Some people look forward to Black Friday all year long and can’t wait to mix it up with the crowds, feel the excitement, and plan their shopping strategy. Some people avoid the crowds altogether and shop online instead. Whatever your style, Owensboro Living has compiled this list of the best Black Friday shopping tips. Happy hunting!
- Bring Ads with You. (From blackfriday.com) Bring sales ads with you so you can have them available if you need to call a store out on their “lowest price guarantee.” Most stores have a policy that will allow them to match or beat a lower advertised price, but will require you to show the ad as proof to process the price difference. Generally speaking, the store policy will not apply to online advertised deals, even in the case of the store website due to online only deals, but you can always print the web page where you saw the deal with the advertised price and give it a shot.
- Do Your Research. (From allyou.com) Several websites post Black Friday ads as soon as they become available―which for some stores is now. Check these sites for the latest deals:
• Dealnews.com (click on the Black Friday tab)
• BlackFriday.info
• Bfads.net - Hint: If you see a great buy, check price comparison sites such as Shopping.com and PriceGrabber.com to see if you can do better elsewhere.
- No Toys! (From Huffington Post) Don’t buy toys on Black Friday. You’re likely to find them cheaper about two weeks before Christmas.
- Shop Online First. (From ConsumerReports.org) Before you brave the crowds at the stores, check to see if the retailer is offering the same—or even better—deals on its website. In past years, some of the biggest retailers have offered online sales during Black Friday week that have included many of the same items offered as part of their in-store Black Friday events and often combined with low- or no-cost shipping deals. And some retailers will offer online exclusives you couldn’t get even by walking into one of their retail locations.
- Get a Gift Receipt. (From ConsumerReports.org) Make returns easier for gift recipients by asking the store for a gift receipt and include it in the gift box. Without a receipt, a refund may be denied outright, or may be limited to only an equal exchange, or to a merchandise credit for the lowest price the item has sold for in the recent past.
- Look for “Door Busters.” (From USA Weekend) Some stores offer door busters, where only the first 50 or 100 people in line get them. Check online, though, because some of those door busters are also offered online.
Lastly, don’t forget to save some energy (and money) for Small Business Saturday so you can “SHOP SMALL; BUY LOCAL” here in Owensboro on Saturday, November 29th. See which local businesses are participating here.
