The holiday season is upon us, and with it the best-selling products and sales days of the year. Black Friday 2022It is expected to compete with Amazon Prime Day (yes both). ‘em!), and it’It’s less than a month away.
Inflation-stricken years and the aftermath of a massive supply chain crisis have made it more important than ever for people to plan smart strategies to save money and stretch their dollar this Black Friday.
Black Friday Shopping Strategies
Do your research: Ramhold suggests you create a list of the items that interest you, and then take note of the current prices at the retailers where they are sold. That way, you’ll be able to spot a great Black Friday deal as soon as you see it. “The most important thing is to know exactly what you want. What specs you want in a TV or laptop and which headphones you want,”Kristin McGrath, shopping expert RetailMeNot. “Consumers shouldn’t assume that just because a product is discounted that it’s the best price out there. I recommend checking for the product on one to two other retailers to compare the regular price with a potential “sale” price to ensure you’re actually getting the best deal,” echoes Kristen Gall, Retail and Shopping Expert for Rakuten.
Keep up with the ads Ramhold claims that Black Friday ads have already begun appearing. “It may be helpful to follow your favorite retailers on social media and sign up for their email newsletters as well, since they may announce the ad release that way as well as other important details, like when the sales will begin.”Gall calls the ads “your Black Friday road map for deals.”
Get holiday price assurances Do you have any favorites? “Check to see if they’re offering any kind of price match or guarantee for Black Friday,”Julie Ramhold is a consumer analyst with DealNews.com. The idea is that you’ll know if you can request your preferred retailer match the price of a competitor during a Black Friday event, or if you’ll have to shop the competitor instead. “And if there’s a price guarantee in place, it’s good to know that if you buy something early on and it later drops in price if you’ll be able to receive a price adjustment for the difference.”
You can get your money back “In addition to doing a price comparison, you can ensure you are getting the absolute best price by stacking deals to maximize savings,”Gall. “Cash Back services like Rakuten allow you to earn cash back on top of sale prices. For extra savings, plan to apply promo codes or digital coupons, and use a rewards credit card to extra earn points or cash back.”RetailMeNot’s upcomingCash back DayThe November 3-4 savings event is another opportunity. It’ll feature thousands of deals from top retailers, and the potential to get up to 20% Cash Back at top brands like Best Buy, Samsung, Macy’s, Tarte Cosmetics, Lowe’s, Groupon, StubHub and more.
These Black Friday 2022 Deals Are Amazing
Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty: Gall believes that retailers’ overstock categories will be the biggest predictor of Black Friday gold. This includes “home goods, gardening, and furniture that they may have not gotten rid of during Labor Day Weekend sales,”She said.
She also noted that Black Friday would be a focal point. “bigger ticket items, such as technology products, including laptops, TVs, and more.”This seems to be the general consensus. McGrath and Ramhold both agree that personal tech items sales will be the bread-and- butter of Black Friday 2022. Here are the top candidates in this race.
Laptops:These are the Ramhold callings “one of the quintessential Black Friday items”It says: “watch for prices to drop as low as $90 for things like simple Chromebooks while laptops, in general, could be priced as low as $229 or see discounts up to $800 off.”
Smartphones:Ramhold predicts major retailers will sell the latest Android smartphones and iPhones with gift certificates worth hundreds of dollars. “which can be used on later purchases and boost the value of these deals.”
TVs: McGrath says to look to the major retailers, and study their Black Friday ads so you can pounce on the TV you want before it’s gone. “Stock sells out quickly on the best-priced sets, and there are always a few headline-making deals that get a ton of hype and sell out in minutes,”She said. “Zero in on the 4K TV you want, have some backups and get ready to shop as soon as the Black Friday sale kicks off.”
Cameras: Ramhold states that you can expect discounts on everything, including Instax cameras as well as DSLRs.
Apple products:Airpods Pro are a great deal so make sure you look for them. “still immensely popular, and retailers like Walmart, Amazon, Target and Best Buy will likely offer the lowest price of the year, says McGrath. She also recommends getting ready to pounce on a new Apple Watch Series 8.
Toys: Historically, the best toy sales happen in December, says Ramhold, but “Black Friday toy deals should be pretty big.”She claims that major stores can be discounted up to 15%
Kitchen appliances: McGrath recommends KitchenAid Mixers as the product to follow. These mixers are quite expensive. Black Friday deals bring down the price to a level that many can afford. However, last year saw KitchenAid standmixers sell quickly.
What to expect from your favorite retailers this Black Friday
Black Friday will see retailers competing in your business. Although there is much overlap, some retailers are more skilled in certain products.
“Check out Amazon, Walmart, Target and Best Buy for tech. Wayfair and Overstock always offer incredible home goods deals, and Bed Bath & Beyond is also a great destination for the home shopper,”McGrath cites McGrath for an example of a general principle.
”Gap, Old Navy and Target lead the pack when it comes to clothing deals. Walmart is always strong in toys on Black Friday. Lowe’s and Home Depot don’t have as big of a Black Friday sales as the big-box competitors, but they offer great deals on Black Friday for big-ticket items, smart home devices and home security bundles. You will also find great deals for grills, power tools, and tool sets. They offer the best appliance packages. Kohl’s offers extra Kohls Cash with every purchase. Oftentimes they’ll have the same price as a competitor on things like small appliances and smartwatches, but also throw in some Kohl’s Cash to make the deal sweeter.”
