Black Friday, the Friday after American Thanksgiving, is a huge sale day for retailers both online and in-person who typically lower their prices down very low, almost at cost. Some shops, such as electronics stores, offer loss leaders (items near or below cost) to enchant buyers to stand in line very early in order to be the first to purchase these items.
The Black Friday sales drive huge volumes of shoppers to make purchases, which typically generates enough money to put the retailers back “in the black” (that is, “profitable”), as up until then, they may have been previously running a loss (“in the red”).
In 2019, according to Wikipedia, “84.2M people shopped Black Friday“. Forbes wrote there was “$7.2Billion being in digital sales.”
In 2020, with COVID, Black Friday sales look different than in past years, but retailers both online and offline are still hungry. If anything, sale offerings have been moving up in the timeline, as early as, early November.
There will also be more “sales” online than ever before, as small businesses try to get your dollars, and you stay home to avoid germs.
Wait – Is it really on sale?
What seems like a sale, though isn’t always a sale. You really have to know your prices before purchasing.
When going Black Friday shopping, it pays to know your prices; as well as determine your budget; and prioritize, where you want to spend your money, so you don’t get to the end of the Black Friday sale season and find your money spent, and your wishlist still needing to be fulfilled.
Are you ready to shop? In-Person Tips
While most shops have moved away from large group in-person sales, there may be some sales available. Don’t forget to check the hours the store will be having its sale, and if there are any special requirements. Don’t go if you are feeling sick.
If you do shop in-person:
- Wear a mask
- Bring hand sanitizer and tissues, to cleanse your hands after touching objects. If the store offers hand sanitizer, use it before entering the store, and after exiting.
- Make sure you have eaten before going, and if possible, bring water to hydrate yourself.
- I find that I am most susceptible to impulse purchases when I am hungry or thirsty. If your body needs energy (food, water), or sleep your brain will try to fill in almost anything to close the gap.
- Make sure you are well-rested (sleep) before shopping (see comment on #3. above)
- Know your budget. It can be very easy to overspend by credit card both in-person and online
- Bring your shopping list – so you can shop in a focused way and don’t forget anything.
- Dress warmly, and wear comfortable shoes.
- Bring what you need for waiting – a chair, your well-charged phone, and/or a book in case you will be in line, socially distancing, for awhile.
Are you ready to shop online?
Luckily, if you are shopping from your own living room, you will not need to mask up, unless you are with people who are outside of your normal “bubble”.
You will probably already be washing your hands frequently and sanitizing them, and staying 6 feet from friends, and some family, depending on your bubble size.
MUST DOs – Preparation
Before shopping online, make sure:
- You have eaten,
- You are hydrated,
- You’ve been to the restroom (washroom), and
- You are not tired.
Must DOs – Purchasing (i.e Don’t get Cartjacked!)
- Prioritize your purchases, know when Black Friday Sales are going to start. If there are 1 or 2 items that are very popular, determine which item is the most important that you will buy first.
- Create an account ahead of the sale day for the website, and if you are comfortable (not required*), pre-enter payment information so that the transaction is as quick and smooth as possible. *While I write that it’s not required, it does take time to enter payment information, and it can be very stressful to do so when others are interested online, for limited-quantity items.
- Keep your password handy, so you can access your account easily.
- Login to your account on the website Early.
- Do NOT wait until the shop opens to log in, as you will be too late if there is a hard start.
- For example, if the sales start at Midnight Eastern Time, be online and logged into your account on the site 15-30minutes ahead.
- You can even browse the item (and accept cookies).
- Refresh your browser.
- When the sale opens, add your item(s) to the cart, and checkout immediately.
- Then, go back, for the less popular items, and check out again.
Important Notes
NOTE: For very popular or desired items, you must check out immediately to avoid being “cartjacked”. This term, a combination of the words “hijack”, and “cart”, refers to the situation that occurs when another purchaser (who is on the shop’s website at the same time as you), buys the item you want, 1 or 2 seconds, or a part of a second BEFORE you do.
When you do try to check out, the system comes back with an error and tells you that there is “less quantity” or “0 quantity” available for you to buy. If there is “less quantity”, you can still try to check out, but you may have to adjust the quantity in your cart to remove the item(s) not available. Either way, you have missed buying the item you most wanted. If the items are very popular, you may only be able to get them if you check out immediately. You may also have to sacrifice combined shipping to do so.
Losing out on purchasing very popular items can result in cranky kids at Christmas time (not a good mix), and sometimes unhappy “adult” kids too. Imagine, here, having to tell your kid, that you took too long to checkout, and missed the item they have their heart set on this year.
So, do your best to be prepared.
Happy shopping and Good Luck this Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday.