Amazon launches Black Friday deals store

The online retailer kicked off the first day of November with the launch of its Black Friday Deals store, which gives Prime members access to over 30,000 “Lightning Deals” 30 minutes early. Steve Shure, vice president for Amazon consumer marketing, said the company was “pulling out all of the stops” over holiday shopping. 

Amazon also outlined changes to its Electronics Holiday Gift Guide and Gift finder tool, which this year will offer 3-D images of gifts and unboxing videos. People can create a holiday shopping list via Amazon Echo and Alexa, the retailer’s cloud-based voice service, and order via voice control with a mobile app.
Perks for members of Amazon Prime, which costs $99 a year, were laid out: free two-day shipping on over 20 million items, and free same-day delivery on more than 1 million items in 16 metro areas. Via the Prime Now mobile app, members in 20 metro areas can get one- and two-hour delivery on what it terms “everyday essentials.” The Seattle retailer promises tens of thousands of deals on technology, toys and clothes between now and December 22. 

TVs, digital cameras, projectors and connected products for the home are all included in a short list of products designed to give consumers a taste of what will be available. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, has always lured price-conscious consumers with the promise of killer deals. But the day itself has become less important as retailers like Amazon start their big holiday sales during the days leading up to Black Friday and continue them afterward as well.

Like last year, Amazon has kicked off its 2015 Black Friday deals the day after Halloween. This past July, Amazon created its own Black Friday shopping event to celebrate its 20th Anniversary called “Prime Day” that was exclusive to Prime members. 

Amazon said it sold more units on Prime Day than its biggest Black Friday sale ever, as customers ordered a whopping 34.4 million items at a clip of 398 per second, though many did not seem happy with the deals Amazon offered and questioned the quality of the deals and whether the items were of much value even on sale.

In one big difference this year, Amazon will give shoppers with Prime membership early access to more than 30,000 lightning deals. Prime Early Access will give subscribers a 30-minute head start to snap up items before the hordes descend. That could be a big advantage, as the best-value items tend to sell out very fast.

Here's a flavor of what Amazon will have on offer this year, gadget-wise:

• 30% off Sony XBR55X900C 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD TV with a Blu-ray Player
• $170 off the Sony Alpha a6000 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 16-50mm Power Zoom Lens
• 47% off Jaybird X Sport Bluetooth Headphones
• Optima HD37 Full 3D 1080p 2600 Lumens DLP Home Cinema Projector for less than $800
• 40% off select Frye shoes, handbags, accessories and luggage/travel for men and women
• 40% off select toys from top construction brands including K’NEX, Tegu, and Magformer