Get ready for Black Friday with these shopping tips

Black Friday is around the corner, which means it’s time to score big with that television you’ve been eyeing out at your favourite store. Any bargain shopper knows exactly how to make the most of this massive shopping day. However, for those who don’t, here are a few ideas to consider when preparing.

While it might seem as easy as showing up early and jumping for your favourite deals, you need to be prepared, financially and emotionally, for this jam-packed day. If you want to make the most of this day and experience, here is what you can do to enjoy this exciting shopping day to the fullest.

• Have a plan for your busy day

You need to have a plan. You need to have an idea of what stores are hosting a Black Friday sale, where these stores are and how you’re going to plan your day to achieve what you set out to do. If you’ve never attended a Black Friday sale at one of the many big malls in Cape Town, you’re in for a big surprise. Big-ticket items such as laptops, televisions, smartphones, appliances and other electronics tend to fly off the floor, so make sure that you’ve done your research on the items you’re interested in and that you’re 100 percent clued up on the features. The reason for this is that you simply need to arrive, pick it up and leave. There is no time to shop around in the chaos, so, again, familiarise yourself with the shopping malls near you which are running sales and plan your Black Friday approach accordingly.

• Avoid any impulse purchases

Once the shopping mall’s doors open, you need to proceed to the stores which were on your list. If you wait around and expect to enjoy a calming day of shopping, you will be unpleasantly surprised. In fact, you might even miss out on the items you had your eye on. When you’re busy with your research, make sure that you write down every item you’re interested in and their prices so that you can budget in advance. Black Friday is manic. You will certainly test your self-control in moments like these, as you’ll be under pressure when trying to find and buy the item on your list while avoiding any other items you might want.

• Decide whether you’ll be spending in-store or online

Black Friday sales happen online and in-store, but they differ. Usually, it’s the larger appliance and electronic discounts that are only available in-store, and the smaller items are available online. During your planning session, you will need to make a decision on where you will be spending your money. And based on your availability, you will need to see whether or not you will be able to make it into the mall due to work and other obligations. The good news, however, is that Black Friday is advertised weeks in advance so you will be able to plan around the items you are interested in and make alternative plans.

• Sign up to newsletter and SMS campaigns

Many people have their favourite brands that they trust and are loyal to. If you feel the same about a particular store and want to spend your money there, be sure to sign up to their newsletters and request to be a part of their SMS campaigns. Opting into such campaigns mean that you will be notified in advance about a particular sale. And this way, you will be able to plan accordingly. Often times, loyal customers will receive further discounts on online products, so keep your eyes peeled for the latest sales.

Black Friday is an ideal opportunity to purchase Christmas gifts and spoil your family with huge discounted items. If you prepare and budget in advance, you will experience thousands of Rands in savings on big-ticket items. So, in essence, you will need to focus your energy on the larger items that are going to generate a massive return on investment. Smaller items such as clothing and home decor go on sale after the festive season, therefore you can expect big savings at the beginning of the new year.

Final thoughts

As you can see, attending a Black Friday sale at a shopping centre in the Western Cape is not as easy as you think. You need to be prepared for the day’s events if you want it to be a productive experience. Either that or you need to have plenty of time and patience to spend standing in long lines and potentially causing arguments with customers over items. With a plan, your experience will be an absolute success.