As the most highly anticipated sales of the year fast approach, many shoppers will already be scoping out what and where to purchase over Black Friday weekend. Whether you have an idea of what you want in mind, or plan on seeing what’s reduced on the day, there are a few ways to make sure you get the best deals.
November 25 is the date for the calendar, marking the official Black Friday, with big discounts on offer up until Cyber Monday, on November 28.
The increasingly popular sales see shoppers competing to bag the items on their wish list, but a money expert has revealed their top tips for making sure you can secure your basket on the day.
Salman Haqqi, a Personal Finance Editor at Money.co.uk , has shared his seven expert tips and tricks on finding the best Black Friday deals to save on your shopping.
He warned: “It’s important that you don’t get swept up in the excitement of the sales and marketing of big discounts. It’s easy to assume that the discounted price will give you a decent saving, but many retailers will mark up their prices ahead of the sales, only to knock a percentage off.
“The perception is that you are then saving money on the item, but in reality, it may have been a similar price before. The best way to ensure you’re getting the best price is to head straight to the source and check the manufacturer’s website for the true cost.
“Assuming all retailers use the same selling tactic of upping the original price ahead of the sales, use price comparisons on Google to see if there are any price differences.”
Here are more of Salman’s tips and tricks for shopping the Black Friday sales.
1. Read articles to find out the top sellers
Salman said: “Journalists often have a relationship with retailers to find out about the sales before the public, Black Friday sales are covered each year and you can find regularly updated round-ups of the best deal. Articles are also a good guide to see which retailers offered good discounts in previous years.”
And it’s true, we’ve been keeping in touch with retailers for months about their Black Friday deals here at the Manchester Evening News, and we’ll only share the deals we think are genuinely good value. You can find some of our Early Black Friday content here:
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Everything I have learned from five years of Black Friday deals
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Black Friday deals start early at Amazon and Boots - our pick of the deals
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Everything we know about PrettyLittleThings Black Friday 2022 deals
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Black Friday sale sees shoppers snap up Oodie hooded blankets for less than £50
2. Sign up for email lists and download the app
Most shops will send regular discount codes to customers by email. Sign up for emails from the shops where you are likely to spend the most money. You will get notifications for things such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts, free delivery and in-store promotions. As with email lists, brands like to reward loyal customers first.
3. Make an account in advance
When shopping the Black Friday sales, you compete with other shoppers for the last items to sell out quickly. Having an existing account set up with the retailer you’re purchasing from, with your payment details and address already saved will help with a speedy checkout.
4. Check the retailer’s website leading up to the event
This year, Black Friday will officially start on November 25 and run across the weekend until Cyber Monday. But it's increasingly common for brands to start offers earlier, so always check the website leading up to the main event.
5. Set up Google Alerts
Set up Google alerts on your laptop or phone using keywords such as ‘Black Friday laptop deals’ or whichever items you’re looking to buy at a discounted price. You’ll then be alerted of any reports around the topic to ensure you’re not missing out.
6. Use price comparison sites
Use free online comparison sites to compare prices and be alerted to any current offers, deals and discounts as they update in live time. This means you can look across multiple retailers in one swoop to bag the best deals.
7. Pay using a credit card
If you expect to spend more than usual over Black Friday weekend, it’s wise to pay for expensive transactions using a credit card. This offers protection on faulty items that you wouldn’t get from the retailer alone and can also help you spread out the costs when your wallet takes a hit.
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