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What You Should Know On Black Friday

By Chidirim Ndeche
24 November 2017   |   9:44 pm
We are in the heat of Black Friday season. If you've been paying attention, you'll have noticed that the sales and sweet Black Friday deals started as early as November 1, especially on some of our favourite e-commerce websites, with some deals going well into the month of December. Black Friday is a period when…

We are in the heat of Black Friday season.

If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll have noticed that the sales and sweet Black Friday deals started as early as November 1, especially on some of our favourite e-commerce websites, with some deals going well into the month of December.

Black Friday is a period when you can get huge discounts on a wide range of products, or that’s what it’s supposed to be about.

In recent years, retailers have been moving the start date of Black Friday earlier to maximise sales, both in physical and virtual stores. Due to this, you need more energy and alertness to be able to win on Black Friday.

Here are some tips for you to get through this Black Friday season:

1. Not every deal is real

Sometimes, retailers hike the prices of their products and then slash them down to deceive consumers into buying them. For example, a phone that would normally go for N50,000 would be hiked up to N80,000. Then the retailers would put a line over the “old” price and give you an appealing 35% discount, “reducing” the price to N52,000. See the catch? So, instead of buying everything you see for fear the discount will disappear, keep a list of products you need, their manufacturer’s suggested retail prices (MSRP) and their actual usual prices. Then, compare them to what the prices are during Black Friday.

2. Leave your credit card at home

If you are concerned about overspending, especially on deals that really are total lies, carry cash to physical stores when shopping. That way, you will be limited to buying only what you came for.

3. Not everything will go on sale

If you’re expecting newly-released devices and products to be sold at great discounts, you are in for a big disappointment. So don’t expect to find 30% off the new iPhone X. Although some carriers offer small deals on phones, for instance, flagship smartphones like Samsung Note 8 and the Google Pixel 2 do not give discounts on the first launch. Same goes for computers and gaming accessories. Also, remember to trust your gut. If it’s too good to be true, it’s probably not worth the risk.

4. App-exclusive deals are our friends

It is advisable to download the apps of the major retailers you’re interested in; that way, you capitalise on app-exclusive deals. Put on push notifications and save yourself a little headache from worrying about when and what deals are up.

5. Be patient

If you’re shopping online, you are the hunter and discounts are your prey. Stalk them. Keep tabs open and on auto refresh. Retailers only keep deals on for some time. You can also just pick a store that generally gets less traffic and flourish with your shopping.

6. Stay Safe

No deal is worth risking any kind of injury to obtain.This includes virtual stores whose sites have poor or no security and little fraud protection, leaving you at risk to viruses and other dreadful things and also physical injuries when arguing with other shoppers in the store. Make sure you and your private information are safe.

7. DO NOT buy on impulse

Surprisingly, you found a truly amazing deal on Google Home Minis. No matter what you’re thinking, you do not need ten of them. Buying on impulse just leads to regrets, so only buy things that you need. Also make sure to check the warranty, best-before date and return policies once you can.

Good luck with your shopping.

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