Conquering Black Friday
November 17, 2016
Photo Credit: Sophia Mastro/ Achona Online.
“Black Friday can be very stressful and crowded, but the money you save is worth it.”- Audrey Dunn
The day after Thanksgiving people crowd stores all over the nation to take advantage of the Black Friday holiday bargains. Although the day is not considered a national holiday, many employees are given the day off, except those who work in retail.
The term “Black Friday” comes from a term companies use when they make a profit, to go “into black”. When accountants used to keep books by hand, they would use red ink to indicate loss and black to show profit. The term “Black Friday” is also used to describe the financial crisis of 1869, the gold market crash.
Junior Feraby Hoffman states, “I always wondered why the day after thanksgiving is called Black Friday. I thought maybe they called it that because of all the chaos and crazy shoppers.”
Black Friday is the most popular day to shop for christmas gifts and marks the beginning of the holiday shopping season. Due to it being the most popular day for shopping, Black Friday is very crowded and stressful. Below is a list of helpful shopping tips to conquer black friday.
Shopping Tips
1. Start early
The early bird gets the worm. In order to get the best deals before the merchandise runs out, shoppers wait in lines for stores to open.
Senior Olivia Valdes claims, “My sisters and I begin shopping at midnight the night of Thanksgiving. The big stores open at midnight so we go to those first and then we finish up at the mall in the morning.”
2. Study and Research
In order to have a successful shopping experience, shoppers must do their homework. The week leading up to Black Friday, continuously check for deals being released online.
Junior Mia Lopez states,”I check the websites of stores I like to shop at for updates on upcoming sales.”
3. Compare Prices
When deals are released online, carefully compare prices. Shoppers often do not compare prices and miss out on better deals. Go prepared and strategize what items to purchase ahead of time.
4. Social Media
Social Media is a great way to find great deals and to get the latest Black Friday updates. People often tweet about their Black Friday experiences and where they found the best deals.
5. Phone apps
There are now several free phone apps on itunes for Black Friday shoppers. With the app, shoppers are alerted when there are leaked ads and given the latest info from their favorite stores. Many of the apps allow you to flip through products and save them to a wishlist.
Blackfriday.fm allows you to search through ads and save items to your wish list to purchase later.
6. Budgeting
Before heading out on a Black Friday shopping spree, it is important to make a budget. Shoppers can get caught up in the moment, and accidentally spend more than they would have liked. Avoid the stress of over spending and create a Black Friday budget
In order to have a successful Black Friday shopping experience, study the tips above and make sure to strategize a game plan. Black Friday shoppers can be very competitive, so be sure to arrive prepared for battle.