Win $1,000 at Barnes & Noble’s “Discovery Friday” event

by Jennifer Osieczanek · November 13, 2013

NOOK Simple Touch GlowLight by Barnes & Noble.

By Jennifer Osieczanek

Barnes & Noble is getting a jump on the holiday shopping season a week before Black Friday. The bookseller announced its plans for “Discover Friday” — an in-store event on Friday, Nov. 22 — and those plans include the chance for five customers to win $1,000 shopping sprees.

Discovery Friday events will include discounts on some of the company’s NOOK products. The new NOOK GlowLight will be 20 percent off for members, a double discount that takes the price of the e-reader below $100. The NOOK Simple Touch GlowLight, which is regularly $99, will be available on Discovery Friday for $49.

But, Barnes & Noble’s plan to kick off the holiday shopping season isn’t just about the deals. The retailer is planning games, giveaways and storytimes for Discovery Friday. Giveaways include Catching Fire temporary tattoos, Harry Potter commemorative posters, collectible items from The Heroes of Olympus series, The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition coloring book and more.

The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition will be one of three books read during planned storytimes on Discovery Friday. The new holiday classic will be read at 7 p.m. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie will be read at 10 a.m. and The Day the Crayons Quit at 2 p.m.

“Barnes & Noble offers the ultimate holiday shopping experience for customers who enjoy the art of discovery, appreciate the human touch and recognize that the best recommendations don’t come from an algorithm,” Mitchell Klipper, CEO of the Barnes & Noble Retail Group, said in promoting the bookseller’s plan.

“Discovery Friday shines a light on our 40,000 booksellers, undeniably our greatest asset, and also celebrates our customers by bringing the spirit of fun and discovery to their holiday shopping experience. We’ve partnered with the top publishers and hundreds of special guests to create an incredible lineup of events and activities in every one of our stores across the country.”

Those special guests will include bestselling authors, though names and locations for those appearances have not been revealed.

And don’t forget about that shopping spree. By registering at the NOOK counter at your local Barnes & Noble on Nov. 22, you’ll be entered to win one of five $1,000 shopping sprees nationwide.