Black Friday 2018 is set to take place all across South Africa on 23 November 2018. Black Friday traditionally takes place on the day after American Thanksgiving, and sees retailers offering a range of special offers to shoppers on what is deemed the first day of the Christmas shopping season. In recent years, South African retailers and service providers decided to join the party, with special offers sometimes preceding 23 November or extending for up to a week afterwards.
Especially in harsh economic climates like the one we are currently experiencing, it’s hard to resist a bargain, but consumers would do well to keep these five tips in mind, come November 23rd.
1. Failing to plan is planning to fail
Make a list of pre-selected items that you are interested in buying before heading out. Browse offers as they are made available by retailers, and remember to note the opening and closing times of the stores you’ll be shopping in, as well as the availability of stock. If you head into any store unprepared, there is a good chance that you’ll blow your entire budget after being mesmerised by the sheer volume of special offers.
2. Stick to a budget
Speaking of budgets: you should definitely decide how much money you want to spend on Black Friday, and stick to that predetermined budget. Buying a discounted item for the sake of buying it does not amount to a saving.
3. Do thorough price comparisons
Once you’ve identified the items you’d like to buy on Black Friday, start by checking the price they are currently going for in order to get a good idea of how much you are actually saving. Retailers do sometimes inflate prices ahead of Black Friday to make it seem like they’re offering large discounts – be aware of this and frequent a few stores to get an average price to base your Black Friday comparison on.
4. Get by with a little help from your friends
If you and a friend or two are all planning to hit the mall on Black Friday, why not organise your lists and split up? You’ll be able to cover more ground, and won’t have to rush from one store to the next.
5. Surf the web instead of sauntering through a store
Many retailers offer Black Friday deals on their websites. If you’d like to avoid the frenzy altogether, do all of your bargain shopping online and avoid the queues.
Keep a lookout for Vodacom Black Friday deals on our website www.smartcom.co.za