All posts by W. Sadowski

Hi! My name is Witold Sadowski and I am the founder of BlackerFriday.com. I have an MBA from California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), San Luis Obispo, CA and a BA in Business Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, CA. After many years as a Sr. Manager working in the online marketing industry for companies such as Adobe Systems, Commission Junction, and Coupons.com, responsible for direct revenues of up to $50+ million annually, I decided it was time to take a break from the corporate world and started Blacker Friday in 2012 to pursue my real passion — helping people save money. Ever since I was a little boy selling pencils in the playground to my kindergarden friends, later collecting aluminum cans from all my neighbors in elementary school to support my baseball card addiction, eventually becoming an eBay Power Seller in my older years to support my college eduction, I had an eye for spotting deals. I’ve taken what I have learned over the years and built Blacker Friday to bring you the best Black Friday rumors, predictions, and news website. Fortunately I'm not alone in this - We have a great team of dedicated folks helping make this site possible. If you would like to connect with me you can do so on my Linkedin page, on our site’s Facebook page, or write me an email. Thanks for checking us out and I look forward to hearing from you!

US Cellular Black Friday 2018 Sale & Deals

October 15, 2018 W. Sadowski Leave a comment

2018:

Thanksgiving weekend is quickly coming up and of course that means you’ll find just about every cell phone carrier out there trying to lure you over with their Black Friday bargains, bringing us some of the best deals of the year. US Cellular is no exception — You can expect their sale to go live on early on Thanksgiving day. So what’s coming this year?

Our US Cellular Black Friday sale predictions for 2018:

Nothing is yet confirmed and likely won’t be until right before the sale starts (they are usually pretty tight lipped about it). However, if it’s anything like what they offered last year then you can expect to see something along these lines:

— Free Apple Care, Device Protection+ Advanced, and unlimited data on iPhone XS and XS Max purchases for 12 months when you sign up to select new contacts. That might possible include on the new iPhone XR as well.

— Select free smartphones with qualifying prepaid activations (although there phones are usually pretty basic).

— Up to $75 off on select Samsung Gear with installment pricing.

— Up to $650 value in credit and accessories when you switch over from a competing cellular carrier into select US Cellular plans.

We are watching the latest news coming from US Cellular and will be updating this page with their Black Friday offers the moment we are able to get a hold of their ad. Be sure to check back regularly for the freshest updates.

Until then, you can take a look at US Cellular’s latest plans, newest phones, and current promotions on their site, uscellular.com. They’ve also got a page of certified pre-owned phones that can help cut down on the cost of your new smartphone as well as a referral program that will let you earn up to $200 in credit when you refer a friend to switch over to them.

Do you already know the phone and plan you’ll be getting this Thanksgiving weekend at US Cellular? Will you be signing up or renewing an existing monthly or prepaid plan? Let us know in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

2017:

Updated on Thursday November 23, 2017: Unlike so many of the other stores that leaked out their Black Friday ads early, some up to a month in advance, US Cellular made us wait until the very last moment. Be know we finally have their ad — It’s posted down below with all of their year’s highlights and specials.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out all the other cell phone deals out there this holiday weekend. Some of the most popular carriers we are tracking this year are Straight Talk Wireless, Verizon and T-Mobile. You can also check out the phone deals coming directly from both Apple and Samsung. Have a nice Thanksgiving and good luck finding all of the Black Friday bargains this year.

REI Black Friday Sale in 2018? Don’t Expect It.

October 15, 2018 W. Sadowski Leave a comment

2018:

Updated on Monday, October 15, 2018: If you’re headed to REI this Black Friday, then you shouldn’t. Yes, you read that right – REI shocked the retail world a few years ago and announced that all 143 stores nationwide will be CLOSED on Black Friday going forward, giving all 12,000+ employees the day off to spend with family or #optoutside… to hike, bike, or, in all likelihood, to do their own Black Friday shopping 🙂 . We’ve confirmed that this is again the case for 2018 so that means all stores will be closed on both Thanksgiving day and the day after that on Black Friday. They will then reopen on Saturday morning as usual at their regular business hours.

And this is not the only store to do this. Patagonia and Brooks Running have also followed suit in year’s past and have closed their doors on Black Friday.

With that said, are you still planning on getting something at REI this Thanksgiving weekend? A new bike? A warm winter jacket? Let us know in the comments section (you’ll find the comments located near the bottom of this page).

