Tag Archives: cyber monday

Nov19

Black Friday Shopping Tips

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Black Friday Shopping Tips

Hello! Yesterday we discussed some tips and tricks to help get you prepared for Thanksgiving, which means that it’s time to talk about Black Friday shopping today. Black Friday is going to look different this year with COVID-19 still being so prevalent so it’s important to have a game plan to safely and successfully complete your shopping. Let’s get to it:

Do Your Research:

Lots of major retailers are no longer going to be open on Thanksgiving evening which I think is great. Or, some of the shops might not be open period due to COVID. When you’re planning your shopping route, make sure you consult the websites of your favorite stores to see when they are open, if at all, so you don’t end up at a store that’s closed.

Don’t forget to look into the COVID precautions of where you’re going too. They might be limiting the amount of people allowed in the store and masks could be needed for entry. Pack a couple of extra masks with you and dress in warm layers in case you have to wait outside of the store until you can go in.

Sign Up For Rewards Programs:

So many different stores have rewards programs that you can sign up for to save money and this is something that you can usually do online. If the stores you’re going to offers a rewards program, it never hurts to sign up for it. Some stores might be offering special Black Friday deals specifically for those who are part of their rewards club. This might include early or prolonged access to Black Friday deals and an extra percentage off of your purchase.

Check Out Cyber Monday:

In many cases, you don’t have to step foot in a store to get great post Thanksgiving deals. Due to COVID, many retailers are probably going to be offering the same deals online as they are in store. If you prefer to stay home and aren’t seeing any sales online on Black Friday, hold off until Cyber Monday. Monday is, traditionally, the day when you can save a bundle with your online shopping so don’t fret if you aren’t seeing what you would like to buy on promotion immediately.

Don’t Forget Small Business Saturday:

It is always important to support your local businesses, especially now more than ever. Your favorite local boutiques, eateries, and storefronts are sure to be offering great deals on Small Business Saturday. This is an amazing way to pick out unique gifts for those on your shopping list (Or yourself!) and give back to the small business owners in your area.

Safety First:

We have already discussed looking into the COVID precautions for Black Friday and now we will be talking about a different kind of safety. No matter how good the deal, nothing is worth getting into a fight over! If this should happen to you, just let it go for your safety’s sake. And, please, if you see anyone hurt or who has fallen: HELP THEM.

Whether you’re shopping Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, or Cyber Monday, use the tips above for maximum efficiency and maximum savings!

Do you participate in any of the mentioned shopping days? What is the best deal you have gotten if so? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov24

Lil Red’s Black Friday Shopping Pro Tips

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Lil Red’s Black Friday Shopping Pro Tips

Howdy!! In a mere handful of days it will be my favorite holiday of Thanksgiving because FOOD… and family, of course. 😉 And, with Thanksgiving just around the corner means that Black Friday will be coming in hot on its heels. I, personally, have never gone Black Friday shopping before because I suffered through five years of working on the day during my time in retail.

It’s no surprise that I have no desire to be within twenty feet of a mall on Black Friday. But, Lil Red lives and breathes shopping so allow me to grace you with these pro tips for a successful Black Friday haul:

Be Nice:

Although this has nothing to do with scoring the best deals, it has everything to do with being the best person. Please, please, PLEASE be kind to your retail and restaurant workers on Black Friday and every day. Those who have never worked a Black Friday before honestly have no idea how stressful it is and a rude customer can be enough to completely ruin someone on the biggest shopping day of the year.

Say please and thank you, try not to leave destruction in your wake as you shop, and be mindful of the other shoppers. And, always remember, you literally just spent the day prior celebrating all you have to be thankful for so if you don’t get what you wanted, there’s no need to punch someone in the face about it. Je-sus!

Do Your Research:

Now, having said all of that, the first step to a successful Black Friday is to do some research. It’s a mixed bag of which stores reveal their deals before the day and which don’t, so try investigating by either calling the store or going online. This will help you to decide the best order in which to shop. If there’s a hot deal going on right at midnight for something you have your eye on, then twenty-five percent off at your favorite store can wait.

Often times, stores repeat the deals that they had in year’s past so also bear that in mind when you are making your preparations.

