Top Tips About beating Black Friday

By Advie SA Businesses

Black Friday has become an important period for many retailers as they hope offering discounts will boost their profits.                                                                                                                                        

However, there has been increase in consumer demand and competition between retailers during Black Friday. This has led to an overwhelming amount of visitors to online retail sites and chaos in Shopping Malls.

This helps improve the process of sales and online deliveries, deal with competition and satisfy customers’ needs. The retailers are now choosing to run their sales across an extended period, rather than the traditional 24 hours.

In recent years, a number of promotions and offers have started in the days building up to Black Friday. This is a move which has been dubbed “Black Fiver day”.

Some online retailers have been known to start their sales as early as the start of November. They continue across the Black Friday weekend, and concluding on Cyber Monday. 

Retailers are likely to continue this trend in 2020. This is because online sales were strong in the days leading up to Black Friday last year.

Keep an Eye on the Ads and Apps

• Your local newspapers will be stuffed to the brim like a “ZOL” with ads, coupons, and circulars. These advertisements are a major source for local Black Friday savings, so don’t toss it aside as you head for the kitchen. It will also help you organize your day to maximize savings. Above all, many stores offer special discounts that are time-specific, such as early bird sales and doorbusters. 

Many Android and iOS apps are designed to make shopping for the best deals on Black Friday even easier. They can help you find the best place to park at the mall or even the best, least-trafficked route to stores. They’ll alert you when the stores you want to visit have coupons and when special deals are available. They’ll help you compare prices while you shop. 

Research Before Black Friday

Get your research out of the way as soon as possible. If you’re hoping to scoop up a deal on a big-ticket item during the Black Friday sales, look at deals happening at Game, Hi-fi, Kensington Electrical Wholesalers etc. A bad product is a bad deal no matter how cheap it is, and being knowledgeable about the items you want to buy will help you avoid being sucker-punched with loud advertising for iffy deals. 

Compare Prices

Use price-comparison internet shopping sites like Price Checks or Takealot.co.za to assist you in comparing product prices. Compare the “options” included with the product. Some retailers will lowball an advertised price on a stripped-down product and then charge you extra for the necessary parts that will make it perform as expected. A good example of this is super low-priced computer printers that come without the printer ink.

Look for Early Discounts

It used to be that the early-bird shopper would get all the best worms on Black Friday, but now some stores open early. They’ll often advertise doorbuster prices, and there are also midnight madness sales and early-bird specials. Check the list of stores for holiday hours, so you don’t miss a good deal. Also, find out which malls in your area are giving out mall gift certificates based on how much you spend. These gifts can add up to significant savings if you do a lot of your shopping at the same Mall. Most Businesses on SA Businesses such as Signature, Granite, Cut and Craft, Rusty Lady, Hombaze, Berry Foods, Supreme Tech to mention a few are offering unbelievable discounts. Some have started with their discounts early.

Map out the Intended Shops you are Interested In

Knowing when the stores are having their biggest sales and comparing prices on the things that you want to buy will allow you to come up with a strategy as to where to shop first. One such shop is The Spice Cupboard offering good deals on spices. Prioritize the stores you don’t want to miss going to so you don’t miss a good deal. Most malls like Eastgate, Bedford Centre and other shopping centres have centre maps on their websites. Checking them can tell you where to park, which entrance to use to access your top stores, which stores are located close to each other, and the best routes to take. 

Beat the crowds

Internet shoppers can shop online in the pre-dawn hours of Black Friday. Many retailers will post Black Friday specials that can be ordered online and picked up at your local store. Special “web only” deals will also be available starting as early as beginning of this month. Exclusive Podiums have such deals online. “Beautiful Podiums they have!”. Even One-Tach Construction & Projects has many deals for building this month. Its worth to check them out.

Take Your ADS to the Shops

Many stores offer a “lowest price” guarantee, but you might be required to produce proof of the exact product that’s being advertised for less. Take any print ads you’ve saved with you.

Most local retailers won’t meet internet prices even when the product is advertised on the same company’s website, but it can’t hurt to try. Print the web page that details the product and shows the advertised price. It might give you additional bargaining power and push the salesperson into waiving other charges, such as assembly fees.

You might find that even stores that usually offer guarantees on having the lowest price won’t do it on doorbuster and early-bird specials. Lucky dogs and cats are offering deals for dogs and cats. Why not treat your pets this month.

Know Store Policies

Knowing a store’s policy on returns can help you determine where to buy. A previous trend of extending “return days” during the holidays is being seen less and less these days. Many retailers are including restocking fees and shorter return deadlines. Almost all the major retail chains have clamped down on requiring receipts for returns and exchanges, and many keep a database of individuals who tend to abuse return policies. If you get onto an “abuse” list, prepare to be turned down.

Ask For Gift Receipts

Gift receipts generally include a description of the item purchased but not what you paid for the item. Including these receipts inside gift boxes will make returns or exchanges easier for the gift recipient. The recipient might be turned down for returning or exchanging the item without proof of purchase, or could risk receiving an exchange for the current selling price of the item.

Know which credit card to use

There’s no bargain in running up high credit card bills and paying big interest rates after the holidays, but using the right charge card can be of value to consumers when they have proper spending disciplines intact. Many credit card companies entice consumers with free benefits, including free warranties, return protection, and sale price protection.

• Warranty coverage: Your credit card company might offer to double or triple a manufacturer’s warranty for free on a product you purchase — a good option instead of purchasing a service contract that costs money and has a shorter duration period.
• Return protection: A credit card firm could guarantee a refund on a product for up to 90 days while the store might not. This option is becoming particularly more important as retailers stiffen the allotted return days.
• Sale price protection: Some credit card companies offer this protection and will refund you the difference if a product you buy is marked down further than the price you paid within a certain time frame, usually 60 days.

www.sabusinesses.co.za would like to wish you HAPPY SHOPPING

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