5 Reasons to Shop Before Black Friday and 3 Reasons to Wait
You’re in a better position to shop when not under the fabricated pressure of a time-sensitive sale. If you only care about the lowest price, though, wait for November 24…or January 1.
By Jill Duffy
Whether you beam from the adrenaline rush of getting a great deal or loathe the capitalistic society that created the “holiday shopping season,” there’s a high probability that you’ll spend money on gifts in the next two months, specifically starting Nov. 24- Black Friday. You might even shop for yourself. And why not? With an unfathomable number of products about to see their lowest prices all year, why not get ’em while the gettin’s good?
Well, I have five reasons you should not wait for Black Friday to start shopping and instead get a jump on it now. I tried to come up with five reasons you should wait for Black Friday, but I could only think of three. Here they are.
5 Reasons to Shop Before Black Friday
1. Less Stress
Black Friday sales, and really all sales from November to December, are designed to make the most money for stores. They’re not designed to give you a bargain. As one writer who formerly managed 150 brick-and-mortar retail stores put it, “[Black Friday] deals are designed to get you to act on impulse. Retailers lure you in with a limited-time offer and coerce you into purchasing shit you don’t need by creating false scarcity.” If you’re trying to make purchasing decisions while being tricked into a scarcity mindset, you’re going to feel stress and make poorer decisions.
On top of that, a lot of Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and other holiday deals are simply for bad products (notoriously, TVs). Trying to figure out whether you’re being tantalized with a crappy product during a limited-time shopping window-all while being lured to rack up your shopping cart with additional items from the same seller-is also stressful.
2. Early Sales
Unlike the pre-COVID era holiday shopping cycle, this year you can get plenty of good deals before Black Friday. Several big retailers offer early sales, such as Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart. Go to your favorite online retailers and look for banner ads for 20%-25% off-that’s what I’ve been seeing since the first week of November. These sales don’t come with as much fabricated time pressure as the ones you see on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
3. Better Inventory
The “false scarcity” aspect of Black Friday deals is real. But, in some cases, you might actually run up against limited products. Clothing is a good example. A retailer might carry 700 of the same sweater, but only 20 that are size small and navy blue. Sometimes during the mad rush of online holiday shopping, you can still get the exact item you want if you’re okay with a delay in fulfillment and shipping. You have a much better chance of buying precisely what you want and getting it quickly if you do it before everyone else.
4. The Thanksgiving Gift Drop Off
In all honesty, the main reason I’m getting an early jump on my holiday shopping this year is because I can drop off gifts to my extended family when we all get together on Thanksgiving Day. I don’t have to ship anything. I can wrap the gifts exactly the way I want. I don’t have to send texts saying, “A box is arriving at your house today, and it’s a gift, so don’t open it yet!” This approach isn’t for everyone, but when it does fit your situation, it makes a lot of sense to shop early.
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5. More Time Outdoors or With Friends and Family
In the US, the whole shopping season kicks off right as Thanksgiving ends. And as many retail workers know, that’s a bummer if you’d rather be outdoors or spending more quality time with people you care about. If the bulk of your holiday shopping is done before Thanksgiving, you won’t be tempted to shop and can relax or do whatever you enjoy.
3 Reasons to Wait for Black Friday Sales
1. Lowest Prices
If you really and truly care about getting the absolute lowest price for something before December 25, wait for Black Friday. The prices don’t get any lower…until early January when retailers are in a mad rush to sell off the remaining stock that won’t be hot much longer.
2. Better Return Policies
When buying gifts for other people, you always have to think about whether the recipient may need to return or exchange whatever you bought them. If you shop early, the return date may have passed by the time the person gets the gift. Items sold during Black Friday and other holiday sales sometimes come with an extended return policy. So waiting to shop simply ensures your gift recipients will be able to return or exchange a gift.
3. More Time
Probably the number one reason people don’t start their holiday shopping before late November is they need more time. They aren’t ready. They don’t know what gifts would be right and they haven’t organized their holiday shopping lists.
Get Your Shop On
For help finding gift ideas and getting advice about the holiday consumerism bonanza, see PCMag’s Holiday Gift Guide, as well as our One Stop Gift Shop with filters to help you zero in on the perfect present for everyone on your list.
Originally published at https://www.pcmag.com.
