Amazon UK Black Friday Deals Week

Traditionally a US Shopping season, Black Friday will be crossing the pond to the UK courtesy of Amazon who earlier in the month announced that they would be extending their Black Friday Deals to the UK market for the first time.

The sale begins tomorrow November 22nd and will have limited quantity, heavily discounted deals on a variety of products. Some of the deals include over 50% off Sony Blu-ray players and TVs, over 60% off Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Xbox consoles,  and more than 60% off Flip Mino HD Camcorders. The deals will be in the form of “Lightning Deals”, which are essentially time and quantity based deals issued on a one per customer, first come first served basis.

“For many years, shoppers in the US have enjoyed massive savings on great products as a result of the ‘Black Friday’ phenomenon,” said Brian McBride, Managing Director, Amazon.co.uk Ltd.

Black Friday signals the start of the Christmas shopping period in the US and with an estimated $10bn spent in the US in 2009 there is going to be a big fight amongst retailers to secure their share of the market.

Another major online retailer in the US electronics market is Best Buy and as yet it is uncertain whether they will also extend their Black Friday Deals to their UK based operation BestBuy.co.uk but it is certainly worth while keeping an eye on them just in case.

Resource Information

Bookmark this page at Amazon UK to keep up to date with the latest Black Friday Deals.

Best Buy Black Friday Ads Leaked: Facebook Warning

In among the swathes of Black Friday ad leaks some confirmed others not, it seems that Best Buy are playing a hedging game or are they. Earlier in the month it had been reported by several news websites that they will have certain deals available in their Black Friday sales. However they have issued a statement on their facebook page which effectively says the only way to confirm any leaked ad information will be when they release it.

Many will see this as just another Black Friday marketing ploy, which is probably what it is, only the good people in charge of Best Buy will ever likely know. Some of the deals that had been allegedly leaked are -

Games Systems

* The standard white and black Wii bundles will be $169.99 instead of $199.99.
* A 4gb Xbox 360 with Lego Batman, Lego Indiana Jones and Lego Star Wars: Complete Saga will be $199.99.
* A 160gb PS3 with LittleBigPlanet GOTY Edition, ModNation Racers and Cars on Blu-ray will be $299.99.
* The red and green DSi bundles that include Mario Party DS will be $149.99 each.

PS3 and Xbox 360 games. $34.99 each

* EA Sports MMA
* FIFA Soccer 11
* Madden 11
* Medal of Honor
* NCAA Football 11
* NHL 11
* Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
* The Sims 3

The warnings on Facebook are obviously a measure, by Best Buy, to cover themselves and reduce any issues or complaints should their Black Friday Deals change when the day comes.

Until then their official statement as per their Facebook page seems to be -

“Please be advised, until our Black Friday ad is released on one of our official sites, we cannot guarantee the validity of any promotions listed on any other sites. That being said, generally we will feature promotions both online at BestBuy.com and in store. Until our ad is released however, we cannot comment on what will be available or when. “

Black Friday isn’t what it used to be, in more ways than one. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving and often called the busiest day in retail shopping, was a term coined by retailers in the 1960s to refer to the day that they began going from the red to the black in terms of profit. Among department store workers, however, it is has been known as the frantic day that shoppers stampede the stores in search of the best bargains; and until recently, this has been true.

Black Friday has changed in part because of the recession. With the competition for shopping dollars growing fiercer every year, retailers have started building stocks and offering deals earlier in the season. Recently, Walmart has begun laying out Christmas decorations as early as the last week of August in order to get a jump start on the competition. Since stores now spread their holiday sales out over a longer period of time, shoppers no longer feel the need to be in line at a particular store when the doors open.

Other changes in shopping habits have also affected Black Friday. Getting the best buys has traditionally meant doing a lot of homework, including scouring newspapers and flyers for what each store has to offer. The explosion of online “point and click” shopping has changed all this, and made deal finding a less pressured and more leisurely activity.

Black Friday retains its appeal largely as a marketing strategy – a symbolic beginning of the holiday shopping season – and even online retailers like Amazon.com offer bargains Black Friday sales, just to stay in step with the big box stores.

