Dedreanna Drost is a master at Black Friday shopping.
“I've had my fair share of Black Fridays to know how to expertly navigate my way through,” says the Fredericton, N.B. woman, who wrote about her experiences in her blog, Where We Summer.
As an avid Black Friday shopper who lives an hour from the United States border, and her mother only 15 minutes away, the two have spent years scouting the best deals in both countries. The women plan for months and perfectly calculate every move to ensure they get what they want.
Drost is also not above pulling an all-nighter to do so. There was the time Drost waited, while pregnant, in a camp chair outside a Maine store to get a laptop.
Check out a video of Drost's Black Friday shopping
In Canada, she says sales usually start early in the morning, rather than in the middle of the night, so here, she’s waited outside for hours, but has not had to pull a true all-nighter in Canada… yet.
Drost has made such a reputation for herself that her company assigned her the job of buying over 50 toys for their office kids’ Christmas party using Black Friday sales - and she came well under budget.
This year, with COVID-19 restrictions in place and no cross-border shopping happening, Black Friday shopping will look a little different for Drost. She’s already wondering how stores will handle the crowds this year. Previously, some stores handed out tickets for big items to the first people in line, so Drost thinks something similar will have to happen this year as well. She predicts, however, that most people will be doing their Black Friday shopping online.
In-Person tips
Drost offers the following tips to get the most out of your shopping experience if you decide to go in-person.
1. Assemble a team for in-person shopping.
“Your team is there to help you get everything on your list, and you're there to help them do the same,” she says.
You travel together, wait in line together, and carefully coordinate your plan of attack once inside the store. It's important to shop with people who are prepared to wait in long lines, aren't anxious around crowds, and preferably have a bit of Black Friday experience, she says.
2. Make a list
Before the flyers even come out, it's important to make a list of the items you're looking to buy, says Drost. It's easy to go overboard as everything is so cheap, so it’s important to stick with the list, especially if you have a budget. But be sure to check the original price of the item to make sure you are getting a good deal.
Dana Calder, the creator of the blog The Coupon Nannie, based out of her home in North River, N.S., says to include even more details on your list. Write down the prices, the stores you want to target, and the sizes you need.
She suggests savvy shoppers download the app Rebee or go through the websites on your computer to help you find flyers local to your area. Put in the postal code of where you want to shop and all the flyers will come up. Then, you can input an item such as "TV" and it will pull up all the deals on TVs so you can see what's the best deal in the area, Calder says.
When it comes to checking the flyers, Britanie LeFait of Halifax, N.S. says to pay attention to the dates. Some stores like Walmart and Canadian Tire start some of their sales on Thursday; others may have items just on sale on Friday or during the weekend; while other stores have sales that run all week. Read the fine print, she says.
3. Make a game plan
Find out when each store opens and then prioritize which store you will hit first, Drost says.
If you are new to the store, familiarize yourself with the layout if you are going in-person, so you know where to find the items you want. But remember, items might be in different locations, so Drost suggests asking for a sales map.
If you are going to purchase bigger-ticket items, Drost says to be sure to know the rules of the sales. If they are first-come, first-serve, she suggests lining up at least two to three hours in advance.
Then, with your team, decide who is going to go after which items.
“You can cover more ground and have a better chance of not missing out on what you want,” she says.
4. Be properly equipped
If shopping in person, Drost also recommends making sure you have a large enough vehicle to fit all the purchases, dressing in layers with comfortable shoes so you can easily wait outside and shop inside, and carrying snacks and water. Leave your children at home.
5. Be safe
In a typical year, the crowds can be big, so Drost says to keep your money in a safe place and recommends a cross-body bag that stays on your person the entire time. Keep your purse within view of you at all times or your wallet in your front pocket, or safely zipped inside of your jacket.
Keep an eye on your cart, adds Drost, and don’t leave it unattended.
“I've seen people have items stolen from their carts before when they weren't looking. If you stand in line for hours to get gifts for your loved ones, the last thing you want is someone taking it when you aren't looking,” says Drost.
Online Shopping
It is predicted that most people will be doing most of their Black Friday shopping online. Calder offers some tips for shopping online that can help you save even more money. These tips work well for shopping online any time, she adds, not just for Black Friday.
1. Find coupon codes
Before buying anything online, Calder suggests checking each of the stores for extra coupon codes that can be used for even more savings. Often, you can get a $5 coupon just for signing up for texts on sales, she says.
2. Use an online portal for cashback
Use a free cash-back site like Rakuten to get the maximum savings, says Calder. Before you shop, go to this site and click on the store where you want to shop. It will take you to that store’s website, however, it tracks your purchases and gives you cashback.
“It all adds up, and we need every penny,” says Calder.
3. Be ready to shop
Like shopping in person, Drost says to have your list prepared for where you want to shop.
If there are bigger items that you want, make sure you are online and ready to go when the sale starts, because bigger items will sell out quickly. Don’t put items in your cart and expect them to be there hours later, because they likely won’t be, she warns.
4. Use the Google shopping button
If you Google a product you are interested in purchasing online, Heather Laura Clarke from Truro, N.S., suggests clicking the “shopping” tab that appears in the menu bar. You can then sort items by price and find the lowest price online.
Clarke did this while purchasing a toy for her daughter and saved over $100 by purchasing it on a website she hadn’t thought of using.
Watch for these hot items
Drost predicts that hot items for this year will include items people can use at home for work, school, and fitness now that COVID-19 is keeping more people at home. This may include laptops, iPads, and AirPods.
“Now that fewer people are going to the gym, I think more people will be looking at getting Fitbits, Apple watches, workout equipment, etc., to keep track of their fitness at home,” says Drost.
When it comes to toys, Calder says popular toys this year include the Nintendo Switch, Na! Na! Na! Surprise 3-in-1 Backpack Playset (the girls aged six to eight in her house insist on this, she says), LOL,
LOL Surprise Remix 4-in-1 Plane, and Na! Na! Na! Ultimate Surprise.
Reduced stock possibilities
Rebecca Wilson, from Bedford, NS says this year’s Black Friday sales are looking a bit different this year. She recently finished furnishing her hew place from top to bottom and found that many local stores had already started their sales and had sales running all month.
“We were told there is virtually no inventory,” says Wilson. “It seems that everyone is fighting over the same small quantity of products coming in from manufacturers, as everything is back-ordered two or three months.”
Therefore, shopping on actual Black Friday might be very competitive, she says.
More online
- Where We Summer's best Black Friday tips and tricks
- Rakuten online portal
- Rebee Flyers
- Online shopping tips from Heather Laura Clarke
