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| Image credit: Leigh Goessl |
Traditionally, Black Friday deals were items slashed in price to entice consumers to head out in the early dawn hours the day after Thanksgiving with special morning deals.
Essentially, these deals were designed for ambitious people looking to be the early bird that catches the worm. This no longer is the case. Black Friday is becoming a multi and all day event. In addition to the madness typically associated with the oft-cited busiest shopping day(s) of the year, nowadays many fake Black Friday deals have emerged over time.
Some retailers are hyping up sales and not really offering true deals at all. Some might even call them fake Black Friday deals. These retailers are plugging the Black Friday "brand" on sales, but realistically these specials are not the deeply discounted sales consumers historically expect to find. However, being the branding associated with Black Friday is immensely popular, many consumers might think they are getting savings.
Here are a few things to look out for when shopping Black Friday to avoid fake deals:
Regular price
Many retailers may try the old tactic grocery stores are notorious for, tactics such as changing the pricing sign to look like a sale when in reality the price is ordinary everyday pricing. Watch for signs that might state, “Buy 2 for $10.00” where the regular price is around $4.99. Alternately, keep an eye out for similar techniques designed to catch a consumer’s eye. Just because a store has labeled an item as a “Black Friday special”, this may not necessarily mean you’re getting the savings, or it could simply be a regular sale. Or it could mean you're even paying more. Know your prices ahead of time before heading out to the stores on Black Friday.
Routine promotions
In the past, some companies are using the hype that is associated with the “Black Friday” moniker to promote regular sales. What these companies are doing is using Black Friday as an excuse to boost visibility and tout a sale they were giving anyway, it just so happens that the day after Thanksgiving falls within the time frame they are offering the special. Often these specials may go on through the entire season or longer. That being the case, is there really a point in consumers rushing out to buy? These merchants are simply trying to ride the tail feathers of Black Friday in order to nab consumers who are hyped and ready to buy.
Moving old merchandise
Some merchants might throw up all the merchandise that did not sell the rest of the year and label it as a special in order to move the products out of their inventory. Realistically, these things would probably be sitting on the clearance rack otherwise, perhaps even at a more discounted price.
When looking at products, be sure the deals are not older models of gadgets, electronics or even outdated fashions. Instead of throwing these items on clearance, some merchants may be trying to promote these items as specially-priced current models. Chances are if you look hard enough, you could find a more current version of the item at a true Black Friday price elsewhere.
Sell for normal price
Another tactic some retailers may try is to sell items at their regular price. What some merchants may do is in the time period leading up to Black Friday, they inflate the regular price then, as the big shopping day arrives, slash the price back down to its regular price, or perhaps at a slight savings of the original price.
Black Friday has, in some instances, emerged as a pseudo-national holiday in the United States, and is now creeping into Thanksgiving. Store Christmas and holiday decorations are going up simultaneously (or even before!) Halloween. Many stores even start playing Christmas music well before November. All of these tactics are designed by marketers to set consumers in the mood to spend and entice them into the stores.
Bottom line is if you truly want to save money on Black Friday, do your homework before hand.
- Read all the ads for weeks leading up to the big day
- Do comparisons checks with competitors off and online
- Know your prices
- Double check the regular price on those “buy one, get one free” deals
While a good many deals may be legit and save you some money, it does not mean other merchants are not offering similar competitive regular deals; many of which probably do not even need to be bought on Black Friday. In this respect, the craziness could be avoided.
Has Black Friday really become Black November? Perhaps, and maybe the day is not even really all that special in terms of deals anymore depending on how you look at it.
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