Make A List:

Once you have a general idea of where to go and when, it’s time to make a list of what you would like to purchase. I know I always mention list making – but, damnit, it’s helpful! If you have specific things in mind that you want to buy on Black Friday, you cannot hit the stores willy nilly. It’s important to coordinate your wants with the deals happening so that you can create the best course of action for the order of stores you want to visit.

Time Is Of The Essence:

So you have a plan of what you want, the deals happening, and where you want to go. But, the thing is, so does everyone else. It’s all in the timing when it comes to Black Friday shopping. If you are shopping for specifics, you can’t spend too much time in one store or you might jeopardize getting the other things you want. Get in, grab your item, check out, and head to your next location. Then, once your shopping is complete, feel free to revisit anywhere else you want to spend more time in.

However, if you are going shopping just for the fun of it, take all of the time in the world. But, remember, if you do shop at a leisurely pace, a lot of the stores will be pretty picked over by the time you get there.

Know When To Say When:

Black Friday shopping is awesome for nabbing a big electronic for a song or doing your Christmas shopping. But, don’t be crazy about it. If you find yourself spending way too much money or shoving other people to get to the next place or hot item, then you’ve probably had enough Black Friday. Go home, take a chill pill, and try again on Cyber Monday when you’re not in the general public. 😉

Speaking Of Cyber Monday…

If you’re not keen on the craziness that is Black Friday, Cyber Monday is just days away and you can enjoy the deals from the comfort of your own home. Just remember to do your research prior. This might involve signing up for emails, which could notify you of the deals ahead of time (The same goes for regular Black Friday shopping!).

Get ready, get set, and shop with Lil Red’s Black Friday Shopping Pro Tips!

Have you been Black Friday shopping? Do you have any crazy stories from working or shopping a Black Friday? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov21

Black Friday Shopping Do’s And Don’ts

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Black Friday Shopping Do’s And Don’ts

Hello everyone and happy Tuesday! I can’t say that I’ve ever gone Black Friday shopping before and have no real desire to, either. BUT, after working retail for four years, I’ve grown savvy to some pro tips that will get you through the madness with some great deals and your personal safety/sanity still intact. Take a look:

DO:

Know your sales: Most stores do the same Black Friday sales every year. PacSun does, The Body Shop does, Claire’s does, Piercing Pagoda does (All stores that I’ve worked at.). Investigate the sales from year’s past and see if you notice a pattern. That way, you can determine if it’s even worth it to go out and hit the shops. Most stores won’t give you their Black Friday sales info before the day – but it doesn’t hurt to ask, either!

Know your sales Pt. 2: Normally, Black Friday sales don’t end on Black Friday. At PacSun and The Body Shop, their sales didn’t end for a solid month. If you don’t get to the stores on the actual day, I wouldn’t sweat it too much – especially because Cyber Monday is still a thing.

Cyber Monday Savvy: And speaking of Cyber Monday, get hip to it. In some cases, Cyber Monday sales are even better than Black Friday deals, especially if the stores you prefer to shop at have a stronger online presence. Do your research of sales from the past as mentioned in the above sections and make your decision on which day to shop. Or throw caution to the wind and shop on both!

Get there early: If there’s something that you really want, I’d recommend staking out at that specific store front at least an hour before opening. That way, you can get in, grab the item, and get out. It also doesn’t hurt to see if you can put items on hold prior to the Black Friday date so that you can purchase them with the sales and you don’t have to run into the store like a madwoman to get it.

Let it go: If you find yourself in a stand off for the last of something, just let it go. People are literally crazy and I’d rather leave the store in one piece than get the last of something that I’m sure you can buy at a later date.

DON’T:

Be that person: Black Friday is, by definition, a crazy time. Please have some respect. At the mall that I worked in, the store manager of Victoria’s Secret got punched in the face THREE YEARS IN A ROW. That’s pure insanity. You are all better than that. Don’t be that person.

Go in willy nilly: It’s essential to have a game plan during Black Friday. What items do you want? What stores are a must to go into? Can you and whomever you’re going shopping with divide and conquer to get everything on your lists? Devise a plan and stick to it so that you can make the most out of your Black Friday shopping extravaganza.

