In-Store Black Friday Freebies And Promotional Offers What Shoppers Could Expect In 2019

Introduction

Black Friday has long been associated with deep discounts, doorbuster deals, and extended store hours. In 2019, a significant number of retailers supplemented these standard promotions with free items and in-store giveaways aimed at increasing foot traffic, rewarding early arrivals, and generating excitement. Based on the available sources, shoppers could encounter several different formats of free offers on or around Black Friday: in-store perks such as tote bags or gift cards distributed to early shoppers; mystery scratch-off promotions with variable rewards; “after rebate” freebies that required a purchase and sometimes loyalty program participation; and limited-time free items promoted through coupon programs. Many offers were tied to store loyalty programs or a customer’s ability to present a mobile coupon at checkout, and several had strict per-household limits. Because some retailers began their events on Thanksgiving Day and extended into Friday, coordination of timing—arriving early, verifying eligibility, and understanding program rules—was central to successful redemption.

Important note: Much of the information below reflects 2019 promotions and programs. Retail policies and offer structures change year to year. It is prudent to confirm current promotions directly with the retailer before heading to the store, especially for rewards-based or time-bound giveaways. Additionally, the provided sources indicate that many of the 2019 deals have expired and links were removed after the fact; offers are presented here for reference only.

Promotional Formats and How They Worked

The freebies reported for 2019 spanned several distinct formats. Most were tied to in-store events and early-bird arrivals, rather than online-only offers. Shoppers encountered:

• Early-bird giveaways: select stores distributed free items or gift cards to the first N customers at specified times on Thanksgiving or Black Friday. Typical rules included arriving before opening, being among the first shoppers, and presenting a valid form of identification or a loyalty number when required.

• Mystery scratch-offs: some retailers gave the first shoppers a scratcher card that could reveal varying values, sometimes up to several hundred dollars. In some cases, one winner per store per day was guaranteed.

• After-rebate freebies: some items were effectively free following a mail-in or instant rebate. These offers typically required a minimum purchase and sometimes additional coupon usage. It was common to see a store promotion tied to Kohl’s Cash, in which shoppers earned store credit for spending that could be redeemed on future purchases. This type of arrangement did not generate a net-zero spend in a single transaction but provided store value that effectively funded the free item elsewhere.

• Loyalty-based freebies: certain chain pharmacies and department stores utilized loyalty programs to limit free items to one per household. In some cases, redemption required scanning a loyalty card at checkout and applying specific ExtraBucks or equivalent rewards.

• Doorbuster stacks: in addition to free items, some stores paired the freebies with percentage-off coupons or doorbuster discounts to encourage larger basket sizes. The free item might be a gateway to the discount, or the discount might accompany the freebie for more comprehensive savings.

In many scenarios, the freebie was not a stand-alone zero-cost product; instead, it was a reward that relied on meeting spending thresholds, participating in a loyalty program, or aligning with a store credit mechanism. Understanding whether an item was truly free at checkout, or free after rebate or store credit, made the difference between an effective and a misapplied strategy.

Where Freebies Were Reported in 2019

A number of well-known retailers were noted in the sources as featuring freebies or in-store rewards tied to early-bird arrival, limited quantities, and time-bound windows. These included department stores, pharmacies, home goods retailers, outdoor sporting chains, and mass-market chains. The most detailed mentions involve Belk, CVS, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Butter London, Fleet Farm, Fred Meyer, Half Price Books, Stein Mart, World Market, JCPenney, Cabela’s, Ace Hardware, and Ashley Homestore Furniture.

Belk

Belk’s 2019 plan included two phases. On Thanksgiving, the store opened at 4 p.m. and remained open until 1 a.m., during which the first 200 shoppers received a surprise gift card valued up to $500, with stated values beginning at $5. On Black Friday, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Belk conducted an in-store mystery scratch-off giveaway promising one winner per store each day, with shoppers able to scratch off up to $500. These offerings positioned Belk as a destination for significant early-bird incentives and provided a clear countdown for shoppers planning their arrival.

CVS

CVS featured seven free items during Black Friday 2019 after application of ExtraBucks Rewards and coupons. Possession of a CVS loyalty card was required. The free offers included gum, toothpaste, a box of store-brand acetaminophen, and a 23andMe genetic DNA starter kit. For the DNA starter kit, shoppers could pay $29.99 and receive $29.99 in ExtraBucks Rewards, effectively offsetting the cost. All items were limited to one per household. CVS maintained 24-hour operations in locations where applicable and continued regular hours through Saturday.