Black Friday Deals Almost All Announced Early

The term Black Friday in reference to post Thanksgiving sales can be traced back to at least 1966. Today Black Friday deals aren’t much of a surprise like they used to be. With a little over a week until the big retail kick-off of the Christmas season, Black Friday ads have already been released or leaked for most major stores.

Electronics remain a big item common among most Black Friday deals. Walmart is offering discounts on DVD players, Blu-ray players, LCD HDTVs and mp3 players. Staples has a 20 inch LCD monitor for under $100, while Office Depot has a laptop with a 250GB hard drive for just under $400. Kmart has a plasma HDTV in the same price range.

Those with a penchant for sports and athletics can find deals at Dick’s Sporting Goods on shoes in the $30-40 range, socks under $10 and jackets for the entire family averaging around $100. In addition to t-shirts and shorts under $10, Old Navy is also giving away copies of a video game called Dance Central for Xbox and Kinect to all customers who make a purchase of at least $25.

Menards will serve up deals on kitchen appliances and toys, Harry and David will offer some gourmet foods in the $20-30 price range, while Macy’s and Kohl’s are offering savings of 10-50% on some items. The key to taking advantage of many of these savings is to shop early. Many retailers plan to open as early as 4am.

Black Friday Sales Begin to Overshadow Thanksgiving

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is once again shaping up to be the biggest shopping day of the year. Big box retailers such as Wal Mart and Target count on Black Friday to make or break their holiday season.

While Black Friday hasn’t overshadowed Thanksgiving yet, every year it becomes more and more of a standalone event.

Stores and malls are almost required to open in the wee hours on Black Friday and some have even resorted to staying open on Thanksgiving. And each year, the “door buster” deals become more and more extreme.

This year’s twist on the shopping holiday comes from retailers who are deliberately leaking their Black Friday shopping circulars to web sites well ahead of the actual day.

Wal Mart traditionally focuses on small appliances for Black Friday and this year is no different. Their “leaked” flier shows a Phillips MP3 player for $29.95 and dozens of DVDs for $1.96.

Target is offering similar deals on small appliances and discounts of up to 50% on some clothing and toys. As an added incentive, Target is giving a $10 gift card for $100 spent at the store.

Exhausted retailer workers gave the name “Black Friday” to the day after Thanksgiving because it was such a busy day. Somehow, the term caught on and is even used by corporate management in official press releases.

A recent survey by BDO USA, LLP found that retailers are expecting a 3.8% sales increase over last year’s Black Friday.

Amazon Starts Black Friday Sales 22nd November and Includes the UK

Amazon today announced the start of their Black Friday run of deals is to start on Monday 22nd November. They join the many big retailers such as Kmart, best buy and many others.

Black Friday is the day that follows Thanksgiving in the USA; with Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November, this year Black Friday will be November 26. It traditionally marks the beginning of Christmas shopping, with shoppers grabbing some great prices on a huge range of products.

The shift in timing is a break from tradition that, many analysts believe is an attempt to buck the recession blues being experienced by retailers over the entire country. Last year in a bold move Sears broke the trend by offering Black Friday deals for the entire month of Thanksgiving and this year will be no different with the stores scheduled to open at 7am on Thanksgiving.

Natalie Norris-Howser, a spokesperson for Sears said, with regard to last years month-long Black Friday Deals, “Not only did our customers want additional time to take advantage of the offers, they also wanted to take advantage and not have to fight the Black Friday traffic and all of the crowds.”

Another surprise move by Amazon is that they will this year offer Black Friday deals to other market places around the world not least of which will be the UK.

“For many years, shoppers in the US have enjoyed massive savings on great products as a result of the ‘Black Friday’ phenomenon,” said Amazon UK boss Brian McBride.

There will be many great deals to be had as the big retailers run up to Christmas and it seems the gloves are coming off early this year in a bid to boost retail sales in, what has been, a tough market for retailers large and small.

