Your Complete Guide to Black Friday Shopping
Attention all deal-seekers! Black Friday is right around the corner. Now’s the time to prepare your shopping lists, strategize your game plan and get ready to push and shove to make sure you’re making the most out of your Black Friday shopping trip.
You might be thinking to yourself is Black Friday really worth it? And let me just tell you it absolutely is. This now post-Thanksgiving holiday tradition proves to be some of the best shopping deals of the year. They set the precedent of deals to come for the following months; Christmas deals, New Year’s deals, etc. The in-store deals that some retailers offer can save you anywhere from 20-80% off. If you’re a Black Friday pro you might even find yourself saving more than this with coupons and extra discount codes.
Unfortunately not all of us are Black Friday veterans. For those of you who might just be joining this shopping trend, here is a comprehensive guide to help you shop smarter, not harder this Black Friday.
1. Start Early & Do Your Research – Black Friday has gone from waking up and shopping early the day after Thanksgiving to starting shopping right after you finish your Thanksgiving meal. Prior to Black Friday start looking at what you’re planning to buy. See what the retail value is of what you’re wanting to help you better grasp what kind of deal you can really get for it. Start collecting your circulars and ads. You’ll want to collect coupons and make notes of the deals that each store is offering. Study those ads and get your game plan together!
2. Make Use Of Websites & Apps -There are a TON of Black Friday websites and apps out there to help you organize and collect the best deals. Not to mention that websites and apps are some of the best tools we have to compare the prices of items between stores without actually having to travel to each store. Some stores will even give you additional percentages off if you have their app downloaded on your phone.
3. Join Rewards Programs – its 2019 and by this time most stores are offering FREE loyalty programs. If you know the list of stores you are constantly shopping at or plan to shop at this Black Friday make sure you signed up for their rewards program. Retailers often offer sales and promotions to their rewards members first. They’ll alert you early of their Black Friday deals and offer you special coupons.
4. Budget – It’s important to keep in mind that Black Friday deals are designed to get us into a store and to get us to buy more than we bargained for. Try not to get too caught up in all the excitement that Black Friday offers. Making a list of what you plan to buy will help you figure out how much you’ll be spending when shopping. You’ll want to set yourself up with a budget that you can stick to. Make sure you factor in that you most likely will be persuaded by deals for products and items that you weren’t planning on buying. We can’t lie to ourselves, when the deal is good on something we’ve been thinking of purchasing for ourselves we’ll splurge.
5. Be Cautious Of Deals That Are Too Good To Be True – Black Friday deals can get the best of us. You’ll want to make sure that the deals aren’t too good to be true. You don’t want to end up with a crappy product or an item that is defective and cheap. Super low prices and flashy deal signs might rope you in to shop certain retail stores, but remember even if it’s cheap it might not be worth the price. You’ll want to remember that sometimes it’s better to pay a little bit more for a better quality item that’ll last you longer.
Black Friday doubles as a competitive sport, so remember to be early, be prepared and get ready to shop some of the biggest bargains and doorbuster deals this year. OR if you’re like me, just wait till Cyber Monday.
Below is a list of local Black Friday destinations and their hours of operations this holiday season.
Auburn Mall:
Thanksgiving Day – CLOSED
Black Friday – 9:00am-9:00pm
Burlington Mall:
Thanksgiving Day – CLOSED
Black Friday – 12:30am-9:00pm
Cape Cod Mall:
Thanksgiving Day – CLOSED
Black Friday – 12:30am-9:00pm
Copley Place:
Thanksgiving Day – CLOSED
Black Friday – 8:00am-9:00pm
Emerald Square Mall:
Thanksgiving Day – CLOSED
Black Friday – 12:30am-10:00pm
Liberty Tree Mall:
Thanksgiving Day – CLOSED
Black Friday – 6:00am-9:00pm
Northshore Mall:
Thanksgiving Day – CLOSED
Black Friday – 12:30am-10:00pm
Pheasant Lane Mall:
Thanksgiving Day – 5:00pm-1:00am
Black Friday – 6:00am-10:00pm
Solomon Pond Mall:
Thanksgiving Day – CLOSED
Black Friday – 12:30am-9:00pm
South Shore Plaza:
Thanksgiving Day – CLOSED
Black Friday – 12:30am-10:00pm
Square One Mall:
Thanksgiving Day – CLOSED
Black Friday – 12:30am-10:00pm
The Mall at Rockingham Park:
Thanksgiving Day – 5:00pm-1:00am
Black Friday – 6:00am-10:00pm
The Mall of New Hampshire:
Thanksgiving Day – 5:00pm-11:59pm
Black Friday – 6:00am-10:00pm
The Shops At Chestnut Hill:
Thanksgiving Day – CLOSED
Black Friday – 7:00am-10:00pm
Kittery Premium Outlets:
Thanksgiving Day – CLOSED
Black Friday – 6:00am-9:00pm
Lee Premium Outlets:
Thanksgiving Day – CLOSED
Black Friday – 6:00am-9:00pm
Merrimack Premium Outlets:
Thanksgiving Day – 5:00pm-2:00am
Black Friday – 6:00am-10:00pm
Wrentham Village Premium Outlets:
Thanksgiving Day – CLOSED
Black Friday – 12:00am-10:00pm
Patriot Place
Thanksgiving Day – CLOSED
Black Friday – 12:00am-9:00pm
