When a company with super-hot products like Apple announces a Black Friday sale, consumers sit up and notice. But here's the dirty little secret that Apple doesn't want you to know: You can buy Apple products cheaper if you buy them just about anywhere else.
Apple has run these Black Friday sales for the last few years, and their discounts are always relatively modest. This year, the sale prices include $31 off an iPad 2, a 7.8% savings; $31 off an iPod Touch, a 10.4% savings; and $101 off a MacBook Air, a 10.1% savings.
Sure, saving 10% on a thousand-dollar computer is nothing to scoff at. But what if you could save 20%, or also get a hundred dollar gift card to spend on something else?
The fact is that Apple doesn't need to deeply discount their products in order to encourage sales --the company's been raking in billions of dollars in profits during 2012, and Apple stock is up 36% for the year to date. Meanwhile, the big retail chains have been struggling, and they're desperate to get you in their stores and spending money. So they've taken the holiday seasons hottest items --including iPhones and iPads-- and marked them up with some pretty spectacular deals. The idea is that you'll enter the store in the hopes of getting a deeply discounted Apple product, but you'll spend the money you save on other stuff before you walk out the door.
Check out just a few of the Black Friday deals on offer at other retailers:
Best Buy is offering discounts on Apple products that include $40-60 off the iPad and iPad 2; $10 off the AppleTV; $175 off a 13.3" 4GB MacBook Air; and $165 off a 13.3" 4GB MacBook Pro. They're also selling $100 pre-paid iTunes cards for just $80 --and offering a free $50 Best Buy Gift Card with your purchase of a 32GB iPod Touch.
Wal-Mart Stores will offer a deal where if you buy the 16GB WiFi iPad 2 for $399, you get a free $75 Wal-Mart gift card with your purchase. The store will also be selling the 16GB iPod Touch for $195, but that's only a $4 savings.
Target will be serving up $20 gift cards if you buy a 16GB iPod Nano; $40 gift cards if you buy a 16GB iPod Touch; $60 gift cards if you buy any iPad; and $100 gift cards if you buy a iPhone 4 or 4S for Virgin Mobile.
And if you prefer shopping online, Amazon.com offers a variety of discounts on Apple products, including $174 off a 13.3 inch MacBook Air -- a 15% discount.
It's important to note that these retailers may have limited quantities of the Apple goodies that are marked up for sale, and with huge crowds expected for this year's Black Friday shopping, you never know if you're going to get lucky or strike out. Apple's prices might not be the best, but at least you can be sure you'll get what you want, and you don't even have to step away from your computer.
But if getting the best deal is what's important to you, forget about Apple's"one-day event" and head to the stores. The real deals are out there, waiting for you.
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