Good (Black) Friday

Las Vegas shoppers, retailers ready for festival of deals

Shoppers like Las Vegas resident Sheri Cerel will help keep Black Friday the busiest day of the year for local retailers.

She’s kept her eye out for different retailers’ Black Friday ads to find this year’s best offers.

“I’m looking for a bigger TV,” said Cerel, 60. “This time of the year, you get good deals.”

She’s one of the 116 million Americans who plan to shop on Black Friday this year, according to data from the National Retail Federation.

Last year, Nevada retailers made 154.2 percent more than the national average in daily revenue on Black Friday, according to a report by small-business software company Womply.

A Wallethub survey of 35 retailers showed Black Friday discounts will average 37 percent.

The retailer with the highest average discount in the study, at 68.9 percent, was Belk, which has no local stores. J.C. Penney, which has three Las Vegas Valley locations, was No. 2 with an average discount of 65.1 percent.

Numbers can be deceiving, though.

A Blackfridayhits.com report found that for many products, some retailers increase prices during the run-up to Black Friday and then discount the items to create the illusion of a great deal.

“Buyers should always check price history,” website co-founder Will Asbury said in a statement. Payless Shoesource Dick’s Sporting Goods Macy’s Fred Meyer Shopko