All this? Great! Here’s a Black Friday breakdown by retailer.
Amazon: October and early November sales, like Amazon’s Prime Day Early Access Sale, “tend to be dress rehearsals for Black Friday,”McGrath said. Expect to find incredible deals on TVs, laptops, as well Amazon-owned tech like Fire Stick or Echo Dot. “Amazon will likely discount things like Instant Pots up to 35% off. Watch for special promotions to drop the cost of Audible Premium Plus by 60% for three months, or for Amazon to offer a $5 coupon off print book purchases of $20,”Ramhold agrees, noting that Prime membership is crucial on Black Friday. “Prime members have the advantage as their membership can provide early access to select Lightning Deals,”She said. “These are difficult to grab as the very best ones sell out in an instant, so Prime members having an extra window of opportunity to shop is invaluable.”If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get access to new movies, free shipping and two-day shipping on many items. Are you not yet registered on the site? You don’t have to be a member yet. Register today to get your 30-day free trial Here.
Walmart: “At Walmart you can find major discounts on items across a wide variety of categories, however, the biggest deals are in tech and home goods,”Gall adds “Walmart is currently hosting a large fall sale that is continuing into the holiday season.”Ramhold suggests you also look at toys like “Nerf starting at $3, LEGO starting at $7, and board games for as little as $5.”
Kohl’s: “[Kohl’s] has already shared their upcoming holiday deals, which kicked off in early October,”Gall. “From [now] through Christmas Eve, shoppers will find items on sale or an offer at Kohl’s every single day. The retailer will also be offering a seven-day Black Friday Early Access event and of course, be offering more Kohl’s Cash than ever before.” Ramhold adds, ”Kohl’s will take up to 50% off small appliances. Kohl’s is especially good for clothing and shoes around this time of year, but it’s going to be particularly beneficial to those who shop the store regularly and are familiar with Kohl’s Cash, as that is often the element that makes some of the deals so notable.”
Best Buy “If you’re looking to find early Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals, Best Buy has already begun hosting their early Black Friday Sales event, which runs through October 30th. The retailer is offering huge discounts on technology products such as Apple MacBook Airs, Android phones, and Samsung TVs,”Gall. Ramhold suggests that you expect “big discounts on iPads, with new models dropping to $279 or less while iPad Pros could be as low as $770.”You can also add 4K TVs or AirPods to that list.
Macy’s:This iconic department store offers Black Friday deals “a little bit of all kinds of things, from toys to dinnerware to clothing to bedding and more,”Ramhold. “But its standout offers usually revolve around home items and small kitchen appliances, thanks to rebates on the latter that usually make them especially affordable.”Gall adds “Shoppers can expect incredible savings for Black Friday, from KitchenAid appliances and cookware to bedding and bath essentials to furniture.”
Target: “Target is great for shopping both Black Friday and Cyber Monday,”Ramhold: Target super-fans are especially welcome “RedCard members will get extra benefits in the form of 5% back and free 2-day shipping on tons of items as well, on top of Target’s already affordable prices. This one is going to be best for toy deals, as we expect to see huge discounts (up to 85% off) as well as BOGO promotions to sweeten the deals.”
Lowe’s and The Home Depot: Are you looking for bargains on tools? Black Friday is your chance to grab bargains on tools. Ramhold claims that The Home Depot could offer up to 50% off certain brands, while Lowe’s might discount Craftsman’s products and offer gift cards for select amounts. “Lowe’s is already hosting early Black Friday sales where you can find massive discounts on all home improvement products such as dryers, fans, drills, fridges and so much more,”Gall. “Home Depot and Lowe’s don’t do as splashy sales as some of the big-box contenders, but they have great values on Black Friday for big-ticket home items, smart home devices, home security bundles, grills, tool sets, power tools and even ladders. They’re also some of the best sources of appliance package deals,”McGrath.
How will inflation affect Black Friday in 2018?
Last year, consumers nearly $9 billion on Black Friday, just slightly less than the year prior — proving that the economic volatility triggered by the pandemic most likely impacted spending habits. Experts say it’s unclear how inflation will affect Black Friday behavior this year, but they have their theories.
“According to our survey, 70% of shoppers are taking inflation into consideration this year,”McGrath confirms that. This means that people don’t need to wait for Black Friday to maximize their savings. “beginning their holiday shopping earlier than ever in an effort to spread out cash flow,”Gall.
To meet this demand, major retailers have opened large-scale retail outlets. ‘pre-sale’Black Friday: Events “Spreading out their shopping will help to prevent [consumers’] budgets from taking a hit all at once,”Ramhold notes. One possible caveat? “If starting prices are higher, then that means [potentially] higher deal prices when all is said and done.”
Are supply chain delays or excess inventory still a problem in this year’s economy?
‘Any supply chain issues we’re seeing this year aren’t at the same level as those in 2021, but that doesn’t mean they’re totally gone,” says Ramhold of the pandemic-related shortages and delivery delays we experienced last year. We should be fine, except in the worst-case scenario.
“Retailers have had a year to plan to avoid the massive delivery delays we saw last year, so shopping Black Friday should leave plenty of time for stuff to arrive before the holidays,”McGrath takes note. “But that’s assuming no big surprises or snags. Retailers are still overstocked with pandemic-popular items, like small home goods, countertop appliances and casual clothing. So expect good deals in those categories.”
Source: Everything we know about Black Friday 2022, plus experts’ best shopping tips
