Black Friday Online Shopping Tips and Strategies

When I was growing up, the day after Thanksgiving wasn't as much about shopping, as it was about summoning the coming Christmas season. Black Friday wasn't even a thought, never mind the whole concept of leaked ads, and Black Friday Online shopping. It wasn't until I was in high school that the most primitive of computers were available for personal use, but in that era, it was certain that our modernly dubbed day after Thanksgiving was full of fun and wonder for the young, and for their parents and grandparents, as well.

We've exchanged the enchantment of big arrivals of Christmas characters and new displays of Christmas decor at malls, for the rush of masses hunting bargains. In my teen years, the highly recognized shopping day did, indeed, include much more shopping, but there was that thrill of Christmas decor and music in the background. Nowadays, it seems that it's all about the deals.

Deals are great, but for me, the crowds aren't worth the outing...some are frightening.  Further, living in a small town, I don't relish a long drive to get to major shopping venues.  It's online for me!  Following are some Black Friday online strategies which I implement in order to make the most of advertised deals, while doing so from the comfort of my home.

By the time the Thanksgiving Day ads reach your home, many have already been leaked, and broadcast far and wide via the internet.  Some retailers have attempted to maintain the element of surprise, with legal challenges to any who publish such leaked ads.  However, not all retailers are so hard hearted!  Folks make use of the information to plan everything from where they will camp out, to what their Black Friday route and plan will be, to which gift cards they will set aside for their Black Friday shopping.  Black Friday online shoppers can make great use of these ads, as well.

Find sources for leaked ads by simple online searches. There are many forums and websites devoted to the subject. Once you track down the particular ads which interest you, it's helpful to review both listings of deals, and adscans. Many sites make a PDF available. If it's an ad which you really want to study, save a copy to your computer hard drive for later reference. Reading through archives of previous Black Friday ads can also help, if you are interested in any trends.

Look up items you are interested in purchasing online Black Friday. For example, if you are perusing the Target Black Friday ad, search the Target website for those items of interest. If they are available, there are two things I may do. First, I will create a bookmark folder. For 2010, I would title the folder, Black Friday 2010. If it's possible to create sub-folders, create them for specific stores: Target Black Friday. Save the items you are interested in to your favorites...bookmark them in the Black Friday folder.

Another option is to sign into your account with a given retailer, then add the item to your cart, and leave it there until Black Friday shopping day. This is helpful for a couple of reasons. First, the item is already stored in your cart, easy for a quick purchase on Black Friday. Secondly, if you review this information periodically, you may find the price change prior to Black Friday. Sometimes, there will be surprises: a lower price, or an early change to BF prices.

Not all Black Friday deals will be available online. If an item number is pictured in the ad, look that number up on the website. If it doesn't show, keep checking, it may show later.

The Black Friday online sales will vary from retailer to retailer.  Information from previous years is helpful, so finding a good site or forum is key to planning.  Look through archives from previous years' sales to find out what you can.  Sign up for such forums, and participate in, or observe, discussions pertaining to Black Friday online purchasing. 

Some retailers will adjust BF sale items as early as Thanksgiving Day.  I start observing items of interest the evening before Thanksgiving, and check frequently through Thanksgiving Day, particularly if it's something I want a good chance at purchasing.  More often, the BF sales go live after midnight on BF...usually Eastern Time.  Still others do not go live until the time of the advertised sale, again, usually Eastern Time.  Some sites are very organized, and everything goes live at one time.  Others stagger, and not every price is changed at the same time, which can be a frustration if you are hoping to do everything in one order.

If all items go live at once, your experience should go smoothly.  Be cognizant of the fact that popular items often sell out quickly online, just as in stores.  This is why it's a good idea to have your purchases ready in your cart ahead of time.  However, review your cart and make sure that the items are correct, and that the prices are also correct.  Sometimes, the BF deals are special bundles, which are not displayed until Black Friday.  Hence, you may have placed a similar item in your cart, but it's not the deal item.

If items don't go live at the same time on a site, you will have to make a judgement call.  Last year, this happened to me, and because I wanted to meet a purchase amount in order to attain free shipping, I waited.  By the time everything I planned to purchase was live, half of the items were sold out.  Popular items sell out quickly, so it's best to purchase as soon as it's available. 

Whether you use Ebates, MyPoints, or other online rewards programs, make sure you pre-think these, as it's easy to forget them in the shopping frenzy, even when it's a crowd of one, you.

Have your favorite rewards site up and open, signed in, even going as far as to open the appropriate pages for sites you are planning to shop.  Go through those windows to complete your shopping. 

Plan ahead, and be ready.  Avoiding the crowds via online Black Friday shopping can allow you to find great deals without wasting gas and time in the hunt for bargains.  Make the most of the research time now, and put it to great use on Black Friday.

Computer Graphic courtesy of Everaldo Coelho and YellowIcon at Wikimedia Commons

Shopping Mall courtesy of Daniel Case at Wikimedia Commons