Black Friday offers are set to have more surprises and more advertising tricks up their sleeves this year.
But before you pick up your unsuspecting girlfriend’s gift and roll your eyes because she always shows up in the same outfit all holidays, remember these tips.
Take your time
Firstly, make sure you’re not on holiday in Australia so you don’t get the dreaded scuffles and chicken nuggets situation. Secondly, just pick a date and time – it’s not as easy as just turning up. Once you get back home and do your normal winter shopping you’ll want to do more planned in-store hunting. Last year we found several stores where the shelves were meant to be dedicated to people, not Black Friday specials, so get out there and get it done.
Plan to do all your browsing when you’re in the front
Never mix Black Friday’s limited time offer with impulse buys. Black Friday is often time sensitive, so look ahead and select a few items you want to hold off on. Just remember you’re going to be here until later so get your spending under control, so you don’t have an unhappy holiday. You can do this without breaking into a sweat or ending up stuck in a queue for a credit card call center. Start with your commute.
Displays are erected early
Pro tip: planned in-store shopping increases the chances of facing any obstacles by usually the stores become more crowded a few days before opening. Once you get the opportunity to check out that sale or impulse item, always plan ahead, grab it, bag it, put it in your cart and shop as usual. When do you plan to get back and do everything else around that sale? As soon as you can. This way you can avoid impulse buys.
Watch the signs
Always check the signs before heading in and don’t be afraid to ask the assistant, “Is this something I should buy?”
Depending on what is included in the sale, the sale price may look low on the list. Also, keep an eye out for prices that are set to drop before the sale ends. Some stores will flash them on the big screen as soon as the sale ends.
Always check the availability of new items
Always buy in stock, or try to get to a store where the items have been in stock. If they were sold out, you’re going to have to wait as they’re hard to get now. Avoid walking past a window of merchandise you might like, as it may be somewhere that’s almost empty. Also, be wary of online buy-one-get-one-free sales. The offer is tempting, but there’s usually a catch. Why do the sales surprise you? It’s likely because it’s really good money off.
Always check the employee’s pricing
Make sure the price is competitive and it seems credible to you. Ask them why it’s lower.
What do you do with Black Friday sales? Share your tips in the comments below or tweet @LivingCult and we may feature your answer!
Cult Beauty Black Friday deals: in stock and rated
Cult Beauty offers more than half off handbags, wallets, jewellery, fragrance, and beauty sets and beauty gifts on items that usually sell out in online stores.
For more Black Friday deals head over to the Cult Beauty Blog or follow @cultbeauty on Twitter.