Amazon Vs Best Buy is a huge Black Friday 2018 clash. These are the best deals you can expect from both retailers on the most popular products…
This post was created by the Contributor in partnership with BestBlackFriday.com, which specializes in holiday season sales. The deals highlighted within this post were independently selected and do not contain affiliate links.
Black Friday 2018 boils down to a battle between Walmart’s top deals and everyone else. Target is pushing hard, but it is Amazon and
Best Buy who will believe their deals can really turn heads. Who has the best Black Friday sales? I have a very good idea…
Note: you can find dedicated guides to Black Friday 2018 at the following links: Walmart ( here), Target ( here) Amazon ( here), Best Buy ( here) Apple ( here) and Samsung ( here). My Black Friday ‘Vs Series’ also includes Walmart Vs Target.
Amazon’s Black Friday 2018 sales will deliver more deals than any other retailer. But how good are they? Amazon
Amazon Vs. Best Buy’s Best Black Friday Tech Deals Last Year
To predict whether Amazon or Best Buy will have superior holiday sales this year, you have to look at their history and the best place to start is comparing last year’s 5-page Amazon Black Friday ad to Best Buy’s 50-page Black Friday ad. Here are comparisons of their deals on the most popular products:
Where Amazon Black Friday Beat Best Buy Black Friday
Amazon Device Deals – Last year, Amazon offered the Echo Dot for $29.99, ( review deal) the Echo Plus for $119.99, ( review deal) the Fire 7 Kids Edition for $69.99, ( review deal) the Fire HD 10 for $99.99, ( review deal) and the Kindle for $49.99. ( review deal). While Best Buy had an impressive selection of Amazon device deals last year ( review deals), it is still better to make the purchase from the source. Amazon not only had the largest quantity of its own devices, but it also had special deals that you do not generally see at Best Buy and other retailers. For example, it offered the Fire HD 8 Kids Edition for $89.99 but you saved an additional $10 if you purchased two ( review deal).
Very Cheap TVs – Last year, Amazon offered a 32-inch TV for $69.99 and a 49-inch 4K TV for $159.99. While neither TV came from a premium brand, no other store was able to match those prices including Best Buy, which offered a diverse selection of premium TVs in its Black Friday ad.
Online Shopping – While Best Buy offered a ton of online deals during the week of Black Friday last year, it still paled in comparison to Amazon’s selection. Best Buy did have some in-store only doorbusters including its marquee deal, a 50-inch Sharp 4K Ultra HDTV for $179.99 ( review deal). But Amazon is the king of online shopping.
Free Expedited Shipping – Best Buy offered free shipping on all orders for the duration of the holiday shopping season last year, but it was slow standard shipping. Non-Prime members at Amazon had to spend at least $25 to qualify for free standard shipping, which is not ideal if you are looking to purchase something cheap. While Best Buy offered better free shipping terms for the average shopper, Amazon Prime members enjoyed free two-day shipping on all orders. A Prime membership is not free, but Amazon offers a free 30-day trial, which you can use for all items in the Amazon Black Friday Ad. Since everyone is eligible for a Prime trial membership, Amazon gets the win here when it comes to expedited shipping.
Best Buy Black Friday 2018 will challenge the top deals from Amazon, Walmart and Target Best Buy
Where Best Buy Black Friday Beat Amazon Black Friday
Premium TV Deals – Amazon was the winner when it came to the cheapest possible TV deals, but Best Buy offered higher quality TV deals. Last year, it sold a Sharp 50-inch 4K TV for $179.99 ( review deal) and a 55-inch Toshiba 4K UHD TV for $279.99 ( review deal). Factoring in price and quality, those were arguably the top two TV deals of the year. Unfortunately, both TVs were available in-store only, but it was well worth the trip if getting the best deal was your goal.
Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy Smartphone Deals – Last year, Best Buy offered savings up to $200 with qualified activation on the Apple iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus ( review deal). It also offered $300 off on the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8 Plus with qualified activation ( review deal). Amazon rarely mentions iPhone and Galaxy phone prices in its initial announcement, while Best Buy always puts its iPhone and Galaxy phone deals front and center.
Advance Notice – While Best Buy released a massive 50-page Black Friday ad scan last year. Amazon put out a press release detailing fewer than 100 specific deals. Amazon likes to keep many of its deals a surprise until Black Friday, but that’s not helpful for the smart shopper who is looking to plan ahead.
Free Standard Shipping – Last year, Best Buy offered free standard shipping on all orders. Amazon only offered free standard shipping for orders $25 and over. Many people simply did not wish to sign up for a free 30-day Prime trial, so Best Buy’s deal was the winner for orders on the smaller side.
So what does this all mean for Amazon and Best Buy’s Black Friday 2018 sales? Let’s break it down:
What To Expect From Amazon Black Friday 2018 and Best Buy Black Friday 2018
Amazon may like to keep things secret but it is just as predictable as Best Buy, Walmart and Target. All four retailers traditionally run very similar deals year-on-year just swapping out the subject of the deal to the latest tech. This means Black Friday 2018 should present these standout deals from Amazon and Best Buy:
Black Friday Ad Scan Release Dates – I expect we will see the Amazon Black Friday deals released around November 14th while the Best Buy Black Friday ad scan should be released on BestBuy.com around November 7th.
Cheap TVs – As previously mentioned, both Amazon and Best Buy are going to have some really cheap TVs for Black Friday this year. Amazon will have more off-brand models, while Best Buy will feature premium brands. Expect Amazon to feature another off-brand 32-inch TV for $69.99 and I expect Best Buy will offer a 50-Inch 4K TV for $169.99 and 55-inch 4K TV for $219.99 – both from decent brands.
Video Game Bundles – There is unlikely to be much variety when it comes to video game bundles this year. A price will be set early, and most retailers will copy the established deals. Expect Amazon and Best Buy to both have Microsoft Xbox One X Bundles for $399.99, Microsoft Xbox One S 1TB Bundles for $219.99, Microsoft Xbox One X consoles for $374.99, Nintendo Switch Bundles starting at $299.99, and Sony PS4 Pro bundles for $274.99.
Apple iPhone Deals – Expect Best Buy to announce several different iPhone deals in its Black Friday ad scan. I predict the main deal will be a saving of up to $200 on the Apple iPhone XR with Qualified Activation. If it offers iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max deals, it will likely be $0 down and a free gift card valued at up to $300 with Qualified Activation. Amazon won’t be able to match these gift cards and will instead have modest discounts of 5-8% when you buy the phone outright.
Amazon Device Deals – Both stores will likely have a plethora of Amazon devices available, including the Kindle, Fire Tablet, Echo, and Cloud Cam.
