Doughnuts for vets

The Times’ Brand X blog reports that companies are offering a number of freebies and discounts for veterans today:

Today is Veterans Day and to say "Thank You" to the brave men and women in our armed forces, and those who have served the country in the past, there are several companies offering freebies and sales that vets might want to take advantage of this holiday.

Click here for the post and a list of stuff.

Happy Veterans Day!

-- Sharon Bernstein

Most Wal-Mart stores to stay open overnight on Thanksgiving

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will keep most of its U.S. stores open overnight on Thanksgiving to lessen the Black Friday frenzy that led to the trampling death of a store employee a year ago, the company said today.

The retail giant is hoping that the extended hours will prevent long lines from forming because shoppers will be able to wait inside the stores before the chain’s day-after-Thanksgiving specials go on sale at 5 a.m.

Black Friday, which falls on Nov. 27 this year, is notoriously the most hectic shopping day of the holiday season, with shoppers pushing and jostling for deals on electronics, apparel and toys. Last year, a mob of bargain-hungry Black Friday shoppers stormed a Wal-Mart in Valley Stream, N.Y., trampling temporary worker Jdimytai Damour.

Some industry watchers are worried that crowds could be even more aggressive this year, as frugal shoppers have indicated they will rely heavily on discounts and specials.

In addition to keeping stores open, the Bentonville, Ark.-based chain has store-specific safety plans in place and is also planning to spread out its deals around its stores to better control crowds, company spokeswoman Daphne Moore said. 

“Customer and associate safety is a top priority for us, and this year is no different,” she said.

-- Andrea Chang

Caption: Shopper America Payan buys groceries and household items with her two sons at a Wal-Mart in Rosemead. Credit: Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times

Wal-Mart to sell HP laptop for $298, Thanksgiving dinner for eight people for $20

Retail giant Wal-Mart announced more holiday price reductions today, including a $20 Thanksgiving dinner for eight people.

For one week starting Saturday, Wal-Mart stores will hold an electronics savings event which includes an HP laptop with 3GB of memory for $298; a Sharp 52-inch flat-panel television for $898 and a Sony Blu-ray player for $148.

"It will be evident through the coming weeks that this year Wal-Mart will offer more opportunities for our customers to save than ever before," said Gary Severson, senior vice president of entertainment for Wal-Mart.

The world's largest retailer has promised new markdowns every week until Christmas. Customers can find more information about the chain's price reductions and holiday savings here.

-- Andrea Chang

Kmart announces "Better than Black Friday" deals

After introducing an online layaway program last month, Kmart today announced "Better than Black Friday" specials.

The weekly doorbuster deals start Nov. 6 and include markdowns on electronics, apparel and tools. New deals will be available each Friday through Nov. 20.

A sample of deals include:

$15 Protégé Boys Basketball Shoes
50% off Little Letters Learning Laptop
$6.99 Men’s Basic Editions Jeans   
25% to 33% off General Electric Trees

Kmart also announced that select stores would be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

-- Andrea Chang

Target recalls 610,000 Halloween flashlights after reports of overheating, burn hazard

Target has recalled 610,000 Halloween flashlights sold exclusively at its stores after learning that the lights could heat up, melt and burn hands.

Two types of Halloween-themed flashlights are involved in the recall: mini Halloween flashlights and "standard size" Halloween flashlights sold with stencils, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a recall statement.

The recall was prompted by eight reports to Target of flashlights overheating and melting, including one person burning a hand, the commission said.

The mini flashlights have a key ring on the bottom and were sold in a packs of three colors: black, green and orange.

The packaging is orange and purple and is printed with “mini flashlights" and "3 pack” on the front, as well as “made in China” and “DPCI# 234-02-1813” on back, the commission said.

The standard-size flashlights are black with an orange top and sold with six stencils: a pumpkin, skull and crossbones, ghost, spider, cat and witch.

Target stores across the U.S. sold the flashlights -- $1 for the mini flashlight and $2.50 for a standard flashlight with stencils -- from August to September, the commission said.

The flashlights were manufactured in China by DGI of Warren, N.J., and Tien Hsing of Hong Kong, the agency said.

Consumers should stop using the flashlights and return them to any Target store for a full refund.

For more information, contact Target at (800) 440-0680 or online at www.target.com.

-- Nathan Olivarez-Giles

Photos: The recalled standard-size "Flashlight With Stencil" and "Mini Flashlights." Credit: Consumer Product Safety Commission

Consumer Confidential: Low fares, video games, home prices

Here's your toot-toot-Tuesday roundup of consumer news from around the Web:

--How's this for a deal? Southwest Airlines is charging the same for a one-way ticket that some other carriers charge just to check a bag. The airline says it will charge just $25 for a one-way ticket to travel up to 375 miles. The price rises to $50 if you're going up to 549 miles, and to $75 for up to 999 miles. If you're flying more than 1,000 miles, that'll be a nice, round $100. One catch: The fares apply only for travel between Dec. 2 and Dec. 16, and Jan. 5 and Feb. 10. And, as they say, other restrictions apply.

