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These stores have the best Black Friday discounts, new report says
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A new WalletHub report highlighted 10 stores that have the best average percent discounts for Black Friday. - photo by Herb Scribner
Herb Scribner
Deseret News special workflow
Published: Nov 20, 2017, 1:10 PM
Department stores may offer the best average discounts for Black Friday.

According to the National Retail Federation, shoppers in 2016 spent most of their time on Black Friday and Thanksgiving weekend shopping at department stores.

And for good reason. A new WalletHub report highlighted 10 stores that have the best average percent discount on their items for the first weekend of holiday shopping.

The report surveyed close to 10,000 deals across 35 major stores in the U.S. The report also reviewed the stores' ad scans to see the deals.

Heres a quick review of the top 10 stores with their average percent discount:

  • Kohls (66.32 percent)

  • JCPenney (66.3 percent)

  • Belk (62.75 percent)

  • Stage (60.82 percent)

  • ShopKo (55.93 percent)

  • Bealls Florida (52.78 percent)

  • Sears (50.09 percent)

  • Macys (45.58 percent)

  • Fred Meyer Jewelers (43.88 percent)

  • Army and Air Force Exchange Service (37.25 percent)

Meanwhile, Bass Pro Shops had the lowest average discount, with 20.83 percent.

The average overall discount for Black Friday is closer to 37 percent.

To find the best deals, look to apparel and accessories, which have a 28.03 percent average discount. By comparison, consumer goods have a 1.62 percent average discount.

Of course, be wary of shopping on Black Friday in general. As the Deseret News reported, Black Friday is far from the best time of the year to shop for deals. Many embrace it for its cultural impact, with families and friends shopping together during the Christmas season.

But some data suggest the best deals appear on the Monday before Thanksgiving, according to The Wall Street Journal.

"For all the hype, Black Friday isnt the day to find the best deals, according to new data from Adobe Systems Inc., which has collected information on one trillion visits to 4,500 retailing websites since 2008," reported The Wall Street Journal. "Instead, retailers biggest price cuts last year came on the Monday before Thanksgiving, and shoppers who bought items on Thanksgiving Day snapped up the seasons lowest prices."
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
Herb Scribner
Deseret News
Published: Aug 13, 2018, 1:39 PM
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.