By Sonya Davidson
First of all, a very Happy Thanksgiving to our friends south of the border. Us here in Canada thank you for giving some of us the urge to have turkey (again). Most of all, thank you for introducing us to Black Friday (yes, and Cyber Monday too!).
For those of us who like to get a head start on our holiday shopping, Black Friday is a gift in itself. If you're a savvy shopper you know that some of the best deals of the gift-giving season start now. I honestly don't mind saving a a dollar, or several hundreds, ahead of the crush. It also helps spread out the bills so I'm not so shell-shocked come January.
Black Friday is a relatively new phenomenon here in Canada that's been growing each year. Last year, was the first real significant movement with Canadian retailers jumping in on the action. No longer do we have to endure the drive to Buffalo malls (from Toronto) before midnight to get in on the deals. The thought of sitting in the car 2 km away from a mall waiting is not my idea of fun. And online deals are getting more serious now and just dangling carrots as we try to weigh out if the deals are worth the currency exchange. I love a good deal IF it turns out to be a good one. I'm not talking loss-leaders that drive people in stores. I'm talking about solid deals.
Most of the really good deals are being noted particularly in the tech, housewares, and clothing retailers. And some will also be online so if you've done your homework..it's definitely worth setting aside some time.
While most deals are not revealed until the day of, Nintendo Canada has released the offers so we check a few people off our holiday lists....and yes, worth it!
Smash Splat Wii U Deluxe Set that includes the Wii U console and two highly sought-after games: Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and the squid hit of the year, Splatoon, both pre-installed on the system. This bundle launches in major retailers for a suggested retail price $279.99.
Save $30 off the suggested retail price of $229.99 on the black and red New Nintendo 3DS XL at major retail stores, while the Nintendo 2DS Mario Kart 7 Bundle and the YO-KAI WATCH Bundle are available for $89.99 at Toys R Us.
Walmart will offer the original Black Nintendo 3DS XL system bundled with the mega-hit game Super Mario 3D Land game for a suggested retail price of $149.96.
Save $30 off the suggested retail price and get a black or red New Nintendo 3DS XL for $199.99 at Best Buy, EB Games, and Amazon. The New Nintendo 3DS XL Hyrule Edition is now $229.99, available exclusively at EB Games.
Black Nintendo 3DS XL, Bundled with Super Mario 3D Land game at a suggested retail price of $149.96, exclusively at Walmart.
Purchase a Nintendo 2DS Mario Kart 7 Bundle or Nintendo 2DS YO-KAI WATCH Bundle for $89.99 at Toys R Us.
Nintendo eShop Cyber Deals: gamers can treat themselves to a gift and save up to 50 per cent on dozens of the best-reviewed games for the Wii U console and Nintendo 3DS family of systems. This sale runs from November 25 at 9 a.m. PT to December 2 at 8:59 a.m. PT, and the full list of titles will be available at http://www.nintendo.ca/cyberdeals.