Some sales don’t drop as drastically as products tend to be discounted every few months, and the fact that stores repeat their promotions so often says a lot about the nature of discounts these days. . However, the deals are still worth it if you’re entering the market for a specific item and want to save some cash. Just keep in mind that price research is important, and if you miss a trade, don’t fret; it will most likely turn back on at some point in the future.
How much money can I save on Black Friday?
That depends on what you’re shopping for. There are so many pick-up deals in so many categories that it’s impossible to list them all here.
For example, TVs are often a great item to buy around Black Friday, if you can find one right model. They are cheapest at this time of year and during the holidays. In a similar way, you’ll be able to save on clothes, toys, and home appliances, but those deals may not be all that appealing when you consider the specific amount. However, they are definitely cheaper than usual.
The bottom line is, there are deals on just about every item you can think of. If you diligently score a sale, you can save a lot of money on the things you need and want to buy.
How do I know if a trade is good?
Always research your prices. When you’re shopping online, quickly Google the item you’re considering. You will be able to see what it sells for at other stores.
Tools we like to use include Camelcamelcameltrack product prices over time on Amazon; Keepa, which displays the price history on the Amazon product page; and honey, which has price histories for other retailers like Walmart and Best Buy. You can also check WIRED’s Range of Ongoing Transactions to find the best deals available.
What is a ‘doorstop’ deal?
In the beginning, door-to-door movies were enticing in-store exclusive deals that often required shoppers to arrive early — and sometimes camp out for hours or days — to score them. They are usually available in small quantities and are designed to entice shoppers to choose one store over another.
These types of doors still exist today, but many similar doors are also available online. However, a similar set of restrictions often apply. If a deal catches your attention and is marked as a doorstop, you should be prepared to hit that refresh key at the exact time it starts to avoid missing out.
Here at WIRED, we refer only to online transactions, and rarely to store transactions, because they are often difficult to achieve on time. But when we cover them up, it’s because we think they’re worth the extra work. Retailers typically offer Black Friday shopping ads in early November. These circulars are helpful when planning, especially for door panels.
How do I make sure a deal I want won’t sell out?
Every Black Friday fanatic experiences an out-of-stock deal. If you can tell when deals start, make sure you’re actively paying attention to the store’s website around that time. Visit the page and refresh. If you shop at a retailer you trust, create an account and save your credit card information before the event starts to make checkout as quick as possible. That’s also a good idea clear your web browser’s cache before you start shopping for Black Friday deals.
If a deal sells out, there is a chance that another store will have the same deal or a similar store. That’s especially true for big stores like Walmart, Target, and Best Buy. Check other stores if the deal you want is out of stock. You can find what you are looking for. (Sometimes deals also come back in stock.)
What about Cyber Monday?
Small Business Saturday comes right after Black Friday. It’s all about celebrating smaller local retailers and businesses. Next Monday is Cyber Monday. Cyber Monday offer Usually focuses on tech products like laptops and headphones, but many of the big Black Friday deals will still be on sale on Monday. WIRED will include both events.
The Monday after Cyber Monday is Green Monday (green is for Christmas). It’s less organized, but eBay and some other stores usually have good sales. Then there’s a respite until we get closer to Christmas. Retailers will often hold last-minute sales and have Free Shipping on December 14 (although you should try to complete your holiday shopping before then). As the name suggests, many stores will offer free shipping with no minimum purchase. There are also discounts after Christmas. We’ll cover some of them on December 26.
Outside of the holiday shopping season, popular shopping holidays are Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Amazon’s Official Day, and Labor Day, among others. WIRED usually includes those events with agreement circles and proposals too.
