Thanksgiving is about much more than turkey and football games, it is also about the retail industry’s chance to remain a functioning part of the economy by the sales-driven shopping day called Black Friday (deemed so because it takes retailers our of “the redâ€, i.e. debt, and into “the blackâ€, i.e. profits).
Here are some Black Friday shopping tips to maximize your 7am shopping trip.
1. Make a list (and check it twice).
As with any major shopping excursion, assess what you need (and want) by actually spending a few minutes looking over your wardrobe. It is so easy to get caught up in sales and end up buying things that are cute or “great dealsâ€, but not what you need (like buying three more sweaters when you have a closet full of them but only two pairs of dress pants). If you go out with a list, you will better be able to hit the stores you need first, and prioritize your day before you get hit with shopper’s fatigue.
2. Set your alarm clock.
Many stores offer special promotions to lure you into their shops in the early morning (before you blow your budget on something else or are too tired to step foot in one more store). Many offer a discount that coincides with a specific timeframe (such as “get an extra 20% before 10amâ€). Therefore, take a quick power walk around the mall when you first get there and note which stores offer such a deal and make sure to get to them before the special sale is over (and everything has been picked through). Don’t let an extra hour of sleep come between you and a sold-out item.
3. Prioritize.
Know what you want before you and where you need to go to get it. If there are must-have items on your list, get them first, and save browsing for last. This will keep you on-task and help avoid the temptations of unnecessary purchases (though if you see something you love, now is the time to treat yourself).
4. Buy the brands you know…
…or at least have heard of…or you have a personal recommendation (blogger recommendations count) about… because if you’ve never heard of the brand, you won’t be able to gauge whether or not you are getting a real deal. The more familiar you are with the brand of the product, the more you will be able to know if the product wouldn’t normally go on sale (at least, not on sale for that much percentage off).
5. Most of all, have fun and don’t fret.
Stores do restock their shelves and racks, so even if you miss out on something this time around, the opportunity will come again. Remember to LOVE the item exactly AS IT IS- not if it were just another color, or size, or sleeveless or shorter, or some other kind of alteration. If you don’t love it as it is, wait for something that you do love, even if it means spending four hours at the mall and walking out without any shopping bags. Don’t settle for something because it is “on sale†– would you rather have three $30 so-so tops or one $90 top that gives you a tingly feeling every time you see it?
And please, don’t be one of those people who trample over the sales staff when the doors open, because that’s just wrong.
-Ali