With the UK’s biggest shopping event just round the corner, many of us will be gearing up to bag a bargain. But what’s on the top of our lists this year? Research by the money saving experts at vouchercloud has shown that clothing for ourselves and fragrances come top of the list, with 21% and 19% of the UK respectively quoting these as the top of their Black Friday shopping lists.
Here are some tips for Black Friday:
1. Don’t panic, it’s not just a one day event. 2016 saw the emergence of ‘Cyber Fortnight’, with deals appearing over a longer period of time, so be sure to start your research now if you really want to bag yourself a bargain. And don’t forget about Cyber Monday (27th), when we’re likely to see some further deals from top brands
2. Voucher sites will offer deals throughout the period that will save you even more money on your purchases, so don’t forget to visit them first to save the maximum you can – you can stack voucher codes on top of existing money off deals, so be sure to search for them
3. Many of us are time poor, and it doesn’t help that Black Friday is a working day for us (unlike some other countries). To save yourself precious time, set up alerts for your favourite brands with voucher sites so that you can be alerted to the offers that are of interest to you and you don’t miss out
4. Pre-work times – so 6am to 9am – are traditionally a peak time for people searching for Black Friday deals as they make their way to work. You do tend to see the biggest discounts for big Black Friday brands like Amazon and Currys around this time, however last year we saw brands drip feed more throughout the day, so don’t think everything is done and dusted by 9am! Continue to check throughout the day
5. ThisBlack Friday Map from vouchercloud tracks top deals in a real-time leaderboard, helping you to see the most popular deals as you watch throughout the day. You can also see what people are redeeming in your area so it’s a great tool to ensure you don’t miss a bargain
6. Once offers are live, you do need to be prepared to act quickly as items can sell out fast. Plan what products you are looking for beforehand and the amount you are prepared to spend so that you can act fast
7. Pay securely. Tech is a big sector for Black Friday / Cyber Fortnight and these are often high price point items. If you’re shopping for tech items next week be sure to use credit card or Paypal so you’re protected. And for ease, use tech to buy tech. You can download various retailer and deal apps to save you the most money and mean you can act quickly and on-the-move