The National Retail Federation predicts that Americans will spend a whopping $630.5 billion this holiday season, a rise of 3.7%. And Black Friday, the unofficial kickoff to holiday shopping mania, is the busiest shopping day of the year, followed by “Super Sunday” right before Christmas. Well, we’ll wait for statistics about Nigeria next yer as some don’t even know the reason why it’s called Black Friday.
1. Be prepared. Only rookies head for Black Friday shopping without having done their homework. This means studying the ads—in print and online. Black Friday leaks are starting to appear. Some even let you filter your searches by product category. If you spot a great deal at one retailer, check it out on some of the comparison sites mentioned below to make sure you can’t do better elsewhere.
2. Don’t focus on Friday alone. Black Friday has morphed from a single day of deals to a whole month of savings. In fact, many retailers offer specials in the days leading up to Black Friday, so it pays to start early. Come crunch time, this will also help you judge how good those Black Friday sales really are.
3. Be loyal.
Stores often have loyalty programs that offer sales and promotions to their members first, and then let them earn rewards on what they buy. Sign up for Black Friday shopping alerts about coming promotions, coupons, and discounts. In some cases, you can even learn if products you want are in stock or eligible for a buy-online/pick-up-at-store option that saves you on shipping charges.
4. Understand the store policies before you make purchase
Make sure you understand the store’s sale policies. Some shops have separate policies for Black Friday than would normally apply on regular days. Consider policies on returns, use of coupons and price adjustments. Also, find out if you can buy and pay later or you necessarily have to pay online via credit card or other money transfer programs.
5. Divide and conquer
It is important to note that other people are also online trying to get their hands on the same product as you. And in cases where the item is limited in number, you might lose out on your chance in buying that item if you are tied up purchasing other items before it. While this situation is unavoidable with online purchases, it can be curbed. Recruit a friend or two to assist with your shopping for the day. Divide the list so that each person has specific items to buy. Each friend logs on to the shop’s website on different computers and buy whatever item is on their list. This saves time and increases your chances at securing all the deals you are keen on getting.