Kohl’s

Kohl’s reported two significant changes to Kohl’s Cash in 2019: for every $50 spent, shoppers could earn $15 instead of the usual $10. Many freebies were linked to Kohl’s Cash offers, giving shoppers opportunities to leverage earned store credit to obtain selected freebies. The store’s couponing environment supported stacking that could yield free items within broader doorbuster sales. The precise free items tied to Kohl’s Cash varied and were accessed via the retailer’s coupons.

Macy’s

Macy’s offered 13 “after rebate items” in 2019, limited to in-store shopping. The freebies list included a Bella 1.5-quart slow cooker, select freshwater pearl studs, Isaac Mizrahi Loves Sesame Street plush, select plush throws, and Sedona frying pans. Additional categories such as bath rugs, bedding, cookware, jewelry, and clothing could be accessed via doorbuster deals to achieve free status after rebate. The structure suggested a purchase-first, rebate-followed model, likely requiring mail-in or instant rebates depending on item eligibility. Access to free items could be supported by applicable Macy’s coupons.

Butter London

Butter London ran a Black Friday buy-one-get-one-free promotion through PennySaviour in 2019. Shoppers could use a “BOGO” promo code at checkout to apply the offer. Because this appears to be a brand-specific retail coupon program rather than an in-store freebie, access required copying and pasting the code into an online checkout.

Fleet Farm

Fleet Farm offered free toys to the first 500 customers. Store hours on the cited day were closed. A later window was noted as 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Given the free toy distribution, arriving early was essential to qualify for the giveaway.

Fred Meyer

Fred Meyer planned to give a free gift card to the first 100 customers, with free coffee, juice, and doughnuts available to early arrivals. Store hours were regular, noted as 5 a.m. to the regular close. The plan combined a reward and hospitality for the first shoppers.

Half Price Books

Half Price Books announced that the first 100 customers would receive a free tote and a $5 gift card. One person per store would also receive a $100 gift card. The store opened at 9 a.m., indicating that shoppers needed to be in line well before opening to qualify for the tote and gift card.

Stein Mart

In 2019, Stein Mart reportedly gave scratch-off tickets worth $5, $25, or $100 to the first 100 shoppers. The company also ran a unique promotion in which a hanger with a gold sticker was hidden; the first shopper to find it could receive $500 or $5,000. Hours for the cited day were closed, with a later window of 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. This mix of high-value concealed giveaways and guaranteed minimum rewards made Stein Mart a notable stop for early-bird shoppers.

World Market

World Market previously offered a free tote bag to the first 100 customers along with a $10 gift certificate. While the source indicated an intent to continue a similar promotion in 2019, the exact 2019 plan was not confirmed. Shoppers should have expected an early-bird tote and gift certificate based on prior-year precedent.

JCPenney

JCPenney offered coupons worth up to $500 off to early customers on Thanksgiving, with the store opening at 2 p.m. While not strictly a free item, the coupons functioned as a high-value promotional incentive for shoppers who arrived early.

Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops

Cabela’s invited shoppers to be among the first 600 in line by 5 a.m. on Friday, November 24, to enter to win over $8,000 in prizes. Bass Pro Shops / Cabela’s also appeared in a separate list that referenced a similar first-600-in-line entry, reinforcing the prize-entry structure and early arrival requirement.

Ace Hardware

Ace Hardware’s plan involved sign-up for ACE Member Rewards, after which the company emailed a $5 coupon. The promotion was located on page 12 of the retailer’s ad, indicating that shoppers needed to enroll in the loyalty program to access the coupon.

Ashley Homestore Furniture

Ashley Homestore Furniture announced that on Friday, the first 500 customers would receive a scratcher, with one lucky winner at each location winning $5,000. This type of scratch-off event paired limited quantities with a large grand prize, encouraging early arrival and large volumes of early shoppers.

Eligibility Rules and Redemption Steps

For the freebies described in the sources, the eligibility requirements varied by retailer and offer type. Most early-bird giveaways required arriving before the store opened, being among the first N customers, and sometimes presenting a loyalty card or ID. Below are the most common requirements and step-by-step processes observed in 2019:

• Early-bird arrival: many stores allocated free items or gift cards only to the first N shoppers. Shoppers needed to be in line before the posted opening time and remain in the queue until the store opened. Failure to arrive early typically disqualified a shopper from the giveaway.

• Loyalty program enrollment: several offers required active enrollment in the store’s loyalty program. In some cases, enrollment alone granted access to coupons (Ace Hardware), while in others, scanning the loyalty card at checkout was mandatory to unlock freebies (CVS).