--Heads up, sofa spuds: Time to put all that video gaming to use. GameStop says it's hiring about 15,000 seasonal workers to help with the holiday rush for games. The company wants experienced gamers who know a thing or two about "Grand Theft Auto" or "Lego Star Wars." And, the economy being what it is, GameStop says it fully expects to receive more applications than it can accommodate with open positions. One other thing: Those positions pay just minimum wage.

--Home prices are up for a third straight month. If you're in the market for new digs and you haven't bought yet at fire-sale prices, that train's about to leave the station.

-- David Lazarus

Consumer Confidential: Amazon, Netflix, hookers

Here's your finally-a-Friday roundup of consumer news from around the Web:

--It's shaping up to be a merry e-Christmas. At least that's the message from our friends at Amazon.com, who reported a hefty 69% increase in quarterly profit and said things should continue looking swell right through the holidays. Significantly, the company's turbo-charged results were fueled primarily by sales of electronic goodies, which indicates that consumers are more comfortable buying big-ticket items -- at least if they're offered at the right price. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Watch out for aggressive sales this holiday season. Retailers know you care mostly about price, and they'll be fighting to get your business.

--Build a better mousetrap and investors will beat a trail to your door. That's the takeaway from Netflix, the online DVD-rental service, which has all but decimated brick-and-mortar rivals. The company's stock hit a 52-week high after Netflix reported a 48% spike in profit, based mostly on more people taking out subscriptions. Up next: A bigger push into online streaming of movies and stuff.

--A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Craigslist alleging that the site contributes to prostitution with its listings for adult services. The judge ruled that sites can't be held accountable for their content. Hookers rejoice.

-- David Lazarus

Online merchants to reach out to holiday shoppers with deals and through social media

Online sellers will be pulling out all the stops to try to attract frugal shoppers this holiday season, including offering discounts earlier and turning to social media outlets to promote their merchandise.

According to a survey by Shop.org, a division of the National Retail Federation, one-third of retailers (34.3%) said they would offer holiday deals earlier this year.

Social media will also be a popular avenue to attract shoppers. According to the survey, 47.1% of retailers will be increasing their use of social media this holiday season. More than half of those retailers said they have added or improved their Facebook pages (60.3%) and Twitter pages (58.7%) this year, and 65.6% said they have added or enhanced blogs and RSS feeds.

"Retailers know that times are tough so they have created promotions and incentives to help Americans save money this holiday season," said Scott Silverman, executive director of Shop.org. "From free shipping to Facebook, online retailers are combining new initiatives with tried-and-true tactics to make their companies stand out."

Like brick-and-mortar retailers, online sellers are also making operational changes to help protect profit margins. According to the survey, 41.4% have scaled back on inventory levels.

-- Andrea Chang

Toys R Us encourages shoppers to use new wish list feature

Toys R Us today introduced a wish list feature for shoppers that is similar to a gift registry.

By starting a wish list with the retailer, shoppers can create a tailored list of toys based on what their child wants but also his or her age, interests and abilities, Toys R Us said. 

Wish lists can be created and updated online and in all Toys R Us and Babies R Us stores nationwide, and can be shared with friends and family.  

“Wish list provides families a fun way to spend time together, and at the same time, gives parents the opportunity to set realistic expectations with their kids about the presents they may receive," said Greg Ahearn, senior vice president of marketing and e-commerce.  

To start a wish list, shoppers create a master account online or through in-store registry centers or guest services stations. Once registered, participants can generate as many wish lists as they would like for each of their children and tailor them for specific occasions, such as birthdays or holidays. 

-- Andrea Chang

Kmart starts online layaway program

Kmart launched an online layaway program today in an effort to help shoppers manage their holiday budgets.

The discounter said shoppers can now place items on layaway through the Kmart website and pick up their purchases at a local store.

Customers must make a down payment of $15 or 10%, whichever is greater, and pay a $5 initiation fee to start a layaway contract. Payments must be made biweekly online or at any register in the Kmart store where the order is held, and shoppers have eight weeks to pay for items in full.

Features of the online program include a layaway calculator, product availability information and reminder e-mails.

“We have an entire generation of customers who grew up shopping online,” said Mark Snyder, chief marketing officer of Kmart. “Launching online layaway at Kmart engages these customers by allowing them to spread their payments out over time and better plan their spending.”

Layaway made a big comeback during the holidays last year. Many retailers, including Kmart, heavily touted their programs.

According to Kmart, interest in layaway is even higher this year: The retailer said online trends showed that the word “layaway” had more than double the interest this August than in the same month last year.

Online layaway is also available at sister company Sears.

-- Andrea Chang

No need to go to the store any more to lay away items like this customer at the Kmart in Burbank did last fall. The company now has an online layaway program.  (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)