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This year, Black Friday falls on 26 November. For those of you still unfamiliar with the concept, Black Friday is an American colloquial term for the Friday following Thanksgiving Day.
It can be a crazy time. Stores typically have lots of promotional deals and open their doors early to let shoppers take advantage of the deals. It’s not uncommon for fights to break out as people squabble over the last sale item on the shelves.
South African retailers Takealot and Checkers both claim to be the initiators of Black Friday in the country in 2012 and 2014 respectively.
But irrespective of its domestic origins the consensus is that it’s a cash cow for the retailers. So, what should you do if you DO see a good deal? Should you take advantage of it?
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Here we offer 5 tips to ensure you’re not taken for a ride on Black Friday and the Cyber Monday, which falls on 29 November 2021. (Cyber Monday is another discount day after Black Friday where e-commerce businesses get stuck in by promoting their sales too).
1. Get it done early
The one advantage that Black Friday and Cyber Monday offer is the ability to get your Christmas present purchases out the way in one go. By shopping online, you beat the queues and panic buyers.
It will also guarantee your gifts arriving on time. Lengthy shipping times can often sour the Christmas shopping experience, especially if there are shortages.
2. Look for deals now
It may not be Black Friday yet, but some retailers have already started to offer deals early. For example, this year online marketplace bidorbuy is extending Black Friday to cover the entire month of November.
‘We believe this can make the experience more enjoyable, and we are able to offer more of our deals to our buyers,” Lubbe says.
‘With the holiday season almost upon us and fewer people choosing to shop at malls during the pandemic, we believe that this extra-long Black Friday will give more people more chances to find the things they most want and save money in the process.”
‘The extended Black Friday will also include a special promotion giving shoppers the chance to add their favourite Black Friday deals to their watch list. By sharing their watch list, they could win the value in bobBucks of the items they have added,’ says Craig Lubbe, the CEO of bidorbuy.
3. Do your research
If you have a list of items, you are keen to buy, do your research ahead of Black Friday to determine whether the deal you get on that day is, in fact, a discount. Monitoring prices before, during and after the discount day is vital. Subscribe to newsletters to get an early insight on when the best deals go live.
4. Stick to your budget
It’s easy to get carried away on Black Friday. Evaluate what you can afford to spend on that day and stick to it. Avoid the malls and rather shop online – this will reduce the pressure of buying something on the spot. You can always hunt for a better deal from the comfort of your sofa.
5. Familiarise yourself with the returns policy
Black Friday and Cyber Monday may make you buy things on an impulse that you don’t really need or that may not suit your needs or your home. Make sure you ask the cashier what the return policy is on the item before you buy it. This may help you in deciding whether the item you want is worth it.
