How to Make the Most of Black Friday Sales
There is no better time to take advantage of great deals on your favorite merchandise than the day after Thanksgiving, or Black Friday as it is known to most. Even if you’ve never participated in the annual event, you know exactly what it entails. With Christmas right around the corner, thousands upon thousands rush to their local retail and department stores to fight the cold and the crowd with nothing but a little bit of cash and a lot of hope that the item they hope to purchase isn’t sold out by the time they gain entrance to the store. You know you want to get that great gift for that special someone and you want an awesome deal and maybe save a little bit of extra cash, but rushing into a store without a plan on Black Friday is a dangerous mistake that could land you with nothing but disappointment when the day is over. I’ve got a few tips for you, and I think that they are pretty reliable. I’m an associate with a large retail chain, and I can help you save time by showing you the shortcuts to Black Friday shopping.
Tip 1 Budget
As with every other aspect of your life, you should set aside a certain amount of money that you plan on spending that is separate from what you’ll use to purchase things necessary to live. You don’t need to overdo it, but you do need to remember that Black Friday is usually a day where high-dollar products are promoted, so you’ll need more than a twenty in your wallet when you leave your home.
Tip 2 - Research
The next step to organizing your Black Friday experience is to research the different stores in your area that are participating in the event and take note of what products they will be featuring this year. Not every item in every store is marked down, so it’s important to know what products you’re interested in, and if any store in your area (or one that you’re willing to drive to) will carry that product, or one similar. You can find advertisements in your local newspaper, in your mailbox, online, or in the store itself.
Tip 3 List
You make a list on any ordinary day when it’s time to go shopping for groceries, don’t you? You should! After you get an idea of the different stores around you and the items that they will be featuring in their doorbuster sales, make a list of what you hope to purchase, and make your most important item first. A list is a great tool to keep you on track, and can act as a quick reference to what you’re after should you get lost in the excitement of discount shopping. Note that you should keep items in the same store together as a way of managing your time, and follow the list from top to bottom, unless you feel that you could potentially sacrifice losing one item in order to get another.
Tip 4 Prepare for THE Day
You’ve set some money aside, you have done the research, and you know exactly what it is that you’re going after and where to find it. All that’s left to do is wait for Friday and get in the car and go! Well, almost.
Just getting in the car and going isn’t going to get you to the product that you want in time. You’ll have to make a few sacrifices, such as going to bed early on Thanksgiving and forcing yourself up at a terrible hour in the wee morning. Utilizing all of your tools is necessary, so get that coffee pot ready, and organize yourself a bit.
You should get up, wake up, and make yourself presentable. Take some time to go over your list, and rehearse the morning over and over in your head until you’re confident you know what you are going after. Leave the house in a timely manner, making sure you arrive at your first location before the sales begin.
(Note: At the retail chain that I am employed at, our store will stay open twenty-four hours and will put special policies in place to ensure organization and calm. We anticipate a crowd to gather all through the night, and intensify as early as three in the morning. Consider getting to your first location a couple of hours before the sale.)
Tip 5 Manage Your Day
You’re at the store. You’re in a long line somewhere, whether it is outside the building or at a pallet of merchandise. Stay calm, and keep yourself organized!
Most stores will have some sort of organization to their products. When you arrive and are able to enter the store, ask an associate at the door where the products that you are interested in are located. Chances are they are not next to where they usually are on the shelf due to spacing issues, so please note each location carefully. Also, ask if the associate has a map or list of where the products are. You’ll find this to be very useful.
While walking through the store, remember that the people around you are just as crowded as you are, and just want to get in, get their stuff, and get out. Be courteous to everyone, or you could create intense situations that could lead to crowd instability. That’s never a good thing, especially when people are tired and in a hurry.
Walk from item to item on your list, making no stops. There isn’t much time, and you are sure to lose out on a deal if you stop!
When you have gathered everything, make your way to the checkouts. Exhale, and be happy that you have found such amazing deals!
Last Notes and Closing Comments
It will be a hectic day, and you’re sure to get frustrated at some point or another. Just remember to be courteous. Don’t argue, push in line, steal from another cart, stalk individuals with the hopes that they will not be able to pay for their item, disrespect associates, etc. Remember that everyone is just like you, and wants that amazing deal for the holidays!
Have fun, stay safe, and keep to the plan. Organization is the best way to make the most out of Black Friday!