Callanish Candles Announces New Website Selling Handmade Candles

Isle of Lewis, Callanish (ClickNews.org) Nov 13, 2010 – Callanish Candles, owned and operated by Calum Macleod, has recently launched their new website www.CallanishCandles.com so that people from around the world can order his Handmade Chunk Candles.

“It’s been a long road to getting the website up and running and finally we are there,” said Calum.

“Over the coming weeks and months we will add more of the Candle range we have in the shop, we wanted to start off slowly so that we can make sure all the functions of the website shop are working and we have our fulfilment systems in place.”

Callanish Candles has a small shop located in the famous village of Callanish or Calanais (Gaelic) on the Isle of Lewis in the Western Isles of Scotland. It is the home of one of the worlds oldest megalithic standing stones.

Calum has created a range of Candles that evoke memories of the scents of the Hebridean Islands. Letting people take home a reminder of their visit to the Islands.

You can now visit the online store at www.CallanishCandles.com to top up on your stock of Handmade Chunk Candles and revisit your “Celtic Scent Experience”.

###

Callanish Candles
31 Callanish
HS2 9DY
Isle of Lewis

tel +441851 621386

http://CallanishCandles.com

Traditionally Black Friday follows thanksgiving weekend and in years past has always been a boon to retailers throughout the US. This years Black Friday should be on November 26, however it seems many online retailers are getting in early as sales and offers begin.

Originating in the 1960′s and peculiar to the east coast, although widely accepted throughout the US, Black Friday is not an official holiday but many take it as an extension to their Thanksgiving Day holidays. This led to retailers taking advantage of the extra footfall and potential customers.

Stores such as Walmart, Best Buy and Amazon are all running special deals and advertising them as Black Friday specials.

It is believed the retailers are trying to avert what many economists predict as a down turn in turnover based on last years poor performance.

Best advice would be to make a list and watch for the bargains and get them as soon as possible. It is very possible that a sale war may break out between retailing giants to ensure that they get as much of the market share as possible.

Yes, the King of Pop is still set to break records even after his sad, untimely death as his “Thriller” costume is set to become the biggest selling Halloween fancy dress costume of all time. Online merchants are reporting a massive increase in hits on the famous red Michael Jackson outfit designed by Deborah Landis, wife of John Landis, which wowed audiences in the infamous 80’s Thriller Video catapulting him into the megastar we know today.

Michael Jackson’s 14 minute masterpiece directed by John Landis and featuring the classic vocal talents of horror film star Vincent Price was not only a landmark in the music pop culture but was itself a record breaker itself selling over 9 million copies.

The previous record for fancy dress costumes was held by the popular Scream outfit after the success of the 1996 horror film. As that particular costume had the advantage of being available in many price ranges it was seen skulking around on every doorstep whereas the “Thriller” costume is generally only available in 2 which gives this record breaking costume even more standing.

The online fancy dress costume merchants are only hoping they have ordered enough to satisfy the demand as the sales begin to increase. It’s been estimated that an incredible 1,000,000 Thriller costumes will be sold this Halloween worldwide so expect a plethora of MJ’s thrilling your doorstep this Halloween and also expect to be invited to a couple of “Thriller” Halloween parties which seem to the favourite Halloween party theme this year.

Brought to you by Halloween Fancy Dress Ideas.

(FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE)

(Click News) August 8th, 2010 – The new Cricut Cake machine has brides making their own wedding cakes. This new do-it- yourself trend has taken the art of cake decorating out of the hands of confectioners and made it easy for the do-it-yourself enthusiast, thanks to the Provo Craft company, the maker of the Cricut.

With push button ease the computerized cake decorating tool can cut
fondant, gum paste and frosting into an endless array of shapes, designs and letters with the help of any Cricut cartridge. Connect
the Cricut Cake to a computer and customize your decorations with the help of the Cricut Design
Studio software.

Coordinate all decorations from the bridal shower, the reception to
finally the wedding cake itself. The homemade trend continues, cut the cost of catering with the die cut machine, designed to be food safe and able to cut eatable material like, cheese, tortillas, modeling chocolate, cookie dough and soft candy.

