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Should I go Black Friday shopping in-store or online?
MINNEAPOLIS — Black Friday has been a holiday shopping tradition for decades, but a lot has changed in recent years.
Retail experts say online shopping has grown to the point where most retailers now offer the same deals both in-store and online.
“You may find here and there a doorbuster deal at a store that isn’t available online, or an online exclusive that is not available in stores, but for the most part, you’re going to find the same prices anywhere and everyone,” Consumer Reports analyst Samantha Gordon said.
Managers at Target say all their holiday deals will be available both in-store and online this year.
“Our guests have a multitude of options now to shop. They can do the in-store experience, which a lot of our guests who are traditionalists love to do. You can also do pick-up. You can do ship from the store, you can do same-day service though Shipt. There are so many options for our guests,” Edina Target store director Rich Dean said.
With so many options, which is the best for you?
Analysts say online shopping offers convenience and an easier ability to compare prices across multiple retailers.
However, analysts say in-store shopping offers unique customer experiences that can never be replicated online.
For example, with in-store shopping, a holiday shopper can pick out a new TV, see the picture quality in-person and then bring that TV home and set it up the same day.
Analysts say in-store shopping is also a great option for shoppers who are having a difficult time finding gifts for friends and family members because they can see the countless products on the shelves and generate gift ideas.
“It’s really up to you and how you like to shop. There are just so many options right now. Shoppers can create their own custom experience that fits their needs,” Gordon said.
Some shoppers are leery of visiting a physical store during Black Friday because they don’t like crowds.
Dean said the crowds have been smaller in recent years with more customers moving online, so one might assume the in-store experience may be less crowded than remembered.
“The excitement of Black Friday is still there. We don’t necessarily see the same crowds that we used to have in terms of waiting outside, but we still get a lot of excitement with guests who want to come in, touch and feel the product, and get that store experience we can provide,” Dean said.
Several major retailers are also offering deeper discounts during the month of December this year to give shoppers more time to shop and more time to spread out their purchases.
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Minnesota voters approve extending lottery funds to environment
Voters first approved the constitutional amendment back in 1988.
ST PAUL, Minn. — Voters in Minnesota overwhelmingly said yes to a constitutional amendment that renews the use of proceeds from the Minnesota Lottery for environmental projects and causes across the state.
The Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund was up for renewal in the 2024 election. About 77.5% of constituents voted yes, renewing the source of funding until 2050 and additionally, increasing the dollars that can be spent annually from this fund, according to the Associated Press.
With 99% of the vote reported, only 16.2% of voters said no to the amendment.
Minnesota voters first approved the constitutional amendment in 1988, opting to dedicate a portion of lottery proceeds to the fund. Each year since the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources has worked to help disperse that funding for projects that reflect Minnesota’s love of the outdoors and preservation of the environment.
Those projects have included research on drinking water, wastewater and air quality. They have also helped fund new parks, trails and campsites; supported loon and bison populations; and fostered outdoor activities. Lottery proceeds have provided more than $1 billion since 1988.
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Special election gives control of Minnesota State Senate to Dems
DFL Sen. Kelly Morrison resigned her seat to run for Congress, prompting a special election.
MINNETONKA, Minn — The stakes were high in west metro suburbs going into this election. Voters in Senate District 45 had a special election to determine the balance of power in St. Paul.
Voters in the district chose DFLer Ann Johnson Stewart with 52.43%% of the vote, over Republican Kathleen Fowke, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State.
This was the only Senate District with an election Tuesday. The other 66 districts won’t be in play until 2026, because senators currently serving were elected to four-year terms back in 2022. But DFL Sen. Kelly Morrison resigned her seat to run for Congress, prompting a special election to replace Morrison in SD45 the same day as the November 5 General Election.
Morrison’s departure left the chamber deadlocked at 33 Democrats and 33 Republicans. Now, when lawmakers come back for the 2025 Session, the DFL will have a one-seat advantage.
Johnson Stewart is a civil engineer who served a two-year term in 2021-2022 Legislature. As a result of redistricting in 2022, she ended up in the same district as Morrison, who won the DFL endorsement in SD45.
She told KARE 11 in an October interview she wants to solve the water supply and wastewater treatment issues in the district, which wraps around Lake Minnetonka.
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Minnesota college students excited to vote for the first time
Steve Simon visited a polling location at the Lakeville Water Treatment Facility on Tuesday morning.
LAKEVILLE, Minn. — Leading up to Election Day, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon said he’s hopeful for two things: high voter turnout and low drama. Speaking from a polling place in Lakeville Tuesday morning, Simon said that’s exactly what he’s seeing at polling locations across the state.
When polls opened at 7 a.m. on Election Day, Simon said more than 1.2 Minnesotans had already voted absentee and by mail.
“It’s a good day to be a Minnesotan,” he said. “We were number one in America for three out of the last four elections including the last presidential election, and we want to get back to number one, back to that top spot, today.”
As of Tuesday morning, the Secretary of State’s office said about 128,000 absentee ballots had not yet been returned. Simon urged anyone who has not returned their absentee ballot to deliver it in person or have someone they trust to deliver it on their behalf.
Dakota County Director of Elections Michelle Blue said roughly 40% of voters in the county voted early.
Still, the line to vote at the Lakeville Water Treatment Facility was constant and steady Tuesday morning. Despite a soggy start to Election Day, many people stepped outside to cast their ballots — some for the very first time.
“This is my first time voting, so it’s really exciting,” St. Olaf College student Rylan Nakamura said. “We have a polling place at St. Olaf College, so it made it really accessible and easy, and it was really exciting.”
St. Olaf is a campus well-known for encouraging civic engagement. On Oct. 28, the Secretary of State recognized the school for having the highest voter turnout of any college in Minnesota during the previous election.
Simon reiterated that Minnesota’s election results should be readily available by Wednesday morning. However, that is likely not the case for several other states.
“It’s no surprise that in those battleground states, they will be counting into tomorrow and the next day and maybe the next day,” Simon said. “It’s not a sign that someone did anything wrong. It’s not a sign that there’s any unlawful activity. It’s a sign that they’re following their state laws, and I just want to condition everyone and talk about that in terms of expectations.”
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