Black Friday season is in full swing, and it continues to improve every year. For example, many people shop online during the Thanksgiving weekend, when it’s much easier to check their gift lists than risk parking conflicts and jockeying for position inside stores. And that convenience is only enhanced by the availability of Black Friday-caliber pricing on most days, rather than being limited to Thanksgiving weekend.
By 2024, Black Friday retailers are continuing to offer shoppers pre-Thanksgiving deals or deals that are staggered for a few weeks — some of which are exclusive to club members — instead of holding a big sale on Black Friday itself, according to Edgar Dworsky, a Boston-area consumer advocate, longtime price watcher and founder and editor of Consumer World.
To get the best deals for the Christmas shopping season, Consumer World recommends that shoppers:
1. Look at the monthly sales circulars
Sales ads like those for Black Friday are still being leaked on sites like blackfriday.gottadeal.com as far back as November and not all at once, so they may be missed.
But the original content found on sites like these and X.com and Facebook is so important now, what with all the early bird sales.
2. Beware of ‘savings’ expressions
Consumer World suggests using tools like Amazon price tracker camel camel as sellers often make the deal sound better than it actually is.
Potential buyers should also consider how much delivery and tax will cost and be suspicious of any site that offers suspiciously low prices.
3. Look for independent product reviews
Sites like Consumer Reports, which monitors many categories, and specialty sites like the tech-focused PCMag.com offer expert guidance on what to buy.
Buyers should also pay close attention to online user reviews and take them with a grain of salt, as some sellers are known to buy fake reviews from sites like Amazon.
4. Use the power of sales, coupons and discounts
By finding merchandise, using cashback apps like Rakuten, coupons and cashback credit cards, shoppers can save.
Of course, you should always use an open cash back card, and they are easy to find. One good place to check out is FinanceBuzz’s list of top cash back cards
5. Get in on the good sales early
Consumer World says shoppers should be online when advertised prices drop because some of the rarest sales won’t be restocked, and rain checks are rare.
For brick-and-mortar promotions, going to stores when they open – around 5 a.m. – is still the go-to strategy. The good news is late November and early December sales should be reduced because most people are online or shopping in early November.
6. Hit the grocery store sales before the Wednesday before Thanksgiving
It’s become a thing for major retailers to throw out Black Friday promos a week or two before Thanksgiving week. But online shoppers should also be aware that not all hot product deals are available for several weeks — some will end before Turkey Day.
For example, Target recently had a two-day online sale and started a Black Friday Preview Sale on Nov. 9 ending on the 23rd.
7. Carefully read the store’s return policies
Check when returns are due, and if shipping is free. However, it is rare this season that things are still being restored in early January.
8. Get a receipt for gift buyers
Always get a receipt for the gift, especially if the item was purchased at an auction. Without one, your recipient may not be able to receive a refund or exchange, which may be limited to what the item has sold for in the past.
9. Use a credit card with purchase protection benefits
Consumer World says some cards offer an extended product warranty, and refund the retail price of the item if it goes on sale within a certain period of time after purchase, or the full price if the product is damaged within 90 days.
10. Save more using price match guarantees
Stores like Target usually won’t honor the same prices from Black Friday to Cyber Monday, but they do after that. Consumer World recommends that you stay on top of what you’ve already bought, as what you’ve bought may be discounted during the Christmas shopping season.
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