With the average wedding cake costing $360.00 the brides family will appreciate money saving alternatives. The new Cricut Cake machine can turn your wedding into a special themed celebration, the newly weds and guest will long remember. Plan ahead, allowing plenty of time to complete your DIY project.

The Goji or Wolf berry, as it is also known, is one of many exotic fruits now widely available and touted as a so called “Super Fruit” due to claims of health benefits of Goji including weight loss, vital organ protection and as a preventive for cancer.

This miracle fruit has a long history and origins of use stem back a few hundred years to China and Asia and gains it’s status as a super fruit, a marketing term first coined in 2005, because of it’s inherent nutrient richness and antioxidant properties.

It is believed that the benefits of Goji are derived from the antioxidant properties which help to cleanse the bodies system of toxins many published studies have indicated that these benefits include improved cardiovascular and inflammatory disease protection, vision-related diseases and as an anticancer or improved immunology agent.

The Goji fruit is high in nutrition and is made up of twenty-two dietary minerals, eighteen amino acids, six essential vitamins eight polysaccharides, six monosaccharide and five unsaturated fatty acids when consumed fresh.

Dried berries are rich in calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, vitamin C, riboflavin and selenium. Originally found in China, Goji berry is now exported worldwide for its nutritious benefits and taste in the form of beverage, jam and jelly.

The benefits of Goji berries firmly place it along side Acai,Blueberry, Cranberry, Red Grape, Mango, Pomegranate and Sea Buckthorn in the Super Fruits.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(ClickNews) August 2, 2010-Toronto wedding planner Rachel A Clingen is well known in the Toronto
area but how many have heard of this company in areas like Barrie and
Muskoka Ontario?

Rachel A Clingen will soon be known as a Muskoka wedding planner and a
Barrie wedding planner as she announced her intentions to offer
services in cities and communities north of Toronto.

This is welcome news for for all communities as far as Barrie and
Muskoka who want the professional services and creativity offered by a
well established service provider.

Rachel A Clingen has been offering a full range of services such as
wedding flowers,chair covers, backdrops, centerpieces and wedding
decor for over 18 years and I am sure the communities north of Toronto
will welcome this type of experience with open arms.

Rachel may be a big city Toronto wedding planner but friends, family
and clients know her as a small town girl who chooses to live in the
tiny community of Palgrave.

The company has established an Internet information page for those
looking for a Muskoka wedding planner.

The company will provide services based out of it’s two locations in
Palgrave and Thornhill and offers a free initial consultation. You are
invited to read testimonials and see some of the creativity the company offers by viewing photos on their website located at
www.RachelaClingen.com

Rachel A. Clingen Wedding and Event Design & Decor
17197 Highway 50, Palgrave – (905) 763-7700

or

Rachel A. Clingen Wedding and Event Design
1300 Langstaff Rd, Thornhill – (905) 763-7700

Dragon-Naturally-Speaking-11

Dragon Naturally Speaking, a voice recognition software by Nuance Communications, has just released its next version and this new development boasts improvement in the areas of accuracy and speed, two areas of key importance to users.

Apart from the speed and accuracy developments, there are several other new features and enhancements as well. The new version, Dragon Naturally Speaking 11,  is being said to have accuracy rates as high as 99%, though most reviewers and testers have not been able reach such high results it seems.

The development of the new speech recognition software took about two years, and the previous version has been enjoyed by many users.

The price for the professional edition comes very steeply at a cost of $600, with the home version being more affordable at $100. The updated verision includes social-networking components and boost the conversion rate of voice to text at a rate of three times faster.

According to Peter Mahoney, senior vice president and general manager, “Our goal with Dragon 11 was to make the software not only as accurate as possible, but almost transparent, empowering people to focus on simply letting their ideas flow, straight from their brain to the page.”

Apple has recently announced the introduction of a white iPhone as addition to the iPhone 4 product line. However, there has been many problems with the manufacturing.

Manufacturing problems abounding have been the subject of much discussion for the coming release of the white iPhone. It was initially promised that the white version would be released in late July, but that promise did not make it through.