The last Black Friday Sale from REI was in 2014. Here are those details:

For all of us outdoorsmen and women, REI is the go-to store for all of our gear. And for those who waited and prospered their purchases until now, the wait was worth it. This year we saw up to 50% off deals on items not normally discounted. If you were lucky and got in-store or online early, you could save on the latest camping gear, running shoes, bike accessories, and gps monitors. The sale started on Thanksgiving day on REI.com and Friday at 8:00am in stores.

For those into winter sports, the Black Friday was the perfect time to pick up a new REI-brand Revelcloud jacket at 40% off (men’s, women’s and kid’s sizes), new ski and snowboard equipment, and some warm winter boots (including Salomon’s Quest 4D Gore-Tex boots for just $159.99).

But our favorite deal had to be the REI outlet coupon (for use at rei.com) which let you save an EXTRA 30% on one single item purchased on the already discounted outlet stuff. Coupled with free shipping and extra member savings, the sale prices topped out any of the other sales we saw all year.

Finally, for those that take advantage of REI Adventures, you could save $800.00 (about 20%) on all 2015 departing Machu Picchu: The Inca Trek Trail adventures if purchased by Cyber Monday. This trip includes a guided 9-day adventure following the ancient path to Machu Picchu. It includes exploring Cusco, seeing ancient ruins, and visiting traditional Andean towns. Each day included about 5-7 miles of guided hiking with either camping or hotel says in the evening (3 nights camping and 5 nights in hotels). Best of all, just about all the gear and food is included so there is little needed to bring besides a sleeping bag and some cash for food.

Here’s a look at the full Black Friday ad:

Teavana Black Friday Sale for 2018

October 15, 2018 W. Sadowski Leave a comment

2018:

Updated on October 15, 2018: As you probably know by now, Teavana has closed all 379 physical store locations in the United States as well as their online store. That means while you still may be able to pick up some of their teas at Starbucks, there will no longer be any more Black Friday deals coming from them.

We’ve left up their previous Black Friday ads below as a reference — You can scroll down the page to see what those were. For everything else Black Friday related, you can check out our homepage for the latest ad scans and signup to our newsletter to stay in the loop with this year’s best deals.

Good luck and happy bargain hunting this Thanksgiving weekend!

2017:

Updated on Friday, November 17, 2017: If it’s time to stock up on your favorite tea for the winter, then you can start today. That’s because Teavana’s Black Friday sale just went live!

Head on over to Teavana.com to get buy-one get-one free on your favorite tea-filled tins, tea collections, gift boxes, and teaware. Free shipping included. You’ll also get a free 2 oz Youthberry wild orange blossom tea with your $50+ order if you use promo code CHEERS at checkout (while supplies last).

Keep in mind that the free item must be of equal or lesser value and the same type of product as the item your matching it to. Offer is available both online and Teavana stores. Offer excludes Breville products. Selection varies by store. Limited to stock on hand. Sale ends Sunday, November 26, 2017 at 11:59 pm PST.

2016:

Updated November 18, 2016: Tea lovers rejoice! Teavana just announced their Black Friday deals here for 2016.

Head on over to their online store between November 23–25, 2016 to get buy one and get one free (of equal or lesser value) on select Tea Collections, all prepackaged tea tins, 16-ounce PerfecTea Makers, the Artisanal Brewing Kit, and all holiday infuser mugs and all holiday infuser tumblers (while supplies last). Plus you’ll get free shipping with your online order when you use coupon code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout.

The same deal (minus the free shipping of course) will also be offered in all retail stores in the U.S. and Canada between November 24–27, 2016. Store opening times on Thanksgiving day and on Black Friday will vary by location. Visit their official site or store for full offer details.

2015:

Now that Teavana is owned by Starbucks, of course you can expect some pretty good Black Friday deals coming this year. We just received the official announcement so here’s what’s waiting for us: Starting starting November 26 and going through November 28, 2015, Teavana retail stores will be running a buy one get one free (BOGO!) on all equal or lesser value on select holiday teas and gift sets. Stores will likely open again in 2015 at 6:00PM on Thanksgiving day, but be sure to double check at your nearest location.

Teavana is also having a pre-Thanksgiving day sale from November 23-25, 2015, and then again on Cyber Monday (November 30) where you’ll be able to get buy-one get-one 50% off on all pre-packed teas, select gift sets and tumbler cups from Teavana’s holiday collection.

2014:

For the tea lover, there’s nothing better than a good deal on your favorite blends. This Black Friday weekend you’ll be able to pick up some of Teavana’s best sellers at up to 40% off the list price and select seasonal teas at their end-of-season clearance at up to 70% off. Free shipping is included on most orders. Certain items are only available at teavana.com so be sure to check out the online deals before visiting your local store.

Store hours will vary but most locations should be open by 8:00am on Friday.