then return it to a brick and mortar location. This might make sense for some.
Instead of going for the ON blazer, check out the Tweed Herringbone Blazer from 21Men for only $42.
Pros:
High armholes, thin lapels (thinner than you would think from the picture), inexpensive, overall better construction than the ON.
Cons:
93% poly, 7% wool. A bit too much padding for my taste (but I still bought it).
Looks like the MONDAY promo codes vary. The MONDAY40 for instance says it is for “select customers only” when I attempt to use it.
I work at Banana Republic, part-time, and they are doing 40% off on Black Friday until noon.
I’m not entirely sure it’s going to apply to all BR stores, buy my BR is doing 40% off before Noon and 25-30% off after Noon. It’s not really a secret (We tell customers in the store everyday) and I’m not sure why they aren’t advertising it.
I had the same problem as John when trying to order a suit from BR this morning. I looked through the fine print, and it seemed like my order should have qualified for 40% off. Anyone else having this problem?
@Joe: btw, I love your site! I come here almost everyday.
@Sage: Thanks! Sorry there’s some confusion on this code. Seems like you have to click through via an email that gets sent to at the worst, Banana Republic/Old Navy/Gap card members. At the best, maybe it gets sent just to their email blast list. I’m a cardmember. Anyone just getting their emails? What’s the deal worth to you guys? If not today, looks like there’s gonna be a 40% off deal on Black Friday after all (see the comments above)
J.Crew has 25% off online or in-store with code Turkey with orders of $150+.
Forgot to mention that it ends on Sunday.
@ MickeyO, does the fit of the jacket on you look like the model? I am not really a big fan of the short jacket…Its either they put the smallest size on the model or those things are hideous…How does it look on you…and measuremnets and height of self are appreciated…Thanks
@HM, I’m short (5’6-7) so I look for shorter coats when possible. The model still definitely looks to be wearing a smaller one. They’re not that short, but they do run slim. Plus, that model looks like a jack ass and would make anything look like Mugatu’s Derelicte collection.
Jacket is nice, but try finding a Forever21/ 21Men near you to try it on first.
@MickyO, thanks man, i completely agree with the model statement! LOL…I will give it a go and go my worst enemy (the mall) to try on. I like the brown one alot. Prolly will wait til friday to buy though…Thanks for the response
Hey Joe,
Both of the Old Navy pieces I now own. The top coat is awesome. The surgeon cuffs are the best and the fit is spot on. I just picked the blazer up this weekend and I will give it a run over the Turkeyday holiday weekend.
@HM I just returned the Old Navy cord blazer because it was too big on me. But the cords are pretty normal, they definitely aren’t small.
MONDAY40AB works at Gap/BR/ON right now but they might kill that one in the future too. Slickdeals, of course, has the latest.
The Old Navy jacket is nice. I have had mine for 6 or 7 years now. The only issue was replacing a button a couple years ago. Other than that it is warm and comfortable.
@Pepe thanks for the heads up
Derek you rock! I just ordered some of those Clarks low tops for $50. we’ll see how they work out
Damn the BR charcoal merino V Neck disappeared out of my shopping cart… so I ordered the Gap. Hope it’s the same quality.
Just a heads up, I got the Express holiday coupons in the mail today, including the 40% off Thanksgiving Day and Friday before noon coupons. The back of the coupon explicitly states “Not valid on clearance merchandise, previous purchases or in conjunction with any other offers or coupons.” I’m not 100% sure but that sounds to me like the 40% off coupons wouldn’t stack with already discounted merchandise (e.g. if something was 25% off and you used the 40% off coupon, you’d get it for 40% off, not 25% off and then 40% off that). Best of luck on combining it though!
Those Alfani fitted dress shirts are already on sale at Macy’s at 19.99. Ends Sat.
The Express coupons I got say only 30% for Thanksgiving and black friday.
I got an email this morning that Express’s 40% Black Friday discount has started. The flannel suit has returned to full price, so it’s not 40% on top of 25%, and the size selection has diminished drastically since I checked yesterday (some sizes are still displayed but either won’t get added to your cart or will show a message that none are available). Oh well, at least I got my Earthkeepers last week.
At Express when I put stuff in my shopping cart and check-out, everything is full-price…it’s not taking the 40% discount at all!
I don’t get the reasoning for Banana Republic. Maybe that article was just guessing. We have a faux-Rodeo Dr. here with high-end stores (Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Saks Fifth Avenue, Brooks Brothers, Cole Hann, Banana Republic, etc) and it was packed to the gills on Black Friday.