Rumors have said that the problem lies in a leakage with respect to the phone display, and that light is coming out from the back of the phone. Other rumors have suggested that the delay was something to fix up the imminent antenna defect.

However, other sources have indicated that the problems preventing the introduction of the white iPhone are just about fixed and that shipping availability will be here soon. A number of enthusiastic shoppers have put off their purchase until the coming release. Other fans have decided to go the DIY route and to create white versions for themselves.

Courtesy of Apple

Following last weekends delayed European release of the iPad Steve Jobs, Apple CEO introduced the next generation of the iPhone. The iPhone 4 introduces “, biggest leap since the original iPhone,” said Steve Jobs.

An Apple employee unfortunately had their test iPhone 4 stolen a few weeks ago and it ended up in the hands of an online tech blog who then preceded to review it in detail.

So we already know much of the new technology that the iPhone 4 has. As expected it has a new display and forward facing camera to enable video conferencing.

Along with all the physical improvements come a whole range of software improvements and another stream of apps from developers.

Pricing and Release Information from Apple.

“iPhone 4 comes in either black or white and will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model and $299 (US) for the 32GB model in both Apple and AT&T’s retail and online stores, Best Buy and Wal-Mart stores. iPhone 4 will be available in the US, France, Germany, Japan and the UK on June 24 and customers can pre-order their iPhone 4 beginning Tuesday, June 15 from the Apple Online Store or reserve an iPhone 4 to pick up at an Apple Retail Store. iMovie for iPhone will be available on the App Store for just $4.99 (US)”

Since time immemorial goods have been copied and sold as original. Since the advent of the Internet the world has become a much smaller place and as such the availability of cheap” knock off ” goods has become widespread.

It is popular belief that many such items come from Asian countries where labour and materials are cheap. To a large degree this may be true but it has to be said that the trade would not exist if there were not the demand in the first place.

So who is really to blame? I think it is safe to say we have the age old ” chicken and egg ” scenario. I could go into a whole psychological analysis of social conformity and peer pressure that would go someway to explain this but I’ll spare you on this occasion.

A few things to consider before buying cheap ( potentially fake ) designer handbags.

• Do you really need it so badly that life as you know it will end if you don’t have it.
• Will your conscience be clear knowing that some poor soul in a sweatshop somewhere is paid barely enough to survive just so you can pretend to look good.
• How will you feel when people realise that it isn’t real will they then judge you as a fake too? Is it worth that risk.

Yes there are bargains to be had out there in Internet land and I actively encourage everyone to seek them out and take every step to verify them as much as possible and steer clear of the fake’s for your own benefit.

I would suggest more practical criteria should be applied to your next Cheap handbag purchase. Such as, is it big enough, is it strong enough, will the color match my wardrobe etc..

Shoping is fun and theraputic and all those good things it is after all what most of us work for, to be able to buy nice things to make us happier or make our lives easier but is a name really going to do that.

Due to the current economic situation, sales of repo cars have peaked throughout the US. Thousands of Americans are buying repossessed cars for up to 10% of their market price. Even luxury cars in great conditions are being sold at repo car auctions

The present economic crisis has flooded the market with huge numbers of repo cars for sale. This time, however, widespread access to online resources have allowed regular individuals all over America to learn about and bid at public repossessed car auctions, saving thousands of dollars in the process. Far from being over, this craze is spreading further each day as more Americans discover how to find repossessed cars for sale.

You can find updated lists of repo cars for sale in your area at

http://Repossessed-Cars-for-Sale.IncredibleProducts.info

For those of you who may not know, repo cars are used vehicles whose original buyer was unable to pay back his auto loan, allowing the lien holder to repossess the vehicle. Once the bank or dealer gains possession of the car once again, these vehicles (ranging from sedans to trucks, and from motorcycles to 4X4s) are re-sold at public auctions (generally), in an effort by the bank to make back at least a percentage of their initial investment. Since demand during a recession tends to be weak, the offer for these repo cars tends to be high and banks are in desperate need of cash, rock bottom prices can be reached at some of these repossessed car auctions. “In fact, it’s not at all unusual to find luxury repossessed cars in great conditions being sold for 70%-90% less than their regular price”, tells us Rick Statford, a car dealer from New York. “I can’t believe more people are not aware of this kind of opportunity going under their noses everyday”, he adds.

