Hudson Valley Stores With Deepest Black Friday Discounts

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Even if bargain hunters dedicate the entire day after Thanksgiving to holiday shopping, it is impossible to visit every shop for Black Friday deals, but a just released study has the inside scoop on where the deepest discounts can be found in our region.

The WalletHub "2021 Best Places to Shop on Black Friday" retailer survey yields some surprising and not so surprising results about when and where the best deals can be found. It seems getting to the mall at the crack of dawn isn't as effective a strategy as it used to be. Black Friday has become less of a focus for retailers. Now, knowing where the biggest holiday discounts can be found is more important than ever, according to those in the know.

The best way to win Black Friday might just be by avoiding the stores altogether.

"Let me start by saying the best place to find deals is at home," WalletHub expert John L. Stanton said. "While others are scrambling between stores looking for bargains, you can be sitting in your pajamas doing virtually the same thing. To paraphrase an old adage. 'Let your fingers do the shopping.' I recommend making a list of what you are looking for or want; search a variety of sites and do not just search the 'go-to' sites like Amazon."

For those who still plan to load the family into the car and hit the mall, the report has narrowed down the stores with the very best Black Friday sales. The survey accounted for stores claiming deep discounts on items that have seen pre-holiday price increases to make the deal appear better than it really is.

In the Hudson Valley, Macy's and JCPenney are among the best outlets to save money on Black Friday. Macy's is the surprise leader when it comes to the best discounts for computers and phones, while Office Max and Office Depot offer the biggest discounts on furniture.

In order to determine the retailers offering the most money-saving bargains this coming Black Friday, WalletHub surveyed roughly 5,000 deals from 21 of the biggest retailers’ 2021 Black Friday ad scans. The authors then calculated the average discount each retailer offered. The average discount was weighted based on the pre-discounted price of the item in order to give more credit to the retailers discounting higher-ticket items.

The full WalletHub report on this year's Black Friday discounts can be found here.