It’s not like you have to shop on Black Friday, the nickname given to the day after Thanksgiving, when most retailers — thanks to being inundated by shoppers looking for holiday deals — watch as their bottom lines go from a deficit, or "in the red," to being "in the black."
After all, Christmas, Chanukah, and Kwanzaa have never truly been about gift-giving as much as they represent the act of giving, gift or no gift.
In fact, you don’t have to go out on Black Friday at all. Many stores will maintain sale items right up until the end of December. Moreover, you can shop for your grandchildren from the comfort of your own home via the internet. It might be less of a "tradition" than Black Friday, but the Monday after Thanksgiving is now known as Cyber Monday, because of all the online transactions that take place.
Still, for some, getting out and shopping on the day after Thanksgiving is just as much a part of the holiday season as turkey legs and tinsel. You can find bargains if you do some preparation beforehand, and are ready bright and early on Friday morning, armed with sales fliers, newspaper ads, and a strong constitution.
With that spirit in mind, Grandparents.com offers these 10 tips (and a few deals going on at the stores) to make your adventure a little easier.
1. Map Your Course. That’s both a literal and figurative suggestion. Most of the major stores release their sales fliers in Thanksgiving Day newspapers, but they’re also on their respective websites as well. You can also go to blackfridayads.com and check out the deals. At press time, the site had 2,303 Black Friday deals.
2. Plan Wisely. By now you probably have a list of what the grandchildren want, or at least you have a pretty good idea. So by checking the fliers, you can do some comparison shopping from store to store, and not waste a trip to see if Store B has a lower price than Store A on the same item.
3. Rise and Shine. Oh, did we mention this is mostly a morning gig? Most stores start their Black Friday extravaganza early on Friday morning, and by early we mean 4am, 5am, and 6am. Many stores have "doorbuster" deals on items for their customers who arrive when front doors are unlocked.
4. Dress for fhe Occasion. You can’t just show up at 4:59am and expect to casually walk into a store when the doors open. In all likelihood, there will be a line of people waiting to get in. That’s okay. Just dress warmly, and in layers so you can take off the hat and coat while you peruse the store. And keep an open mind while standing on line. Remember, this isn’t a chore. You’re supposed to have fun when shopping for your grandchildren. Just picture what their face might look like on Christmas morning. Chit-chat with those standing line, and keep it the joyous occasion it should be.
5. Check the Fine Print. When a store advertises a laptop computer for those who arrive at 5am, it usually says "limited quantities" somewhere in the ad. Only a handful of those computers will be available for the sale price, and when that stock is gone, it’s gone. There will be computers available in the same brand — but for the regular price.
6. Set That Alarm. Given the advice above, this is one is self-explanatory.
7. Be Prepared to Change On the Fly. If you’re at a store simply for a doorbuster item, but nothing else, don’t waste time roaming the aisles if you can’t score the doorbuster. Move on to the next store.
8. Take a Pal. There’s strength in numbers. Grab your spouse, a neighbor, a friend, anybody who has the same spirit of adventure that you do. By splitting up, you might just get everything you want before quantities run out.
9. Take the Fliers. Not only will it help you remember everything you circled, but it will come in handy just in case a store employee is unsure about a sale.
10. Check Your Car. The last thing you want to do on clogged Black Friday highways is to stop for gas or, worse, break down. Also, make sure you have the right vehicle. By that we mean, if you’re planning on buying a 46-inch High-Def television, it’s probably not a good idea to bring the Mini-Cooper.
Okay, so you’ve finished your planning, checked your list, mapped your course, and you’re ready to roll on Friday morning. Where are you going?
Well, according to the online site Wallet Pop, all the major retailers have plenty of deals on Black Friday. Here are some stores featuring special deals on limited quantities:
• Walmart: Opens at 5am with doorbuster deals, including $2 DVDs, $15 Blu-Ray discs, and a $199 X-Box.
• Best Buy: The big doorbuster? A Viera HDTV priced at less than $900. You can also snag a $379 Toshiba laptop.
• Kmart: Kmart is having sales on both Black Friday and again on Saturday. Friday’s deals include a $99.99 GPS system. On Saturday, you can get two of your grandchildren a Leapster set for the price of one — they’re buy one, get one free on this day only.
• Target: Digital camcorders as low as $69, and an iPod dock for $44.
• JCPenney: If you’re an early-early riser, this one’s for you. Doors at JCP open at 4am and sales include a $99 doughnut maker, and 50 percent off handbags, wallets, and more.
• Sears: Thinking about giving your grandchildren a television for their bedroom? Sears has a 19-inch Samsung HDTV for $299, among other Black Friday specials.
• Old Navy: No per-item sales here, just a 50 percent slash on everything for a limited time on Black Friday.
There are even more deals to be had at other stores, so do your homework, get plenty of rest on Thanksgiving night, and hit the door running on Black Friday!
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