Like two big, effervescent bubbles rising from the holiday season’s retail fizziness, Black Friday and Cyber Monday have ascended to giddy, champagne heights in the tipsiness that is American consumerism.
Since Amazon.com has virtually replaced the North Pole as the locus of gift-buying consumption, perhaps the two, new, glass, bubble-domes at 6th and Virginia (Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus) are what SNL really meant by “living in the bubble,” and what are symbolic of Seattle’s greater sphere of e-commerce influence.
Where can you find the best deals in and around Seattle climes at the start of the holiday season?
We’ve compiled our annual What’s Brewing Tracker for Black Friday and Cyber Monday by store and/or product category.
Dogs & Cats: Shop around for a new best friend at the Seattle Humane Society on Black Friday and help celebrate the launch of the new Black Dog & Black Cat Clubs!
For one day only, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., the shelter will be waiving adoption fees on all black cats 1 year and older and all black dogs 1 year and older are only $50. Usually, adoption fees range from $25 to $125, depending on age.
The shelter also has several other dogs and cats available for adoption in a variety of colors. Visit the paw-plex at 13212 Southeast Eastgate Way in Bellevue, or click over to the site online.
Macy’s Holiday Parade kicks off the season the day after Thanksgviing with the annual parade at 9:00AM. The parade begins on the corner of 7th Ave. and Pine St., travels west down Pine to 5th Ave., south on 5th to University St., west on University to 4th Ave. and then north on 4th before concluding at the front of Macy’s Department Store at 11 AM.
This event features 25 inflatable floats, local middle and high school marching bands, sports teams and mascots, and nearly 650 costumed characters, community floats and much more.
Seattle Center Winterfest runs November 25 – December 31, 2016. A wonderland of sparkling lights, child-sized diversions and spirited entertainment brightens Seattle Center through the twilight of the year:
- Winter Train & Village. An enchanting turn-of-the-century village and train. Nov. 25 – Dec. 31, 10am – 6pm. Seattle Center Armory.
- Winterfest Ice Scuplting. Award-winning artists create seasonal ice sculptures. Saturdays: Nov. 26; Dec. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31. 12 noon – 2pm. Outside Fisher Pavilion.
- Winterfest Student Showcases and Artistic Performances. Nov. 30 – Dec. 24, various times (see schedule). Armory.
- Find a list of Seattle Center Armory food vendors, their menus and prices HERE.
- Winterfest Ice Rink: $8 Adult or $6 Child, includes skate rental. Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard.
The Holiday Carousel revolves in Westlake Park. Bring the entire family to experience the illuminated whirling and twirling tradition of this special carousel presented by IKEA and KING5. $3 suggested donation per ride. benefits Treehouse, which supports foster kids in King County. The carousel is open the day after Thanksgiving and runs through New Year’s Day. Hours: Sunday-Thursday: 11am – 8pm, Friday-Saturday: 11am – 9pm.
Downtown Seattle annual tree lighting and Macy’s star lighting at Westlake Park in Seattle. Friday after Thanksgiving Day. 4:30-5:30pm. Westlake Center Plaza, 400 Pine Street, Seattle, WA 98101.
Seattle Premium Outlets stores in Tulalip and North Bend are open Thanksgiving Day and hold their biggest sale of the year. Enjoy exceptional holiday savings and extended shopping hours through the weekend.
Westlake Park Holiday Craft Market. November 25 – December 23. 11 a.m.–7 p.m. (closes 4pm Christmas Eve). Twelve huts housing 24 local artisans offering hand-crafted gifts.
Filson Sporting Goods in the SODO neighborhood, on 4th Avenue just south of the stadiums. Renowned products made in the USA from fabrics such as heavyweight Tin Cloth and warm Mackinaw Wool, Filson stands for durable outdoor and work apparel and accessories tailored to any budget. All are available for timely holiday delivery, and, like all Filson products, all of them are guaranteed for life. Free Ground Shipping on every order.
Seattle Goodwill Thrift Stores have a 50% off sale Black Friday (plus discounts through the weekend), featuring unique second-hand goods at over 20 locations throughout the Puget Sound region.
Thanks to GreaterSeattleontheCheap.com for several of the above BFFs — Black Friday “Finds!”
Top Tech Deals
Here’s what is popping up on our Tech Radar or this weekend:
The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 typically retails at Best Buy for $1,000. On Black Friday, though, it’ll be available for $600.
Best Buy is discounting the 13-inch MacBook Air and 21.5-inch iMac by $200, bringing their prices down to $800 and $900, respectively. Best Buy is selling the iPhone 7 with a $250 gift card.
Walmart is offering a $0 down on any iPhone or Samsung smartphone purchased through the AT&T Next or Verizon Device Payment programs. Customers will also get a $250 Walmart gift card. Walmart will sell the iPhone 5s for just $99, a $50 savings on its regular price.
Looking for a 4K TV on the cheap? Walmart will offer a 50-inch Samsung 4K TV for $398, a $230 discount on its sticker price.
A 55-inch curved Samsung 4K TV will be on sale for $698 at Target. The television typically goes for $1,100. Target will also offer a $70 gift card with purchase.
Best Buy is discounting an LG 4K TV by $400, bringing its price down to $600.
Those looking for a higher-end television can get a Sony 65-inch 4K TV for $1,400, a $400 discount off its regular retail price.
How Do Online and Offline Shopping deals Compare?
Coupons.com, the largest coupon site on the web and an industry leader in consumer trends, has compiled its 2016 Do’s and Don’ts of the season, which includes the pros and cons of shopping in-store vs. online, the buy vs. wait list, as well as other tips and tricks for maximizing savings.
The Coupons.com site tell us that Seattle’s biggest shopping day of the year so far, (as measured by use of coupons we imagine, was 9/5 aka Labor Day! Another Seattle trend is that the biggest shopping day of the week appears to be Saturday, when more people are out looking for offers and deals. This could be an inkling that the Saturday between Black Friday and Cyber Monday will be a crowded shopping day.
Things to buy during Black Friday/Cyber Monday: clothing/accessories, appliances, Amazon branded products, secondary electronics brands (e.g. Haier, Asus), older generations of popular products (e.g. iPad, Apple Watch), and gaming console bundles.
Things to wait for: holiday decorations (better deals after the holidays), furniture & bedding (better sales during White Sale in January), toys (better deals after the holidays).
The most popular toys this year? Shopkins, Pokémon, American Girl, Legos Star Wars, Descendants, Trolls. Nintendo and Trolls? Does it feel like the year of the “throwback?”
Coupons.com expects retailers to give away gift cards or “store cash” in addition to the discount. This is a trend that we have seen all year. However, during BF/CM, we expect retailers to bump up the gift card value. It’s a win-win for consumer and retailer: great perception of value at a low cost to retailer.
Your best bet to maximize savings is to: 1) buy discounted gift card on eBay 2) look for items from the retailer (more common in-store than online) that offers bundling AND/OR products that are on sale 3) use a coupon code or in-store coupon on the entire purchase. [24×7]
