Black Friday Shopping Survival Guide
Check out our expert tips on how to save time and money.
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Decide Exactly What You Want - "Whether walking into a store on Black Friday or sitting down to shop online on Cyber Monday, know what it is you plan to buy for your friends and family. While it's nice to have a plan, be sure to shop-and-smell-the-roses, too! Be inspired by the unique products you'll come across, knowing that you'll be a hero over the holidays if you go "off list" and delight your recipients with clever products they didn't know they needed." —MaryAnn Bekkedahl, President and Co-Founder of theSwizzle (Photo: GettyImages)
Photo By Photo: Jamie Grill/Getty Images
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Research to Familiarize Yourself With Deals and Store Hours - "I'm seeing two specific trends this holiday season: some stores are opening at 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving (Thursday night,) and staying open all night to get a jump on Black Friday. And other stores are opening early on Black Friday. Either way, if you want to hit the stores, use this to your advantage by knowing which stores open when." —Peter Shankman, digital branding and social media expert (Photo: GettyImages)
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Score Mobile Specific-Deals - "If you want to score deals that might only be offered to mobile or tablet users you need to download your favorite retailer's app. Sign up for push notifications and email alerts. Take a look at the app over the weekend to see if there is anything going to be offered, and remember the early bird gets the bargain. Get up at dawn on Cyber Monday or better yet check your app at 12:01 a.m. Monday to see if you can grab yourself a super deal." —Cameron Yuill, Founder of AdGent Digital (Photo: GettyImages)
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Black Friday Tips and Tactics - "For tips on securing the best deals, first rule is check online. Online stores (Amazon, etc.) usually have cheaper prices than brick-and-mortar stores to begin with, because they have less overhead. Add that to whatever Black Friday deals they may be offering, and you can get all your holiday shopping done while in your robe with your coffee before 10 a.m. Friday morning, while saving a bundle." —Peter Shankman, digital branding and social media expert (Photo: GettyImages)
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A Smart Move - "If you do want to head out and battle the crowds, make sure your smartphone has a bar code scanner. You can find one in either the App store or Google Play store. Scan what you want to buy and the app should tell you if it's available cheaper either online, or at other stores. At the very least, use that as a tool to save some money in the malls before you buy." —Peter Shankman, digital branding and social media expert (Photo: GettyImages)
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Cyber Monday Tips and Tactics - "Ever heard that saying, 'If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is?' Of course you have. Well, Cyber Monday is the day when there are so many great deals to be had, many of which sound great and do turn out to be true. And then there are plenty that are, well, not true, fake and deceptive. Cyber Monday is not only a great day for you to shop online, but it is also a great day for scammers to go shopping for suckers. Make sure you only buy from trusted companies. Don't tap on links in emails from people you don't know and always pay by credit card so you can get your money back if things go bad." —Cameron Yuill, Founder of AdGent Digital (Photo: AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Photo By AP Photo/Mary Altaffer
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After the Holiday Shopping Weekend - "If you have the time, energy and drive to save money, it's worth the time to review your receipts with stores' post-holiday sales to see if you can get any post-purchase reductions on items that go on sale after the holiday. There's fine print to many of the deals, but a lot of retailers will honor the sale price for items purchased within 30 days." —MaryAnn Bekkedahl, President and Co-Founder of theSwizzle (Photo: REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi /Landov)