Buy in excess: Yes, it’s great to get a good deal. BUT do you really need everything that you’re buying? It’s nice to see all of the money that you saved, but don’t buy stuff just for the sake of buying it on Black Friday. As I mentioned before, check the deals. Some stores already have their sales going on now. Think of what is really necessary to purchase and try and do it beforehand, if you can. Being involved in all of the Black Friday hubbub can make you feel inclined to overspend so DON’T FALL FOR IT!!

Black Friday is not everyone’s cup of tea. It certainly isn’t mine! But that doesn’t mean that I don’t know a thing or two about how to shop during it. Use my pro tips and have the best Black Friday shopping experience yet! What are some of your Black Friday do’s and don’ts? What are some of the best Black Friday deals that you have scored? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov30

My Black Friday

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My Black Friday

Hello one and all! I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday! Sorry that I’ve been MIA these past few days – I’ve been working, working, working! I had my fifth Black Friday in retail this week and it was pretty crazy. I woke up at four in the morning on Black Friday to be at Next by five thirty so we could open by six. Thank goodness for my mom who set her alarm with me at four so that I didn’t sleep through mine! She even had a pot of coffee ready for me – what a doll!!! So I got to work and right as we opened the door at six – BAM – the store was flooded with shoppers. I honestly wasn’t expecting it at all. This was my first Black Friday working outside of the mall, so I assumed that a smaller business wouldn’t have nearly as much shopping traffic…I was dead wrong. For my entire almost twelve hour shift at Next there was a constant stream of people flowing in and out of the store. It was exhausting! The day went by relatively quick though since we had a solid amount of shoppers all day. And when there wasn’t any one in the store it gave us time to straighten up all of the clothing and displays. It felt so good to be outside of the craziness that I’m sure was happening ten minutes down the street at the mall. I promised my sister that I would visit her during her very first retail Black Friday shift now that she works at The Body Shop. When I got to the mall around six o’clock in the evening it was still swarming with people. It gave me anxiety! By that time all of the stores were completely trashed, so it wasn’t even fun going into any of my favorite shopping spots. My sister looked like she was doing great though during her shift so I definitely had a proud mama moment about that!!! The best thing about my Black Friday was coming home to find a letter from my best friend Tyler who’s currently in basic training on the kitchen table…and just coming home in general! Ha! I was so happy and exhausted that I ended up crying the entire time I read the letter. They were happy tears of course! I miss him so much and hearing from him was the perfect ending to a long day. All in all it was a solid Black Friday. A different but good experience from my previous four shifts working in the mall!

Unfortunately my work weekend wasn’t quite over after my long day on Black Friday because Small Business Saturday occurred on the following day. It was only an eight hour shift yesterday but it still wore me out!! I’m pretty sure that everyone was done spending their money after Black Friday because we barely had any customers yesterday. It ended up being a very chill day but I was still tired!!! By the time I got home around nine thirty I was already fantasizing about curling up under my covers and going to bed! After about twenty hours of work in two days you better believe I slept like a rock last night! I think I got thirteen hours of sleep so I’m feeling rejuvenated, recharged, and ready to go. But in all reality I’m going to end up doing nothing today, I need some me time. My mom is going to dye my hair for me so I can get some pampering and my best friend Lea is going to swing by for an hour or so later tonight. So it should be a nice, quiet day at home.

After being at the mall on Black Friday evening I realized just how much I hate people. Lol I kid, I kid! But really, shopping becomes totally unenjoyable when you’re just being jostled around a gaggle of shoppers. I have Monday off so I plan on participating in the Cyber Monday deals to get the rest of my holiday shopping done. My online gift giving destination lately has been http://www.amazon.com. They seriously have EVERYTHING and the prices are fantastic!!! I’ve gotten about half of my holiday shopping done already so I’m really hoping I can check the last few people off of my list this Monday! If you know of any sites that are having some great Cyber Monday deals, please let me know!

How was everyone’s Thanksgiving? Did any of you guys go Black Friday shopping? What kind of deals did you get? What kind of craziness occurred where you were shopping at? I’d love to hear all about it so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Happy Sunday! -Sarah

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