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Like clockwork, the most anticipated discount shopping event of the year is upon us - is there anyone in the 21st century who does not actively look forward to Black Friday sales? Most people start saving up as soon as they have recovered from the expenses of the festive season, in preparation to grab good deals on gadgets, home appliances and even luxury fashion items.
Although, 2020 has been a difficult year, it appears that shopping habits remained the same, and in some cases even improved with certain industries seeing retail sales numbers doing better than they did in 2019. Last year, the UK retail industry was hit by record low sales numbers leaving retailers scrambling to maximise profits.
This year, even with the Covid-19 pandemic, U.S. retail sales surpassed numbers of last year, for example, August 2020 retail sales numbers was 2.7% higher than that of August 2019, according to Marketplace.
Sadly, this means there is no guarantee that retailers will be unusually generous due to the Covid-19 pandemic, so, if you were expecting Black Friday discounts this year to be more generous than usual, you might be disappointed. Now that you know it might very well be business as usual, the next step is to get clued up on being able to distinguish actual doorbusters from the many other gimmick discounts that often saturate this popular end of year shopping event.
ONLINE DEALS ARE JUST AS REWARDING
Making a list, tracking price drops and adjusting your budget accordingly is easiest when you can do it on your mobile device, in the comfort of your own space. These days you can find multiple Black Friday deals from various brands all in one place, so why not capitalize on it. More so, in some cases similar to Walmart Black Friday preparations, various other discounted offers are regularly advertised leading up to the big sale to keep customers enthused.
Online shopping is especially convenient during this period because this way you are able to avoid the disorientation that accompanies the chaos of in-store Black Friday shopping. You are able to stay on top of everything – i.e. buying only items on your list, staying within budget and most importantly avoiding impulse spending.
YOU HAVE TO DO PRICE COMPARISONS WAY AHEAD OF TIME
Price comparisons are the backbone of making real savings on items you buy during any sale season. If you had no idea how much an item costs, at least a month before, it is easy for retailers to trick you. Retailers will often indicate an actual price compared against the Black Friday discounted price of an item, but the trick is to look through their website to take note of the real value of the items you plan to buy.
Sometimes, retailers may inflate the actual price point to create the illusion that the slash in price is massive, what you don’t know is that it never cost that much to begin with. A steal is only as good as your knowledge of the true value of the items!
LOOK OUT FOR DISCOUNTED ITEMS IN POOR CONDITION
The rush surrounding in-store Black Friday sales often means that lots of items usually get mishandled by excited customers. Retailers want to clear out all the items that go on sale during this period and this means that they will leave even defected items out on the floor. It is difficult, if not impossible, to exchange or receive a refund from items bought on sale, so, it is important that you carefully examine all the items you pick-up in-store before leaving. Do not compromise on ensuring that you are paying for high-quality items no matter the discount.
The reality is that Black Friday shopping can be overwhelmingly loaded with pitfalls because retailers are more invested in selling out their products fast than with satisfying customers. To get ahead, you have to be armed with the necessary tips and secrets – if you plan well ahead of time, you can conveniently compare prices and shop online, and where the need arises, dash to a few stores to buy items that are actually on your list.
This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes
