Black Friday Is Dying and It’s Good
Don’t get me wrong, there are some great deals this time of year. But queuing up for a cheap 55-inch TV? Do not need anymore. Black Friday isn’t what it used to be, and that’s a good thing.
You probably already know that you don’t have to queue to participate in Black Friday. Most retailers offer the same “door sales” online , so why break up the camp in the shopping center in a coma after a turkey? If you’re busy trying to save money, you might think Black Friday (or Cyber Monday) is the only days you’ll find great deals, but that just isn’t the case. Black Friday has turned into nothing more than a marketing phrase, and there are easier options for finding bargains.
Black Friday is not the best time to shop
Last time I checked, Friday was the day of the week, but now Black Friday has turned into a month-long event. Analysts call this the “graying” of Black Friday : the day after Thanksgiving is no longer having such a big impact on the annual income of retailers, because they start Black Friday earlier and earlier.
For example, Best Buy has already started its Black Friday sales , and as Consumerist points out , some retailers start their Black Friday sales as early as July (what the heck?). Aside from the meaninglessness of the phrase itself, it’s a myth that the day after Thanksgiving is the best time to look for deals anyway. As WCPO Cincinnati notes:
No, later they often get lower, and in the week before Christmas they fall even more. Toy prices are lowest in mid-December, and winter clothing is cheapest on the weekend before Christmas. Bottom line: Yes, you can still get great deals on Black Friday. But often you can get the same offers on other days without any hassle. And this way you don’t waste your money.
Of course, this also depends on what you are buying. Overall, November does have some of the best TV and electronics deals , but those deals continue through December , usually all the way to the Super Bowl. In fact, superbowl deals are often better, if not just as decent. For example, Sears is offering a 40-inch RCA TV for $ 269 on Black Friday . But earlier this year, they offered the same Super Bowl deal. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy the TV you’ve got your eye on if it’s on sale at this time of year. As Shane Roberts of Kinja Deals points out , it’s hard to summarize the best months to buy things because there are great deals throughout the year. The point is, there is no need to plan your life around trading days.
If you really love bargain shopping, start shopping early. This summer, for example, there was a massive jewelry sale on Amazon. I stocked up on Christmas gifts and half of my purchases were made at a bargain price. The sooner you start shopping (and get ready ), the more benefits you will have after Black Friday. Kinja Deals are great for all year round deals . They take their trades very seriously and keep track of prices all the time, so when they post something, you know it’s a legitimate trade.
Many Black Friday offers fail
If the deal seems incredible, it usually is. There are several ways retailers manipulate you on Black Friday:
- Things from other brands : Oh, is this 55-inch TV selling for $ 200? Sounds great at first, until you find out that this is a brand that no one has ever heard of, or one that no one needs because it is notorious for its problems. For example, Walmart sold a 60-inch Element TV for $ 499 last year. Great price, but not great quality, according to Consumer Reports .
- Included : For one sale price you can get a new camera, extra batteries, camera bag and SD card. All you needed was a camera, but now you’re spending a hundred extra dollars on freebies that you don’t really need.
- Getting to Know You : In terms of personal finance, Black Friday thrives when you get a high coupon . As good as the deals are, make no mistake, this is a sales tactic aimed at getting you to the door and luring you in with other flash sales so that you end up spending more on impulse than you planned.
Of course, as Roberts says , this is not limited to Black Friday – retailers do it all year round. It helps to simply be aware of how you are being manipulated, but here are some ways to find out if a deal is really a deal and to calculate your costs wisely.
Pre- track price: use tracking tool prices, for example of Red Laser , CamelCamelCamel or InvisibleHand, to check the history of commodity prices. For example, Camelcamelcamel will tell you how low the price of this item has been over the past few years. This way you can see if the Black Friday price you are getting is really good.
Check the price of the manufacturer: CNET’s recommended to go to the manufacturer’s website to find out what is actually the recommended retail price of the goods. Often, retailers cut their deals just to exaggerate how expensive a product was in the beginning.
Separation : check the price of each included accessory. Are the deals that good? Chances are, you can get better quality items for the same price, because in most cases, accessory stores won’t be expensive.
It usually isn’t worth the effort.
Forget camping to save a couple hundred dollars – even searching for deals online can be a waste of time. Saving money is great, but your time and energy are also important. During the holidays, you want to save as much of both as possible in order to enjoy the season without being overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of the day. And there are so many tools out there these days that make it easy to find decent prices that you don’t have to spend hours researching options anyway.
Moreover, even if you miss a deal, many stores will still refund your money for price reductions. So if you buy someone a gift and it goes on sale later, you can still take advantage of the price without worrying about it. Eric Gleeman, founder of the Paribus price reduction tool, said:
Take Macy’s for example. They have a 14-day best price guarantee . This means that any item purchased from Macy’s starting November 13 will be eligible for Black Friday. The time window is different for each major store (usually 7-14 days), but the conclusion is one – you no longer have to shop on Black Friday for discounts on Black Friday.
Here are some ways you can effortlessly take advantage of Black Friday prices.
Get Price Alerts: Instead of waiting for special offers, make a list of the items you want to buy for the holidays and then track those items online . You will receive emails when prices drop, and you will save time and effort by not researching all the trades and pseudo trades .
Get refunded when prices drop : I’m a Paribus fan for automatic price reductions. You link your expense account information, and when you buy something online, if the price of that item drops, Paribus will automatically ask for a refund. This way you can shop and if there is a crazy deal on the same item, your money will be refunded. Many retailers point out that their pricing policy does not apply to the November 27 sale, but again, there will be plenty of Black Friday sales throughout the season.
Stick to Your List : You will likely save a lot more money on gift purchases by making a list within your budget and then sticking to that list. You may be missing out on a trade or two, but you will be better than the 25% of consumers struggling to pay off debt after the holidays.
From time to time on Black Friday, you will see a great deal. They still exist, but since Black Friday starts earlier and consumers become smarter, there is no need to spend a huge amount of time or effort setting prices.