Hello!! I can hardly believe that it is Thanksgiving this week and, of course, with Thanksgiving comes Black Friday. I have actually never shopped during Black Friday before. However, I worked retail for about five years and have five insane Black Fridays under my belt to show for it. During this time, I acquired a lot of pro tips for a successful Black Friday so keep these in mind when you set out for your day of shopping:

Check The Store Hours:

This might seem like a no brainer but it needs to be said since so many stores have updated their Thanksgiving/Black Friday hours in the past few years. A lot of places are no longer open during Thanksgiving evening and that is a wonderful thing. But, you will need to know the store opening and closing times to go about planning your day. This way, you can stagger your shopping and pencil in driving/waiting time if, for example, Target opens at midnight on Friday and Best Buy opens at two AM.

Have A Plan A, B, & C:

A ton of people are very serious Black Friday shoppers and the chances are high that you won’t walk away with everything on your shopping list. This is why it is a MUST to have a plan B and C in place for the items you want that are no longer available. It will also save you the time and frustration of scrambling on the spot to find something else.

Maximize Efficiency:

If you have never shopped or worked Black Friday, you can only imagine how crazy it really is. Jam packed stores, frazzled employees, and picked over inventory are all things that can slow your shopping down. If you know that you are going to need help from an employee, you can help them too! Have pictures of what you want pulled up on your phone or printed out so you can get an immediate yes or no on if it’s still available and where it would be in the store.

Fuel Up/Hydrate:

Crowded stores will get incredibly stuffy really quickly all over top of the fast paced atmosphere of the day. I don’t think I have to spell it out for you why a fall or other medical emergency is dangerous on Black Friday! For that reason, it is so important to make sure you have ate and are properly hydrated. Keep water bottles on hand and snacks in the car and do make sure you make a reservation at a restaurant if you plan on eating out so you know you will have a table.

Just So You Know:

So many people think that once Saturday rolls around, the Black Friday deals are simply over and that is not the case. SO many stores continue to offer Black Friday prices and promotions for several days after the fact. While Black Saturday doesn’t have the same ring as Black Friday, you are more than likely still going to receive a deal. Speaking of deals, remember that you might not be able to use coupons or rewards perks on top of a Black Friday deal so do your research to see which option will save you the most money.

Finally…

This is the time of the year when stores are hiring seasonal workers and a lot of them might not have much retail experience. In fact, Black Friday was one of my first shifts at fifteen and a half. Please keep this in mind and keep your cool because the day is already stressful enough for an employee without getting yelled at by angry customers too. If you think you could do a better job, then put on a name tag and get to work! 🙂

Shop smart on Black Friday with the tips above so you can walk away with something for everyone on your list… And maybe something for yourself too! 😀

Have you ever shopped or worked on Black Friday before? What was your experience like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah