L.E.D. Lights Turn Black Friday, Green

"Black Friday" signals the official start of the Christmas buying season.
And whether or not shoppers have returned to pre-recession spending they will always be looking for bargains.
A bit of an investment upfront can turn "black Friday" into "green Friday".

At the IKEA store in Atlantic Station there is a certain buzz.

"Customers are coming in" said IKEA store manager Joe Anastos,"asking specifically today...for L.E.D."

L.E.D....light emitting diode...an alternative to traditional incandescent lighting.
Shawn Venezia was asking for them.

"It's a major investment that I'm making for twenty four units" Shawn Venezia said. "But I think in the long run because of the durability of the lights, it's going to last a lot longer and save more money."

L.E.D. lights cost more than the equivalent incandescent lights.

"This guy here is a buck ninety nine...the one around my neck" Joe Anastos said pointing to a string of lights draped across his shoulders. "A dollar ninety nine. (It) lasts twenty thousand hours. The most expensive strand we've got is fourteen ninety nine. They'll last ten times longer than an incandescent bulb. So your money is really better in the end."

L.E.D. lights use seventy percent less energy than incandescents. And they contain no mercury.

"They're safe because they're cooler" Joe Anastos said. "So they're cool to the touch. Don't have to worry about kids getting burned on them."

L.E.D lights also do not have a filament inside the bulb which can break when hit or burn out from excessive heat and overuse.

And because they're cooler there's little danger that they'll ignite a dried out Christmas tree.

Because of the increasing popularity of L.E.D. lights, in the next five years or so IKEA says it's going to phase out incandescent lights altogether. And the likelihood is the rest of the industry will do that as well.

Ultimately L.E.D lights will come in all colors.
But don't be surprised if the most popular color is green.