This Year’s Best and Worst Black Friday Deals

Know where to go to maximize your shopping holiday.

Tired-shopper

Black Friday is right around the corner – where are you shopping? | Shutterstock.

Sometimes it’s hard to know whether the deal you’re getting on Black Friday is the best one out there. Between Thanksgiving meal preparations, grubbing, getting together with old friends, and navigating awkward family conversations, who has time to scan every single Black Friday ad flyer for the best deals?

Enter: WalletHub, a consumer social media company that basically did all the work for you. They consulted this year’s Black Friday ads (over 8,000, actually) from the 30 biggest US retailers, and came up with a definitive ranking of the best stores to shop this year. Here’s what to buy where, and what to avoid at all costs.

Among the best retailers for Black Friday are household names like JCPenny, Kohl’s, Groupon, Macy’s, Kmart, and Office Depot. The store with the greatest average savings throughout for the holiday is JCPenny, clocking in at a 68 (!) percent discount rate overall.

This Friday, scoop up that watch or necklace you’ve had your eye on – jewelry is the most discounted category this year, with an average savings of 73 percent. Don’t get too excited in other areas, though. Computers and phones are only marked down at an average of 31 percent, the lowest savings of any product category.

Of the 30 retailers surveyed, Costco comes in last place, with the worst Black Friday “deals.” The megastore has an overall discount rate of just 20 percent on their items, so be advised to spend your precious time (and money) elsewhere.

Before you hit the store aisles this year, remember: The magic number for Black Friday deals is a discount of 40 percent. That’s the average markdown overall for the holiday, and you should aim for 40 off or more to make sure you’re actually getting a Black Friday deal.

Be safe, be vigilant, and get out there, shoppers.