Miscellaneous Mentionables

I frequently receive email from companies asking me to share news or discounts with my readers. Each week I’ll gather the best requests and share them with you here.
Walmart Turns Up Holiday Heat, Matches Competitors’ Best Black Friday Deals One Week Early
Black Friday-Like Prices on Popular Toys and Electronics Available Starting Nov. 22
BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Nov. 19, 2013 – Holiday shoppers don’t have to wait until Black Friday to start shopping for deals at Walmart. At 8 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 22, Walmart will kick off a pre-Black Friday savings event in stores and online, lowering the prices on popular toys and electronics, to match select Black Friday offers from Target, Toys R’ Us and Best Buy one week early.
Beginning today, the retailer also extends its Christmas Ad Match* to Walmart.com customers. Customers who purchase an item on Walmart.com, and find a lower price in a local brick and mortar competitor, can email christmasadmatch@walmart.com and receive the difference on a gift card. The same policy is in place for customers at Walmart stores for items purchased Nov. 1 through Dec. 24, excluding Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday.
“Black Friday is our Super Bowl and we plan to win,” said Duncan Mac Naughton, chief merchandising and marketing officer, Walmart U.S. “With six fewer days from Thanksgiving to Christmas, the retail environment is more competitive than ever. Every opportunity to get a great deal – whether this weekend, on Thanksgiving Day or Black Friday weekend – matters for our customers. When it comes to price, we’re going to deliver for them.”
Examples of toys and electronics that are part of Walmart’s pre-Black Friday saving event, while supplies last, include:
Toys:
LeapPad 2 – WAS: $79, NEW PRICE: $39.99
Little Tikes Cozy Coupe – WAS: $49.87, NEW PRICE: $34.99
Nerf Rebelle Crossbow – WAS: $19.88, NEW PRICE: $11.99
Monopoly Board Game – WAS: $7.77, NEW PRICE: $5
Hot Wheels Single Car – WAS: .97 cents, NEW PRICE: .60 cents
Electronics:
LG 50-inch HDTV – WAS: $598, NEW PRICE: $448
Skylanders and Infinity Starter Packs – WAS: $74.96, NEW PRICE: $37
Select PS4 and Xbox One Video Games such as NBA 2K14 and Battlefield 4 – WAS: $59.96, NEW PRICE: $49
On Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday and any of their shopping trips, customers can take advantage of the everyday ad match policy* available at Walmart stores. If a customer spots a lower price on an advertised item, and comes into a Walmart store during the same day and time that the competitor’s ad is valid, Walmart will match the price at the register.
Walmart’s official Black Friday events will take place at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day and 8 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 29. The retailer will offer 21 one-hour guarantee items, “Manager Specials” and more hot deals than ever on the season’s top gifts. Starting early on Thanksgiving morning, customers can shop on Walmart.com for some of the Black Friday deals that will also be available in stores. Customers can also take advantage of hundreds of online specials on Thanksgiving and Black Friday while supplies last.
Mac Naughton added, “Customers will ultimately decide when they want to shop. We have great options and great deals for them whenever, or however, they choose to shop Walmart.”
*Editor’s Note:
Christmas Ad Match applies to in-store prices only and excludes Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday ads.
Walmart stores will match the price of any local competitor’s printed ad for an identical product. Restrictions apply. 1 Hour Guarantee items not available for ad match.
Microsoft Retail Stores Announce Black Friday/Cyber Monday Deals!
With the holidays right around the corner, Microsoft retail stores are excited to announce great Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers. From headphones and speakers, to Xbox 360, phones and the hottest Windows 8.1 laptops, you’re bound to find something for everyone on your list!
Here’s a sneak peak of what you can expect:
· Save 10% on select Beats headphones and speakers
· Xbox 360 250GB console for $199.99
· Surface RT 32GB tablet for $199
Visit www.MicrosoftStores.com to see the deals and find the store closest to you.
Three Huge Franchises, One Epic Nintendo Launch Day
New Games in the Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda and Mario Party Series Launch on Nov. 22
REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– For any Nintendo fan, Nov. 22 is going to be one of the best days of the year. On Friday, three new games in three extraordinary franchises are launching on the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS systems. Super Mario 3D World for Wii U, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems and Mario Party: Island Tour, also for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, are all launching in stores and in the Nintendo eShop. The games feature Nintendo characters and experiences that can’t be played anywhere else, and demonstrate how Nintendo is bringing value and variety to everyone for the holidays.
Super Mario 3D World is the first 3D Mario platformer that lets up to four players play together using Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Toad. (Photo: Business Wire)
“Nintendo is making holiday shopping easy for everyone with the release of three major games on one day,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “There is something for everyone in this lineup. Super Mario 3D World is perfect for families, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is a must-have for gamers and Mario Party: Island Tour is great for kids of all ages.”
Super Mario 3D World is the newest game in the world-famous Super Mario Bros. series. The Wii U game is the first 3D Mario platformer that lets up to four players play together using Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Toad. Each playable character has different abilities. For example, Luigi can jump higher than the other characters and Princess Peach can float in the air for a limited time. Super Mario 3D World introduces players to beautiful HD graphics, numerous breathtaking worlds and never-before-seen power-ups like the cat transformation. In multiplayer mode, one player is able to play using the Wii U GamePad while up to three others can use various controllers like the Wii Remote or the Wii U Pro Controller. For more information about Super Mario 3D World, visit http://supermario3dworld.com.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is the successor to fan-favorite Super NES game The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, which launched in 1992. Even though The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds takes place in the same world as its classic predecessor, it is a new adventure, filled with a new storyline and new dungeons. In this Nintendo 3DS game, Link must journey between two worlds, Hyrule and Lorule, using a mysterious power that lets him become a drawing on walls. Link’s ability to merge with walls allows players to solve puzzles and explore dungeons in a new way. Players are also able to buy or rent various items throughout the game, allowing them to explore dungeons in any order they want, adding a new level of freedom to the game play. For more information about The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, visit http://zelda.com/link-between-worlds/.
A legendary Nintendo 3DS XL bundle will also launch on Nov. 22. The bundle includes gorgeous gold-and-black Nintendo 3DS XL hardware with the iconic Triforce on the exterior, as well as a download code for The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds at a suggested retail price of $219.99. The system is gold-colored on one side and black on the other, beautifully representing the two parallel worlds Link travels between in the game. For more information and a list of retailers, visit http://www.nintendo.com/3ds/zelda.
With Mario Party: Island Tour, players can take the party on the go! The game is the next installment in the wildly fun Mario Party series, and the first on Nintendo 3DS. Mario Party: Island Tour features mini-games with more unique play styles than any other game in the Mario Party series. Players will imitate voices of some of the most iconic characters from the Super Mario Bros. universe using the built-in microphone on the Nintendo 3DS system, tilt the system to hang glide and even adjust reality with AR Card play. Mario Party: Island Tour also features Download Play, which means up to four Nintendo 3DS or Nintendo 2DS owners can play together when in the same room – even if only one person owns the game! For more information about Mario Party: Island Tour, visit http://marioparty.com.
Remember that Wii U and Nintendo 3DS feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu and http://www.nintendo.com/3ds.