If you’re one of the many Americans already preparing for holiday shopping, consider Black Friday deals to be a great money-saving tactic. In 2022, it might just be one of the biggest events of the year, according to experts.
Black Friday: More Than A 24-Hour Sale
This year, Black Friday isn’t just the biggest 24-hour sale of the year; it has already transformed into an entire shopping season that includes the whole month of November. “The shape of the holiday season has really started to change,” said Katherine Cullen, senior director of industry and consumer insights for the National Retail Foundation. “We used to see Thanksgiving weekend as the kickoff to the holiday season, but now it’s almost more of a halfway point. By late October or early November, consumers and retailers are in holiday mode.”
Despite the official date for Black Friday being November 25, most retailers have already been putting their products on sale. “Retailers save some of their best deals for Thanksgiving weekend, but when you see early deals on specific products during October or November events, you can assume they’re usually as good as they’re going to get,” Cullen said.
So, amid the whole shopping craze, how can you make sure you’re grabbing the best deals? Vipin Porwal, founder and consumer savings expert at the browser cashback extension Smarty said that home items, toys, electronics, and games are the cheapest during Black Friday. Tech and VR products will go on sale, too, allowing the metaverse community to upgrade and expand their gear. However, don’t rush to buy luxury and beauty items. Porwal says that it’s worth waiting for clothing as well as big appliances, mattresses, and furniture.
Finding the Best Black Friday Bargains
If you want your Black Friday shopping to be the most cost- and time-efficient, make sure to create a shopping list. Don’t just write it down — stick to your choices and don’t go shopping on impulse. It’s easy to lose yourself when surrounded by sales! Next, look into different brands, compare products, and choose those with the best prices.
That said, shoppers should choose the right payment options for different retailers based on their reward programs and cash-back options. For example, Amazon Prime or Walmart+ members can get more cash back when they use a certain credit card during their purchases. Some credit card issuers even add bonuses during the Black Friday sale season. So, look at your credit card rewards and make sure to activate savings before going shopping.
When shopping online, shoppers can also use different price trackers and browser extensions. Everyone already knows about Honey and Cently, which search for coupons and automatically apply them to certain purchases. Thanks to such applications, you can save hundreds of dollars! In addition, using services like PriceBlink allows users to compare prices for the same item on different websites. Likewise, Amazon Assistant and Karma will send notifications when the prices for certain items change. Be aware of price matching and return policies, too, which are incredibly important for clothes and expensive tech products.
Lastly, if the Black Friday season isn’t enough for your shopping, don’t stress. There’s also Cyber Monday right after!
Sources: Money Crushers, NBC