• Per-household limits: limits were commonly set to one free item per household. This restriction was explicitly noted for CVS’s freebies.

• Purchase requirements and after-rebate freebies: Macy’s 13 items required in-store shopping and were free only after rebate. Kohl’s offered higher Kohl’s Cash for spending and tied several freebies to Kohl’s Cash promotions. These models implied that shoppers should plan for minimum spend levels, save receipts, and submit any required mail-in rebates within specified deadlines.

• In-store scratch-offs and concealed giveaways: Stein Mart’s scratch-off cards provided guaranteed minimum rewards to the first 100 shoppers, while the hidden hanger game offered significant cash prizes to the first finder. Shoppers needed to be present and ready to search or accept scratch-off cards promptly to participate.

• Coupon stacking: many offers suggested that freebies could be enhanced or made more accessible via store coupons or doorbuster stacking. Using the correct coupon at checkout was often critical to achieving “free” status or unlocking additional discounts.

• Hours and timing: Because several retailers opened on Thanksgiving Day (e.g., Belk at 4 p.m. and JCPenney at 2 p.m.), shoppers needed to treat Thanksgiving as an active shopping day. The early Friday window also mattered, especially for retailers with limited quantities and early opening times (Fred Meyer at 5 a.m.; Cabela’s first 600 in line by 5 a.m.).

In practice, the steps to redeem a freebie often followed this sequence:

1. Confirm the retailer’s freebie plan in advance by checking the store’s ad and loyalty communications.
2. Identify whether the offer is early-bird, scratch-off, after-rebate, or loyalty-based.
3. If the offer is early-bird, calculate arrival time based on the store opening and expected queue length; bring an ID if required.
4. If the offer relies on loyalty, enroll prior to the event and ensure the card is accessible on a mobile device or physically present.
5. For after-rebate freebies, review the rebate form requirements, submit within the timeframe, and retain purchase receipts.
6. For scratch-offs or concealed giveaways, be prepared to accept cards or search upon store opening and follow staff instructions.
7. Use store coupons or doorbuster discounts to stack savings where applicable.

These steps, when planned ahead, helped maximize redemption success rates and avoided last-minute issues at the checkout counter.

Timing and Early Arrival: Thanksgiving and Black Friday Windows

Time-bound distribution was a defining feature of the freebies in 2019. Several retailers initiated promotions on Thanksgiving Day and extended into Black Friday:

• Belk: Thursday, November 28, 4 p.m. to 1 a.m.; Friday, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• JCPenney: Thanksgiving opening at 2 p.m.; coupons up to $500.
• CVS: 24-hour locations open; regular hours continue through Saturday.
• Fred Meyer: Friday opening at 5 a.m.; regular close thereafter.
• Half Price Books: Friday opening at 9 a.m.
• Stein Mart: Friday window 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Fleet Farm: Early hours noted as 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.; free toy to first 500 customers.
• Cabela’s: Be among the first 600 in line by 5 a.m. Friday.
• World Market: Prior-year precedent for first 100 customers receiving tote and $10 gift certificate.
• Ashley Homestore Furniture: First 500 customers receive scratcher; one winner per location gets $5,000.

Because quantities were strictly limited, early arrival was essential. Shoppers seeking free items or high-value scratch-offs needed to plan their route, map out store openings across multiple locations, and factor in traffic and lines. In many cases, arriving 60 to 90 minutes before opening was a pragmatic baseline, especially for stores with hundreds or fewer slots.

Catalog of Reported 2019 Freebies and Conditions

Based on the sources, the following summary covers the free items and promotional mechanics reported in 2019. Specific quantities, hours, and limits are noted where available:

• Belk

  • Thursday, Thanksgiving: first 200 shoppers receive surprise gift card valued up to $500, starting at $5.
  • Friday: mystery scratch-off giveaway; one winner per store per day; scratch-offs can be worth up to $500.
  • Store hours: Thursday 4 p.m.–1 a.m.; Friday 6 a.m.–10 p.m.

• CVS

  • Seven free items available after ExtraBucks Rewards and coupons.
  • Free offers include gum, toothpaste, store-brand acetaminophen, 23andMe genetic DNA starter kit.
  • For DNA starter kit: pay $29.99, receive $29.99 in ExtraBucks Rewards.
  • Requires CVS loyalty card; limited to one per household.

• Kohl’s

  • Earn $15 in Kohl’s Cash for every $50 spent (instead of $10).
  • Kohl’s Cash tied to several freebies; coupons support free item access.
  • Requires coupon usage and participation in Kohl’s program.

