Best places to shop Black Friday

calico 11/23/2023

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As the holidays approach, retailers feverishly compete to lure in consumers during the critical period. In most cases, that means trying to offer the most tantalizing Black Friday deals.

Some are doing a better job at doing so. According to WalletHub, major big-box stores like JCPenney, Macy’s, Kohl’s and Target are offering the steepest Black Friday holiday deals this year.

WalletHub surveyed more than 3,500 deals from 13 of the biggest U.S. retailers.

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Holiday spending is projected to grow between 3% and 4% over 2022, which is slower than the past three years when stimulus checks led to unprecedented rates of retail spending.

A sign is posted on the exterior of a JCPenney store at The Shops at Tanforan on Sept. 1, 2023, in San Bruno, California. ( Justin Sullivan/Getty Images / Getty Images)

However, it is in line with the average annual holiday increase of 3.6% from 2010 to 2019, according to the National Retail Federation.

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This year’s list places JCPenney at the top for the fifth year in a row for having the best overall average discount. The company specifically offered “significant” discounts on categories like jewelry, apparel and appliances.

Black Friday sale at JCPenney at the Glendale Galleria, on Nov. 25, 2022, in Glendale, California. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Macy’s had the best discounts on the toy and consumer packaged goods categories, while Kohl’s had the biggest discounts on phones and computers. Belk had the best discounts when it came to appliances, according to WalletHub.