Black Friday-Cyber Monday Shopping Tips
The countdown to Black Friday and Cyber Monday is on! I totally understand that this is one of the most frustrating, busy, intense times of the year for shopping. I think the definition of ecommerce should be stressful! It can also be the most rewarding if you do your research. I’m here today to give you some shopping tips to help ease your shopping experience.
First things first, Black Friday/Cyber Monday is more than just one day. Back in the day it was kind of like feast or famine…you snooze you lose. I think you get the point. Nowadays, retailers extend their Black Friday sales through the weekend. Even better, lots of retailers such as New York & Company and Kohl’s have pre-Black Friday sales. I find some of these sales to be better than the actual Black Friday sales.
In-store vs. online for Black Friday or Cyber Monday
In-store Pros
- Some stores will offer better discounts like a Costco membership discount
- You can touch, feel and try items on. We’ve all experienced clothes looking great on the models online and then you put it on and it’s a no go.
- Showrooming. You can easily see if the online price is the same. Some stores even allow price matching the online price or a competitors.
- Instant gratification. You get it right then and there. No need to worry about shipping issues.
- Rainchecks. Not everywhere honors these. A raincheck is if a product sells out and comes back into stock the customer may be able to buy it at a later date for the same price! My mom has done this at Macy’s many times 🙂 .
In-store Cons
- CROWDS AND LINES. I did the crowd thing one time and learned my lesson.
- Sales tax
- Buyer’s remorse. Anyone else guilty of this… When you are in the store and just put things in your cart, buy them and end up not liking or needing them? Shopping online on sites like shoppok classifieds, lets you see how much your items cost in your cart which will eliminate just adding things just because.
In-store shopping is best for:
- Department stores. They have sales or clearance on merchandise that you can’t find online. They are so marked down that the price can’t be published online. Yes, I just bout swimsuit bottoms for $4.48 at Target 😉
- Stores that sell their own branded products. This would be stores such as Gap, Express, Old Navy, American Eagle, Nordstrom etc.
In-store summary – there’s a greater incentive to discount more heavily in-store than online because retailers need the shelf space.
Online-Pros
- Convenience. Ummm hello, you can literally shop without leaving your bed! It’s also great that since Black Friday sales extend through the weekend and many in-store sales honor Cyber Monday. This takes the pressure off of you to go shop on a specific day.
- The ability to shop for the same products at retailers that don’t charge sales tax. No tax is my favorite thing ever lol.
- Flash sales. Just like in-store doorbuster sales, online retailers also offer limited time offers.
- Access to more selection.
- Can you coupon codes in addition to savings. Macy’s is great for this!
- You can easily compare prices.
Online Cons
- Since there isn’t as much of a rush to move inventory, there is less need to discount.
- Shipping time. During the holidays, shipping time often gets delayed. We all hate waiting, even the most patient people.
- Return cost
Online shopping is best for:
- Online only stores that want to compete with retailers. For example, Amazon.
What to buy and what to wait to buy during Black Friday/Cyber Monday?
Buy
- Clothing/Accessories, appliances, Amazon branded products, older generations of popular products, gaming console bundles.
Wait
- Holiday decorations (better deals after holidays)
- Furniture and bedding (better sales during White Sale in January)
- Toys (better deals after the holidays)
Additional Tips
- There are more bundled deals than usual. This is common with beauty products and video games. It’s becoming more common with clothing like pajama sets
I truly hope this post helps you with your holiday shopping needs. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to email me or just leave a comment below.
Thanks for reading!
Head over to coupons.com for more info!
