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How Good Are Walmart’s Black Friday TV Deals?
If getting a great TV deal is your remedy for a turkey-and-mashed-potatoes hangover, then you’re undoubtedly a fan of Black Friday shopping. And for the last several years, Walmart’s Black Friday sales have been something of a bellwether for how good the holiday deals are going to be. This year, based on the circulars we’ve seen, the sales look good but haven’t blown us away.
Still, there are a few deals that grabbed our attention, among them a 70-inch Vizio smart TV for less than $900. Other noteworthy deals range from a 32-inch Roku smart TV for $125, to a 55-inch Samsung 4K UHD curved-screen smart TV for under $1,000.
But if you’re one of those shoppers who prefers to let their fingers do the walking, there’s some good news: Walmart execs say that about 96 percent of its Black Friday deals will be available in stores and online.
Just like last year, Walmart’s in-store sales start at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. Online shoppers, though, can get a jump, as Black Fridays sales kick off at walmart.com at 12:01 a.m. PT Thanksgiving morning.
This year, Walmart’s mobile users got a first look at the Black Friday circular, which posted via the app right after midnight. With about 75 percent of the walmart.com traffic this holiday season expected to come from mobile devices, Walmart has updated its app with ratings, reviews, buying guides, and tutorials, as well maps that show the locations of hot products in your local store. You can also view the maps, which launch Nov. 17, via the website.
Walmart is again offering a mobile check-in service that lets you buy online and pick up your items in the store. This year tracking will alert the store when you’re nearby and push out an alert asking if you’re ready to pick it up so there’s less waiting. You can also use the retailer’s mobile app to scan items in-store and add them to a wish list or search the wish lists of family members and friends to find gift ideas. If you purchase an item, you can scan the receipt and it will be removed from the wish list.
Top Black Friday Deals
Walmart says it will have special deals on 10 TVs this season. In most instances, we weren’t able to tell the exact model, but we’ll be updating this story with model numbers and comparative prices when they become available, so keep checking back.
Here are a few of the TV deals:
- A 70-inch Vizio smart TV for just $898. We think it’s the Vizio E70-C3, which normally sells for about $1,200. We tested this set, and it’s in our TV Ratings, which are available to subscribers.
- A 55-inch Hisense smart TV for $448. We’re not sure of the model but it could be the 55H6SG.
- A 55-inch Samsung UHD smart TV with a curved screen for $998. Samsung has a lot of derivative models for Black Friday, so how good a deal it is will depend on the exact model.
- A 50-inch 1080p TV for $269, no brand listed.
- A 40-inch 1080p TV for $149. Both this set and the 50-inch model aren’t named, but they could be Emerson TVs, which Walmart sells. The specific brand could vary by store.
- A 32-inch TCL Roku smart TV for $125. We think it’s the TCL 32S3700, a 720p model that sells for about $180 at Amazon. This set is in our full TV Ratings.
Online Specials
Walmart will also offer online specials that kick off on Thanksgiving Day, so there’s no reason to leave the comfort of your couch. These deals include:
- A 60-inch Samsung UHD TV for $900, a claimed $800 savings, but we’re not yet sure of the exact model.
- A 7-inch RCA tablet with 16GB of memory and keyboard for $50. Walmart currently sells one, in several colors, for $60.
- A Dell Intel i3 laptop with a 15.6-inch screen for $279. This item is about $320 now at Walmart.
- A Star Wars stereo gaming headset for $29.
Same Guarantee, But Fewer Items
Once again Walmart will provide a one-hour guarantee program on certain items, although this year it’s only for five products, down from nine last year. So if you’re in one of the designated areas of the store from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thanksgiving, you’re guaranteed to either get the item that night, or it’ll be shipped to your local store so you can pick it up before Christmas. The five guaranteed items this year are:
- An iPad Air 2 Gold (16GB, Wi-Fi) for $399. That’s $100 less than what it’s selling for in the Apple store, but the same price that Best Buy has now.
- Beats Studio headphones for $169. If we have the model correct, this usually sells for $200 to $250.
- A 55-inch LG UHD smart TV for $698. Best Buy will have a 49-inch set for $500, so this seems comparable in a bigger size.
- An Xbox One 500GB Gears of War bundle, plus a $30 Walmart gift card, for $299. Target will have the same price, but you get a $60 Target gift card.
- And a 15-inch HP touch-screen laptop for $249. This is reportedly a special deal.
During a conference call with the press yesterday, Walmart executives said that they were once again buying additional merchandise to ensure that more customers will actually be able to purchase the advertised items. Wristbands also will again be issued for the most in-demand products so you’ll know if an item has sold out. Wristbands are to be distributed while supplies last, so you can shop for other items and claim products later, as long as it’s within the prescribed time limit. And the retailer will match online prices and those that qualify for its Ad Match Guarantee, so save your receipts.
We’re keeping track of many of the top Black Friday TV sales, so keep checking back for news on where to find the best bargains. In the meantime, take a look at our Top 10 Black Friday Shopping Tips.
Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.
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