Black Friday 2015: What to expect at Target

Target clearly knows what gets Black Friday shoppers in the door, serving up similar deals, and often outright repeats without so much as a price adjustment from one year to the next.

Guests line up outside Target as they wait for last year's Black Friday sale to begin in the Harlem neighborhood of New York. Target's Black Friday 2015 deals will include Beats headphones, an XBox bundle, and a doorbuster TV

John Minchillo/AP Images for Target/File

By Rebecca Lehmann, Brad's Deals

November 12, 2015

We totally predicted this. And if you want a sneak peek at the 2016 Target Black Friday ad, well, then, we're got a little of that here, too. That's because this year's Target ad bears a striking resemblance to last year's ad - in all the right ways.

Target clearly knows what gets Black Friday shoppers in the door, serving up similar deals, and often outright repeats without so much as a price adjustment from one year to the next. 

As we noted in our article looking at how many Black Friday deals return every year, there's always a Nikon CoolPix on the cover $99, always an assortment of Beats headphones, a doorbuster TV, $10 Blu-rays, and the last two years have featured an Xbox One bundle, albeit with different games and prices. The composition of Target's Black Friday ad cover is pretty predictable, even if the prices sometimes aren't.

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Target's Black Friday Promotions:

On Black Friday, spend $75 and get 20% off a future shopping trip between 12/4 and 12/13.

Then on Saturday, you can score 50% off on any Holiday Shop purchase of $100 or more with the coupon from the ad or online with promo code MERRY. Think wrapping paper, tree trimmings, and other holiday decor.

The Best Black Friday Deals at Target:

Xbox One Bundle with Gears of Wars + $60 GC - $299.99
Subtract out the value of the gift card, and this Xbox One bundle has an effective cost of $239.99. Last year's bundle from the cover page was $329.99 and included a $50 gift card, for an effective cost of $279.99. This year's price, which also includes an invite to the Gears of War 4 Beta, ends up as a much better deal.

55-in. Westinghouse 1080p LED TV - $249.99
A comparable 55" Westinghouse in Target's ad from last year sold for $395. We also saw a comparable RCA model selling for $400 a couple different times this past summer... and that's about as low as it's gotten, until now. Bottom line, $249.99 for this set is an absolute steal. How can you ignore that? Answer: You can't. It is a limited-quantity doorbuster, though, so wear your running shoes and get in line early.

55-in. Element 4K Ultra HD TV - $399.99
Last year was the first time we saw any 4K televisions discounted for Black Friday, and a 55-in. 4K doorbuster at Best Buy came in at $900 and Target didn't even have one in their ad. The best price on any brand 55-in. 4K TV we've seen at any point in the last year is $750.  This is truly an incredible price for 4K of this size.

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RCA 8" Android Tablet - $39.99
This same tablet sold at Target for $69.99 last year. The eye-popping lowest ever price makes it a solid entry-level option for anyone looking to give a tablet a test run without spending a small fortune. This price beats what we've seen on 7" models as recently as September. Quantities will be limited and they will sell out fast.

Apple Watch + $100 Gift Card - from $349
We didn't expect to see any true discounts on the Apple Watch, and that prediction appears to be coming true since they start at $349 on the low end right now, too. But the $100 gift card it's bundled with for Black Friday is terrific deal-sweetener, lowering the effective cost to $249.

iPad mini 2 + $80 Gift Card - from $269
and iPad Air 2 + $150 Gift Card - from $499
Bundling various Apple products with gift cards has become a Black Friday staple, and one we look forward to with relish every year. Considering the value of the gift cards they come with, you can pick up an iPad mini 2 for an effective cost of $189, or an iPad Air 2 for an effective cost of $349.

Disney 7-pk Fashion Princess Dolls - $39.99
Regularly priced at $79.99, and recently spotted as low as $47.99, it's hard to imagine not picking up these dolls for the princess-obsessed kid in your life. Princesses in this set include Elsa, Anna, Ariel, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Belle and Jasmine.

Farberware 20-pc. Cookware Set - $49.99
We saw a 15-pc set from this brand selling for $49.99 in August, and that was a good deal. Target ups the ante on Black Friday by offering an extra 5 pieces of this durable non-stick set for the same price. Pieces include two aluminum saucepans, a dutch oven, a skillet, and a number of utensil accessories. Regularly priced at $89.99.

Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal Vacuum - $399.99
Any time you're taking $200 off the price of a Dyson, you have our attention. The infamous bagless vacuum is coveted by many, after all. If this one is a bit too pricey for your budget, don't fret. Look for discounts on more models than are shown in Target's ad once Black Friday rolls around.

Twin-size Star Wars Comforter - $20.00
Perhaps the only excuse for not knowing that Star Wars is mega-huge this holiday season is if you're living in exile on the edge of a swamp on Dagobah. More likely, you or someone you know grew up with a Star Wars comforter on your bed. The twin-size Star Wars comforters at Target will bring all of that right back, and the price, marked down from $32.99 to $20, should please any padawan's parents. (They also have Marvel, Frozen, My Little Pony, Jurassic World, and Batman, just to name a few of the other characters available. But, you know, Star Wars.)

JAM Trance Mini Bluetooth Rechargeable Wireless Lightshow Speaker + $20 Gift Card - $39.99
It's a small bluetooth speaker with sparkly colored lights. Honestly, who doesn'tneed one of these in their life? This small piece of instant dance party only sets you back about $20 after you figure in the value of the gift card.

Blu-ray Movies - from $4
Cheap DVDs and Blu-rays are another set of deals we've come to expect from Black Friday and from the looks of it, the selection at Target is really quality. We spotted hard-to-resist titles like Interstellar, Gone Girl, Divergent, Birdman, Catching Fire, and many more.

Kids 4-16 or Toddlers 2-pc Sleepwear - from $4.97
This deal is a repeat from 2014, but we don't mind at all. Given how quickly kids grow out of their clothes, finding pajama sets for just under $5 is a little bit like striking gold. Here's hoping we'll see it return for 2016 as well.

Canon T5 DSLR Bundle - $399.99
This same bundle was $449 last Black Friday, making the deal even better for 2015. It comes with two lenses (an 18-55mm and a 75-300mm zoom) plus a camera bag large enough to carry the body and both lenses together. Target's Black Friday price matches the best price we've seen this year on any T5 2-lens bundle.

PS4 Uncharted Bundle - $299.99
The PS4 bundle in Target's 2014 ad was $399 and came with 2 games instead of just 1, but that extra game doesn't account for most of the price difference from last year to today. There is a current PS4 bundle deal that maybe beats this one in terms of overall value, but that bundle is priced a bit higher at $350 and includes a copy of Fallout 4.

Even Better This Year:

Disney Infinity 3.0 and Skylanders SuperChargers Starter Packs
2015: $34.99
2014: $39.99 (for comparable starter packs)

Serta Raised Queen Airbed
2015: $49.99
2014: $65 last year

6V Audi Convertible Ride-on
2015: $85
2014: $129

Black & Decker 8-serving Electric Griddle
2015: $14.99
2014: $19

Black & Decker 550-watt Blender
2015: $14.99
2014: $19

Keurig K40 Elite
2015: $79.99 + $15 Gift Card
2014: $99 + $25 Gift Card

RCA 8" Android Tablet
2015: $39.99
2014: $69.99

More Returning Deals:

You can check out the full Target Black Friday Ad, along with all of the Black Friday ads released so far, at Brad's Black Friday.

This article first appeared in Brad's Deals. 

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