This is the time of year near U.S. Thanksgiving when I start to see “black”– starting with the wack of flyers I receive. This ritual of Black Friday shopping also marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Retailers peddle last year’s products and clearance items to consumers so they can hit their sales targets. Is it a boon or a bust? Good way to get cheap Christmas gifts, but this sales tactic is getting “old”. Here are some cautionary tips before you go on a crazy spending spree.
Shop online instead
If your time is precious and you don’t feel like driving from one store to the next, buy your product online. Most brick-and-mortar stores will have e-commerce-friendly websites advertising the same products. A lot of times websites will go live early so there is no need to line up at 6 am. Large e-commerce websites sites like Amazon and electronic stores advertise several days before in anticipation of Black Friday. For little or no shipping cost, you can have it delivered to you in the comfort of your “EZ-Chair”. No traffic jams and worrying about finding a parking spot either! The only issue you may find is some products i.e. door-crashers may only be available in-store. To save time and hassle, I check out the flyers in advance.
Is it a good deal?
Don’t get caught up with the large marked-down value compared with the M.R.S.P price. Misleading at times. The original (MSRP) price may be inflated and often the product is an older version or model that they are trying to clear out. They will get excess stock from their supplier (higher volume) and sell it for a competitive price. Clearance bin items usually equate to mediocre or dated products that aren’t selling very well. Sorry, it is likely some cheesy sub-par clearance product made in China. And guess what? There are only 10 items available at each store. Since there is this sense of urgency, the average consumer doesn’t have time to shop around. Chances are the product was offered at this lower price before: Didn’t they have Black Friday sales in July? I’m confused.
What Is your time worth?
I’m not sure about you, but when you work full-time and have children, time is quite precious. No time to fight with the mad rush of shoppers trying to find the best deal: maybe when I was single and had more time and money to burn? Rather pay an extra $5.99 shipping and handling than drive to the nearest store in frigid snowy weather! Electronic retailers like Best Buy normally offer these door-crashers with limited quantities available. You won’t see me waiting in line at 6 a.m. for the store to open.
Target your search
Do your homework and scour the flyers and website before venturing out to the store. Easy to get distracted with all Black Friday sales and promotions. Keep your eyes on the prize or you may end up buying some impulse item. Self-discipline is hard even for me when I get caught up in the excitement and frenzy. Some people have a compulsive shopping addiction to have the latest electronic gadgets and toys. If you are just buying clothes, then you may want to wait till the frenzy slows down. Chances are you will have buyer’s remorse and you won’t end up using the product anyway.
Black Friday is here along with the start of the holiday shopping season. Be wary of these so-called bargain deals and decide whether it is worth the time and effort to join the mad rush of shoppers. Keep in mind that Christmas is around the corner so if there is someone with indiscriminate taste, now is the time to shop. Another option is to shop online for deals. No sense to rush to the store to the lineup at 6 a.m. for mediocre door-crashers! Most Black Friday deals carry over the weekend or even as part of Black Friday Week. Good luck!
