6 Tips for Black Friday Shopping Success
For some families it’s not a Thanksgiving holiday without a post-meal strategic planning session. Store ads are laid out, shopping lists are optimized, routes are mapped, and an attack plan is formed, all with military-esque precision. Because once pie is finished, Thanksgiving is over and Black Friday begins.
To those who spend Thanksgiving evening doing things like spending time with family or attempting to make the perfect leftover turkey sandwich, Black Friday shoppers are a head scratcher. An estimated 140 million Americans plan to go shopping and spend an estimated $616.9 billion in November and December, according to the National Retail Federation. What motivates these shoppers to rise before dawn and battle crowds all in pursuit of a great deal?
The allure of a bargain speaks to our human nature! Ads also play into other motivating factors by creating a sense of urgency. The limited-time deals on Black Friday can be very effective in enticing holiday shoppers to the cash register with a cartful of goodies.
For some shoppers going out on Black Friday is as much a social experience as it is a buying mission. Friends and family members treat it as a bonding experience and enjoy the tradition of heading out on retail’s most thrilling shopping day.
Are you ready to join the holiday shopping rush on Black Friday? Here are 6 essential tools for making sure you get the best deal and survive the weekend.
BlackFriday.com allows you to view and compare Black Friday deals well in advance of the big day. This site is well organized and is a popular one-stop shop for browsing the flyers in the days just before Black Friday.
Twitter is an underappreciated Black Friday tool. Follow the accounts of all the stores you’re interested in and be on the lookout for tweets with instant deals and other valuable information. Having trouble finding the hot Christmas toy that’s sold out everywhere? A search for #BlackFriday and the name of the toy will help you connect with fellow shoppers.
Fat Wallet’s Black Friday page is best for keeping abreast of last-minute changes, unannounced sales and other quick information that will help you plan a successful shopping excursion.
DealNews.com filters Black Friday deals by specific Category and has a helpful Editors’ Choice section which promises, “Deals so good, we probably bought one for ourselves.” On the go? Download the DealNews mobile app in the Apple and Google Play stores.
Google Keep is the best way to organize your list of gift ideas for each friend and family member in one easy-to-navigate tool. Use it to build the shopping list at each store you plan to visit and backup items if the gifts you want are sold out.
PriceGrabber.com should be your go-to price comparison site and mobile app. Not sure if you’re actually getting a good deal? You can check an item to see what the normal prices are to figure out exactly how good that Black Friday sale truly is.
Amazon.com is the best choice for those of us who want to enjoy the Black Friday sales from the comfort of our own home. The online shopping giant runs a huge number of deals throughout the weekend. Make sure you’re on alert for Gold Deals that can sell out in a matter of moments.
Plan ahead, gather your friends and family, and map out your attack route, but beware of getting sucked into the Black Friday frenzy, and be sure that you are in fact getting a deal. Have fun and good luck! 068i0000001KzqE