Each year, Americans start preparing for holiday shopping as soon as the Thanksgiving turkeys are destuffed. Every November, businesses release incredible Black Friday discounts on the fourth Friday, and chaos ensues in aisle 4.
With stores dropping prices to historically low levels for just one day, Black Friday enthusiasm gives the idea that every bargain is worthwhile, making it necessary to step over other customers to get to it.
If you’re a serious shopper, you undoubtedly want to know how to get the most out of your Black Friday purchases. How can the greatest discounts be found among all the marketing speak? Is Black Friday truly worthwhile in the end?
The Truth Behind Black Friday
Today’s consumers expect more than simply discounts; they want access to unique goods and a compelling incentive to spend their extra money. Every holiday season, a sea of change can be seen as shoppers’ dependence on extraordinarily steep discounts throughout the busiest shopping weekend of the year gives way to a more “wait and see” attitude towards the deals that stores will be putting on for Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday.
Retailers always have a few gimmicks under their sleeves that will entice customers to visit their physical locations and internet and decide that the discounts are worthwhile after all.
But if you’re not careful, those Black Friday “tricks” might cost you money. So, is Black Friday shopping truly the greatest way to score a Christmas deal?
Yes, in some instances. Although not usually.
For Black Friday, retailers go above and beyond. And not all of them inevitably result in you finding a good deal. You need to first peep behind Black Friday’s magic curtain in order to find the greatest offer.
Let’s delve a bit more deeply.
5 Retail Secrets to Help You Survive Black Friday
1. Retailers want to scare you.
Retailers encourage the Black Friday excitement by using jittery keywords like “while supplies last” and “limited period only.” Retailers create the appearance of scarcity to compel customers to buy without hesitation.
When we think that we have few resources, it’s simple to become overwhelmed by fear. Unfortunately, this leads to a lot of consumers believing they must purchase deals quickly, even when some of those “bargains” aren’t really deals at all.
Retailers also exploit human psychology by emphasizing their sale pricing with frightful, unsettling hues (often red).
Avoid falling for corporate smoke and mirrors to get the greatest price on Black Friday. Make sure the bargain you’re considering is genuinely competitive by comparison shopping with a few different suppliers before you buy (particularly if you’re in the store). If not, you will unwittingly fall into the merchants’ trap.
2. The best deals aren’t always on Friday.
Black Friday is the day to shop online for the greatest prices on TVs, iPads, appliances, and jewelry, but it’s not the best day for all offers.
According to studies, Thanksgiving Day, rather than Black Friday, is the top day for most internet sales. You should shop online on Thursday rather than Friday if you’re searching for deals on laptops, clothing, athletic goods, and video games.
Additionally, most Black Friday specials are accessible all week long rather than just on Friday. If you can get the same offer on Monday night, why battle the crowds on Black Friday?
3. Some of the discounts are illusory.
Let us tell you a little-known fact: the $60 sweater that is currently 50% off was never intended to be purchased for $120. The reduction was already incorporated into the price when the shop stocked it.
On Black Friday, shops mark down items by a significant proportion to give the impression that you are getting a great deal. However, the “sale price” is frequently what they originally meant to sell the item for.
Don’t push yourself to spend money on anything just because “it’ll cost more later.” As an alternative, conduct some research. It’s likely that the “sale price” is really the item’s regular price if you can get the same item for the same “sale price” from multiple other merchants.
4. You don’t have to leave your house.
Shopkeepers adore foot traffic. When you browse a store on Black Friday, your chances of overspending or making impulsive purchases are substantially higher. This is because you are subject to all of the tricks a merchant may play on you in a brick and mortar location.
The pressure of the masses intensifies the sense of shortage, and the flashing red warning signs fill you with fear. Even worse, you can only use the pricing from one seller as a benchmark for price comparisons. The salesperson in a store has you just where they want you.
Fortunately, you don’t have to slog through Black Friday traffic. The same pricing, quantities, and inventories are typically available online. You may even come across exclusive internet offers in some circumstances.
Don’t bother if you can’t muster the willpower to visit the mall on Black Friday. The same deals are typically available while shopping online, but without the intense pressure to overspend.
5. You might not be able to correct a mistake.
During the holidays, shops frequently restrict their return policies. Therefore, if you overspend, it’s possible that you won’t be able to undo it. Even with a receipt, some stores simply provide store credit. Many don’t even take refunds.
You shouldn’t persuade yourself that spending too much on a purchase is okay since you can “simply return it later.” Black Friday regulations may prevent you from returning it at all.
How to Check if a Black Friday Deal is Fake: 4 tips
Stay away from shady bargains this Black Friday. Read on for some tips on how to determine if a bargain is genuine before you make an impulse purchase of a tablet or coffee maker that is on sale.
1. Check the price of the product across multiple websites.
The simplest check you can perform is this one. More than one store may provide a product at a comparable price, but only one store will advertise that the price is a special deal.
For instance, it’s a very clear indication that the price is not a really unique bargain if four stores are offering the identical washing machine for £250, but only one is stating it’s a special offer at “Now £250, was £300.” Of course, if you don’t mind spending $250 on that specific washing machine, go ahead. However, resist the urge to buy it believing you’re getting a deal.
2. Check the price history.
Make a brief list of the items you want to keep an eye out for during the Black Friday discounts, and then check their pricing histories on websites like Pricerunner, PriceSpy, and CamelCamelCamel (only for Amazon).
This will allow you to determine whether the Black Friday deals are indeed exciting.
3. Be wary of ‘was’ prices.
On Black Friday, claims like “was £100, now £50” are common. But don’t be fooled by these “anchor pricing.” Retailers advertise discounts loudly, frequently in red to draw attention, and they may be highly deceptive in their efforts to sway shoppers.
Products are occasionally available for longer periods of time at their reduced price than they did at their full ‘was’ price.
Retailers sometimes cite previous RRPs (recommended retail prices) as “was” pricing, which represent the worth of the product at the time of its first release rather than its current value.
Additionally, Amazon flags even a 1p price drop as a bargain since it shows every price cut as though it were a campaign. It is advisable to compare prices with those of other stores rather than just relying on anchor prices to determine the genuine worth of the item you are purchasing.
4. Look out for notes or signs explaining offers.
Special offer regulations are ambiguous.
In certain cases, if a notice indicating the discount is posted, stores can get away with utilizing “was” pricing that haven’t been in effect for a long time. These kinds of strategies might make offers seem better than they actually are.
The product was only offered at the higher price for a fortnight, six months prior to the present promotion, as can be seen in the notes. If you want to be sure you’re receiving the greatest bargain, it’s important performing some comprehensive research. Sometimes these remarks are clearly marked, but other times they’re entirely buried, meaning you’ll have to wade through mountains of fine print to find ambiguous terminology.
RRPs are not a requirement for all manufacturers, although some do and some prefer to show them on their own websites. Check the manufacturer’s website to determine whether you’re getting a good deal on the RRP before you purchase a product in the sales.