This is in fact a good point. Repo cars have been around forever, but it has not been until recently that regular people have begun to take advantage of them. How is this possible? Well, the answer is quite simple: internet access. Hundreds of individuals everyday find out about repossessed cars for sale and repo car auctions thanks to the internet, even though most of the times they lack knowledge when it comes to profiting from this information. In fact, locating repo car sales in their local area seems to be the hardest part for most. However, a few online resources have sprung lately which are providing newcomers with updated lists of repo car auctions all over the US, as well the necessary support to make proper use of this information. As a consequence, the market for repossessed cars is still far from reaching its limits.

You can find updated lists of repo cars for sale in your area at

http://Repossessed-Cars-for-Sale.IncredibleProducts.info

HTC Desire

By next week, you will be able to carry HTC Desire, operates on Android operating system. It is coming with a bang at T-mobile network in the markets of UK. Other that  the other mobile network phone operators have not made confirm it that when they will be selling this particular smartphone, but its is expected to be around the month of April. The Desire has already had a wonderful response in the blogosphere of mobile phones. The front of this handset is embellished with touchscreen display of 3.7-inches. Along with the sleek body, the back of the handset consists a camera of 5 mega pixel. This brilliant gadget runs over a Snapdragon processor of 1 GHz.

The Luxury shopping deLuxe card also knows as the New York shopping pass has been created by Conciergerie deLuxe, the New York based concierge service Company serving international high profile clientele.

New York Shopping Pass or Luxury Shopping DeLuxe card: What’s Going on in New York City?

The Luxury shopping deLuxe card also knows as the New York shopping pass has been created by Conciergerie deLuxe, the New York based concierge service Company serving international high profile clientele.

With this ‘must have’ shopping accessory, New York City comers will enjoy celebrity treatment in world-famous stores such as Hugo Boss, Versace, Prada, Donna Karan, Alfred Dunhill, La Perla, and also special advantages in many New York restaurants, New York City spas on Madison Avenue, Fifth Avenue, Meatpacking District and Soho areas of New York.

So, ‘New York shopping passers’ will enjoy more than 134 designers in the Big Apple!

Cardholders will show their New York shopping deLuxe cards while shopping in the partner luxury stores so they will benefit from:
- discounts,
- luxury gifts,
- glass of champagne,
- sparkling water,
- limited editions,
- access to private showrooms,
- invitation to fashion shows, private parties organized in some stores’ lounges.

Advantages are said subject to availability in order to maintain flexibility in this exclusive concept.

Moreover, the luxury shopping deluxe card gives right to discounts, complimentary welcome drinks in more than 20 restaurants, B. Smith, Mc Cormick & Schmick’s for seafood, Centrovinoteca for a nice Italian taste, the unforgettable Philip Marie, the Southern Hostpitality BBQ owned by Justin TIMBERLAKE, the great gobo restaurants, the reputable Planet Thailand 212, to name a few, and the 5 finest spas including La Peau day spa, Rehoboth Spa lounge in New York City.

Vip treatment in luxury stores, restaurants, spas what else would one like to get while staying for few days in the hottest City around the globe?
- Exclusive party sessions in the trendiest nightclubs of New York City, of course!

New York shopping pass arranges also special welcome in the best NYC nightclubs.

The New York luxury shopping deLuxe card is valid thirty days from date of issuance.
Guests staying at 2, 3, 4, 5 star hotels browse the partners list to know exactly which stores, restaurants and spas have partnered with the Luxury shopping deluxe card in order to offer them the best holiday conditions in New York City.

New York shopping passers are pure shoppers, businessmen, family groups coming to New York for few days or extended stays.

The great Madison Avenue, the unbeatable Fifth Avenue, the avant-garde style Meatpacking district, the Soho Chic, reveal their shopping gems in a more friendly sight.