Black Friday Week Tips
It’s Black Friday Week and lots is going on:
On Friday, some of your local record stores will be participating in the Record Store Day Black Friday events and will have exclusive merchandise collectors will want to have a look at. Go grab that mask and hand sanitizer and enjoy.
Speaking of COVID-19, Best Buy Canada has decided to offer “Quick and Easy Store Pickups” so you will be able to get your purchases curbside for “in as little as an hour” in some locations. This option should be listed during the checkout process and extended curbside pickup hours are available at some stores.
Curbside pickup and/or free shipping are also available at select Chapters / Indigo book stores, Michaels art and craft stores, The Source and Bad Boy electronics stores, The Bay department stores, Staples Canada office supply stores, IKEA and The Brick home furnishing stores, Canadian Tire and home improvements stores like TSC/Peavey Mart, Lowes, Home Depot and Home Hardware.
You’ll notice that some locations will be open earlier than usual, like my local Lowes location which is open at 6 AM. This is due to the line-ups, which will probably be an issue because of the maximum occupancy rules that have been set up to avoid the propagation of this disease.
To avoid these longs lines, ordering online is a better option (if not the only option). And if you don’t have a credit card you can always pick up gift cards for some of the aforementioned retailers at your local convenience store, gas station or pharmacy.
Amazon Cash is an option for Amazon Canada shoppers, which allows people to load cash or money from their debit card into an account at Canada Post Outlets, MacEwen convenience stores/gas stations, Mobile gas stations and participating 7 Eleven, Circle K and Hasty Market convenience stores.
Paypal and debit options are also available at some retailers, so you might want to investigate what options are listed on their web site.
By the way, professional speaker retailer Sonos, office supply site 123ink.ca and online electronics retailer Newegg Canada are also having Black Friday week sales. And you should also note there are also great deals to be had online from American retailers Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble
and Entertainment Earth, although you should account for delays at customs for foreign orders.
Canada Post had warned of Christmas volumes for some time now but there should only be slight delays for domestic shipments. And some retailers are using independent shippers to deliver locally so look for that option as well.
McDonald’s & Skull Candy
I just thought you’d like to know that you can win $20 Gift Cards for Skull Candy instantly via McDonald Canada’s Coast To Coast Monopoly promotion. And that you can get 40% off your Kobo eBooks & Audiobooks or Skull Candy purchases by entering your properties online at mcpromotion.ca.
You get a coupon for every seven properties entered until November 30th 2020, the first being a coupon for Kobo and the second being for skullcandy.ca purchases, and the coupons are good until December 31st, 2020.
It might be worth your while to get those extra, unused game pieces from your friends if you don’t visit McDonalds often. And the $20 gift card appears to be pretty common; I got a second one today.
Comparison Shopping Time
Newegg Canada, Best Buy Canada, Indigo Books
and Staples Canada have decided to have sales events of their own in response to Amazon’s two-day Prime Day event so you will have ample opportunity to do some comparison shopping starting at Midnight EST.
You won’t find much music and film-related items at Staples Canada, other than headphones and some other music accessories. But Newegg Canada and Best Buy Canada do offer home audio and home theatre components and accessories. And if you’re looking for Apple products you may want to check The Source out.
Indigo Books will also be discounting their book and tech items for their Plum members by up to 40% until Midnight on Wednesday, so you may want to check them out as well.
By the way, if you’re looking for speakers here’s an offer you may be interested in: Get 6 months of Disney+ with your Sonos.com purchase through Oct 31st
Happy shopping.
Cinemas Closed In Quebec Again
Libraries, Museums and Cinemas will be closed for 28 days in Greater Montreal, Quebec City and Chaudière-Appalaches regions in response to the resurgence of COVID-19 in those areas.
Events will be limited to 25 people, so record conventions in the province will likely be cancelled. And stores may limit their hours and entry to a few individuals so you should consider ordering products online for delivery or pick-up.
Altough cinemas and stores remain open in the province of Ontario, A resurgance in cases is also being observed there so another lockdown is a possibility.
Most music retailers in Ontario now offer reservations/in-store pick-ups, curbside pick-ups and deliveries so there are options to limit person to person contact.
Finally!
Amazon Canada will finally have this year’s Prime Day on October 13th and 14th, which means plenty of deals will be had for Prime members on those days. Click here for details.
By the way, you can browse and buy products from Canada’s small and medium businesses on Amazon by clicking here.
Fall Conventions Cancelled
Record conventions in Ontario that were scheduled for the Fall are being cancelled due to COVID-19. These include:
- The Guelph Record and Music Collectible show (09/20)
- Newmarket Vinyl Record & Collectibles Show (10/20)
- The St. Catherines Record Show (11/08)
- Toronto West Vinyl Record & Collectibles Show (12/8)
Unfortunately, these events are dependant on crowds and safety could therefore not be guaranteed at these events.
I suspect events outside of Ontario will also be concerned over these concerns. Please contact the convention operators for details.