• Macy’s

  • 13 after-rebate free items available in-store.
  • Examples: Bella slow cooker, freshwater pearl studs, Isaac Mizrahi plush, plush throws, Sedona frying pans.
  • Additional categories: bath rugs, bedding, cookware, jewelry, clothing accessible via doorbuster deals to achieve free after rebate.
  • Requires coupons and in-store shopping; purchase followed by rebate.

• Butter London

  • Buy-one-get-one-free Black Friday sale via promo code “BOGO”.
  • Apply at checkout through PennySaviour.

• Fleet Farm

  • Free toy for first 500 customers.
  • Store hours noted; arrival early required.

• Fred Meyer

  • First 100 customers receive free gift card.
  • Free coffee, juices, and doughnuts for early shoppers.
  • Store hours: Friday 5 a.m. to regular close.

• Half Price Books

  • First 100 customers receive free tote and $5 gift card.
  • One person per store wins $100 gift card.
  • Store opens at 9 a.m.

• Stein Mart

  • First 100 shoppers receive scratch-off tickets worth $5, $25, or $100.
  • Hidden hanger with gold sticker offers $500 or $5,000 to the first finder.
  • Store hours: Friday 7 a.m.–10 p.m.

• World Market

  • Prior year: free tote bag to first 100 customers with $10 gift certificate.
  • 2019 specifics not confirmed; likely similar early-bird gift.

• JCPenney

  • Coupons up to $500 off for early Thanksgiving shoppers.
  • Store opens at 2 p.m.

• Cabela’s / Bass Pro Shops

  • Be among first 600 in line by 5 a.m. Friday to enter to win over $8,000 in prizes.
  • Entry-based giveaway.

• Ace Hardware

  • Sign up for ACE Member Rewards to receive $5 coupon via email.
  • Coupon located on page 12 of ad.

• Ashley Homestore Furniture

  • First 500 customers receive scratcher.
  • One winner per location wins $5,000.

This catalog highlights the variety of freebies, ranging from low-value items and tote bags to substantial cash prizes. The mechanisms—early arrival, loyalty enrollment, coupon stacking, and after-rebate fulfillment—determined whether a shopper could successfully redeem a free item.

Preparation Checklist for Black Friday Freebies

Planning and preparation greatly influenced the likelihood of successfully obtaining freebies in 2019. Based on the sources, shoppers could follow a practical checklist:

• Identify target retailers and their freebie mechanics in advance.
• Confirm store hours and opening times, including Thanksgiving openings and Black Friday early hours.
• Enroll in required loyalty programs prior to the event (CVS, ACE Member Rewards, Kohl’s).
• Verify whether offers are early-bird only and, if so, calculate arrival time based on expected line length.
• Bring ID and loyalty card (or ensure mobile app access) to streamline checkout.
• If the freebie is after-rebate, review rebate terms, obtain forms, and prepare to mail or submit online within deadlines.
• Gather necessary coupons and confirm whether stacking is allowed.
• For scratch-offs or hidden giveaways, be ready to participate promptly upon store opening and follow staff directions.
• Consider route planning to hit multiple early-bird stores, factoring in drive time and store proximity.
• Monitor store communications for any last-minute changes to timing, quantities, or eligibility.

This approach addressed the most common pitfalls—missing loyalty requirements, underestimating line lengths, and overlooking timing windows—that could otherwise derail a freebie plan.

Conclusion

In 2019, Black Friday freebies took multiple forms: early-bird gifts to the first shoppers, mystery scratch-off promotions, after-rebate freebies, loyalty-based free items, and doorbuster stacking. Shoppers who prepared—enrolling in loyalty programs, confirming eligibility rules, and arriving early—were positioned to capitalize on these offers. Department stores like Belk and Macy’s used in-store events and rebates to offer free items, while pharmacies such as CVS employed loyalty-driven freebies with household limits. Home goods retailers, sporting chains, and specialty stores introduced unique mechanics such as concealed high-value prizes and large grand prizes tied to scratch-offs. Because many of these promotions were time-sensitive and quantity-restricted, arriving early, aligning with store hours (including Thanksgiving openings), and understanding each retailer’s specific process were decisive.

Given that the sources report many 2019 deals have expired and links were removed, shoppers should treat the information as historical. For current-year events, it remains essential to check official ads, loyalty program communications, and in-store signage, and to verify eligibility and expiration details directly with each retailer.

Sources

1. Pennysaviour Blog: Black Friday Freebies
2. eSavings Blog: In-Store Black Friday Freebies 2019
3. Actually Free: Black Friday Freebies 2019