Black Friday Nears
Black Friday is a few short weeks away. Will you be ready?
If you’re like me, you look forward to Black Friday and all the bargains that come with it. I have a mental list of all the stores where I shop each year during the Black Friday madness, and I’ll make an actual shopping list on Thanksgiving Day.
Thanks to the Internet (and likely to the dismay of retailers), many Black Friday sale ads are posted days before the big day arrives, so you can get a good sneak peak at the deals to be had. You’ve got to be quick, though—retailers are very aware of the “Black Friday” sites and have used their muscle (aka attorneys) to have the ads immediately removed.
Black Friday isn’t what it used to be, though. More people buy online than ever before to avoid the stress, long lines and pushy crowds that can mar the whole shopping experience. Retailers are extending door-buster sales through the Thanksgiving weekend, and even creating new ways to offer super deals on other days, as well as online-only bargains.
I might not spend less this year, but I am planning on spending smarter. Retailers are desperate to get you to spend your holiday budget in their stores, and price wars are already breaking out. So this year, I’m going to do my research and make sure I’m getting the rock-bottom, out-the-door best price! If that means getting up at 3:30 a.m. instead of my usual 4:30 a.m. to start the Black Friday shopping frenzy, so be it.
Here are some ways you can prepare for that shopping frenzy, too:
1. Organize: Make a list of the stores you want to visit, and what items are on sale at each location.
2. Eat: Whether it’s a baggie of dry cereal or a package of mini-donuts; you need to have sustenance to keep you going.
3. Bring backup: Friends and family can split up and cut the shopping time in half—and help you carry the bags, too!
4. Be nice: The craziness is not the checkout clerks’ fault, so don’t chew them out if something rings up at the wrong price, or if one of the store’s door-busters is out of stock.
5. Have fun: Black Friday is supposed to be the kickoff of the holiday shopping season, so don’t let it stress you out. Enjoy it!
Rebecca Miller
Product Analyst