Is Black Friday Shopping Really Worth It?

While Black Friday is a day most shoppers look forward to, others stay away from it like the plague. So the question is: “Is Black Friday shopping really worth it?” Some would agree it isn’t worth the stress, the rush to find the item, waiting in long lines, or standing outside in the cold waiting for the stores to open.

In recent years, Black Friday has seen a decline in sales and shoppers. Why? The Internet offers a multitude of savings. While some enjoy shopping online from the comfort of one’s home any day of the year; for others, it is the thrill of the hunt. Moreover, there are many people who neither own a computer nor want to, but simply enjoy going to stores seeking bargains.

When asking a woman what she would prefer; shopping online or shopping at department stores, she commented, “I love going to stores. I love to see the various selections of clothes and accessories, houseware items and linens. I want to be able to touch everything and look at all the colors and styles.” Although most women may agree, Black Friday is not the day to browse and touch fabrics and visit every department to determine what’s new!

Certainly, anyone who goes shopping during the year has a pretty good idea of what each department store has in stock. It’s no different on Black Friday, except there are hoards of crowds and a frantic rush to obtain an item that might be on sale for two hours. The pressure is too great.

However, you can check ahead of time if you need a specific item that might be on sale at the store but not online. For example, let’s assume you want to purchase an item from Macys. You check the online price and it is no where near the price advertised in your local newspaper. The reason for this is that this particular department store increases their online prices even though they are marked as sale items. So too, very few of the items listed in the local newspaper are even advertised on the Macy's website.

How do you circumvent this anomaly? Arrive at the store about an hour prior to opening. When the doors open; head straight to the department where your item is located. Try not to stop and browse. Stay focused, find your item, check out, and leave.

Conversely, if you are shopping well before Black Friday you can ask the department manager if the item in question will be a sale item on Black Friday and ask if they can hold it for you.

Quite frankly, online shopping has become a boon today and it is well worth leaving the aggravation, stress, and angst behind. In fact, in the last few years more gift certificates were sold online than any other item. They are convenient and allow the recipient to buy what they really want for the holidays. Gift certificates also save time returning items that are either too small or the recipient has already received.