Surviving Black Friday: The Shoppers

As someone who has both shopped and worked on Black Friday, I will be the first to admit that Black Friday is a horror show. The lines, all of the people, and all of the sales are overwhelming, if not horrifying, to some people. With the experience that I have shopping and working on this day, I thought I would make a survival guide for you Black Friday newbies. And, just in time, too. 

As a shopper, the first thing you have to recognize is that these deals and sales are for you, for that day, for a a limited time. They won't be for long, and there is a limited quantity. So, my first tip is respect. Respect the shoppers around you, respect the merchandise and respect the employees of that store. If something is out of stock, it is out of their control. If something is ringing up wrong, then be patient and allow them to call for help. You cannot expect things to go smoothly on a day that is known for being chaotic. So, just be respectful and understanding of the things around you, and your day will go by much easier. Scope out the ads first. It makes your experience a lot easier. Stores usually send out their ads in the newspaper, but if you don't get a newspaper, then their website usually allows you to view it. Also, the website blackfriday.com is wonderful if you want to view them all at once. Also, call the stores you're planning on shopping at with your questions, so you know what to expect. Like, ask about if they ad-match, or if they double coupons, things like that. And, be sure to ask about the return policy on electronics, video games, and small appliances. Don't ask questions about how much of this or that they'll have in stock, because they either won't know, or they'll have a policy against giving out inventory numbers over the phone. Chances are, if it's in the ad, they'll have a decent amount.  Make a bee line to your most sought after item and go from there. You can relish in the fact that you got one (or maybe even more) of your top items, even if you didn't get all of what you came for. I hate to say this, but line up early.  We could go into a big, long argument as to why we shouldn't open stores on Thanksgiving for Black Friday, but that's a post for another day, for another blog. Most places this year are technically opening on Thanksgiving, and though there is some backlash about it, people can't deny a good deal, and people will still come. So, don't think the early 6 pm opening will deter people from coming, it will be just as busy. Line up early if it's a big item, or if it has the most percentage off. Don't line up if you're just wanting to check out the store, or if what you're looking at is something small. Chances are, they have more of the small stuff in the back, and less of the big stuff. And, by big I mean high dollar, big ticket items like the new gen consoles, TVs and toys.  Don't rely on just one store. If you're going Black Friday shopping, don't just rely on one store. Target may have those cute clothes on sale, but JCPenny could have a Keurig on sale, and Walmart could have an XBOX bundle. Don't stick to one store. If you know that JC Penney has that Keurig on sale and you're not sure of Target has it on sale (or if they even carry it), then don't go on the search for it. Go where you know it will definitely be. It's Black Friday, go all out.  Avoid the day at all costs.  If you have no intentions to actually buy anything in store, then don't go out. It's truly one of the worst days to go shopping in. In 2011, my boyfriend and I went to Walmart to get curry powder and we literally had to weave in and out of people to get to the right aisle and then wait in line for god knows how long to actually buy it. We abandoned it before we were even in eyesight of the cashier.  I hope my tips help you! If you have any questions or extra tips, let me know down below! This post was submitted to IFB's Links a la Mode
Much love,