Tips for Black Friday Shopping

In many cities it is not uncommon to see shoppers lined up hours before stores with big sales open. Once inside, the stores shoppers often rush and grab, as many stores have only a few of the big draw items. Electronics and popular toys are often the most sought-after items and may be sharply discounted. Because of the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds, many choose to stay home and avoid the hectic shopping experience. The local media often will cover the event, mentioning how early the shoppers began lining up at various stores and providing video of the shoppers standing in line and later leaving with their purchased items. Traditionally Black Friday sales were intended for those shopping for Christmas gifts. For some particularly popular items, some people shop at these sales in order to get deep discounts on items they can then resell, typically online.

This excerpt from Wikipedia paints a typical scenario for the Black Friday Shopper. In addition, I would remind people about the waiting outside in cold weather, the rushing into the store and being trampled by other people, and the quantity purchasing limitations imposed by the retailer as an act of “fairness” as a few reasons why some people avoid this shopping day.

Even though it’s far easier to shop online in order to avoid the inevitable hoopla & drama that comes from dealing with other people, sometimes there are great deals to be had … sometimes you must charge the battlefield. If you’re one of the brave souls, read on.

1. Obtain a newspaper. If you already have a newspaper subscription, then wake up early on Thanksgiving Day and bring your newspaper inside. While grocery stores and convenience stores sell daily newspapers, they tend to disappear — fast. This leaves desperate would-be shoppers little choice than to grab the newspaper from your front lawn. Call it silly. Call it desperate. But it happens.
2. Browse through the paper to find interesting items. Retailers tend to spend more money inserting full page ads and providing additional door-buster information.  In addition, retailers provide their opening time for the day after Thanksgiving, and they tend to give purchasing and quantity limitations.
3. Make a list & collaborate with friends and family. Take a pair of scissors and cut out the ads that have gotten your attention. Glue the cut outs to a piece of paper in the order of desirability. Collaborate with family and friends when there are two items of equal desirability being sold at two or more different locations.
4. Browse the online version of retail stores for special deals. Since supply and demand applies both to internet stores and to traditional retail outlets, have an idea of what you want to buy, where it is being sold, and when it goes on sale. Even with internet stores, it is commonplace to have special items sell out within a matter of seconds or minutes. Be prepared or be prepared to wait.

Don’t be afraid to consult Google.

For reference, here is Amazon.com’s Black Friday 2007 page.