By Erik Gruenwedel | Posted: 18 Nov 2008
egruenwedel@questex.com

Wal-Mart Stores, which previously has championed the traditional day-after Thanksgiving Black Friday retail sales day, is reportedly set to sell the Magnavox Profile 1.1 Blu-ray player for $128, the lowest retail price for a BD player.

Wal-Mart in July bowed the Magnavox player for $298, which at the time was the least-expensive standalone Blu-ray player (without discounts) available. Wal-Mart back in 2003 created the first day-after-Thanksgiving stampede by offering a Chinese-made DVD player for $29.

The new price was disclosed on Bargainlist.com, one of several Web sites reporting Black Friday pricing from select big box retailers.

The Bentonville, Ark.-based retail behemoth has recently sought to position itself as a go-to destination for Blu-ray. Wal-Mart’s newspaper ads this week advertising the Blu-ray release of DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda touted the retailer as the place to get “the Blu-ray experience” at “unbeatable” prices.

Wal-Mart has been steadily downsizing shelf space for music CDs while increasing availability of Blu-ray and consumer electronics in select locations.

A Wal-Mart representative was not immediately available for comment. Spokesperson Melissa O’Brien Nov. 14 told CNNMoney.com the retailer would release Black Friday “facts directly to consumers” Nov. 24.