Tempting online deals
Retailers offering deep discounts on a wide variety of goods
Contrary to what the throngs of frantic shoppers may tell you, finding first-rate deals on Black Friday doesn’t actually require a trip to the mall or a big-box complex.
Enticing deals can almost always be found online and the range of sales is growing increasingly diverse. Retailers of all kinds are getting in on the action, offering consumers discounts on everything from eyeglasses to hand-knit toques to refurbished electronics.
Avoid long lines and mad dashes with these less obvious, online Black Friday shopping destinations. eBay Ebay is no longer just for online auctions; more than 80 per cent of its items are new, and close to 90 per cent are listed at a fixed price, rather than won in bids.
During Black Friday and Cyber Week, shoppers will find discounts of up to 75 per cent, with most markeddown items being brand new.
Some of the most hotly anticipated deals for this year: an LG 49-inch UHD Smart LED TV, and 13.3-inch Apple MacBook Air.
There are also discounted manufacturer-refurbished items, too, such as Dell laptops and Dyson vacuums. They come with warranties, and eBay says huge savings can be found. ebay.ca Etsy The popular peer-to-peer marketplace for vintage and handmade goods will participate in Black Friday for the first time.
This inaugural Cyber Week sale will see Etsy sellers from all categories offering their items at a discount of anywhere from 10 per cent to 60 per cent.
There are more than 45 million unique items listed on Etsy; take advantage of the rare sale by picking up handmade gifts. etsy.com Skillshare Skillshare, an online learning platform, is like 17,000 gifts in one. It offers online, video-based classes on everything from photography to online marketing to project management to watercolour painting.
An annual membership unlocks access to all of the site’s classes.
Take advantage of Skillshare’s Black Friday weekend sale, by picking up a membership for $79.20 (that’s 40 per cent off ). skillshare.com Inkbox How about a tattoo without the commitment? Canadian company Inkbox, maker of the world’s first semipermanent tattoo, is offering 30 per cent off its 400-plus designs. The tattoos look like the real deal, but they’re applied easily at home and last between eight and 18 days.
The ink comes from the pulp of a fruit found in the jungles of Central America, where tribes have used it for skin ornamentation for years. inkbox.com Amazon The e-commerce giant has been counting down to Black Friday for weeks now, offering early bird deals on everything from boots to cameras. The deals will be bigger and better come Black Friday. Watch for discounts of up to 58 per cent on goods, such as Black & Decker and Bosch tools, Acer and HP notebooks, NERF and Hasbro games, and PC gaming computers and accessories. amazon.ca Staples You’ll find more than printers and filing cabinets at Staples. The office supply retailer is a bona fide destination for electronics, photo products and all sorts of home and lifestyle goods.
Check out Staples.ca come Black Friday to see what kind of deals will be on offer; sales from previous years have included slashed prices on ex- ternal hard drives, laptops and cameras, and gift card bonuses. staples.ca BonLook If you’ve been holding off on picking out a new pair of eyeglasses, BonLook’s Black Friday sale may be the push you need. The online eyewear retailer will be offering up to 50 per cent off on selected styles, including Chelsea (in Gold Tortoise), Amaze (in Champagne) and Airy (in Rose Marble). Want to try them on first? BonLook has bricks-and-mortar locations, including Toronto, Hamilton and Montreal. bonlook.com Blacks Save on customized gifts with Blacks’ online Black Friday special. The site will be offering some of its best deals of the year, including 40 per cent off photo calendars, mugs and canvas and acrylic prints. blacks.ca Flight Centre In 2016, Flight Centre rounded up the best vacation deals from partners such as Norwegian Cruise Line and Intrepid Group, then threw in its own extra savings on top for a hard-to-beat savings bundle. This year, it’s promising another round of discounted travel opportunities.