TAMPA, Fla. — Black Friday sales have been going on all month, but you’ll find the best deals this week.
“You can expect some of the best discounts of the year,” said Kristin McGrath, editor for RetailMeNot.
According to shopping experts, most things will be on sale. However, there are a few categories they said you should focus on during this sale period to save the most money.
“Fall apparel and footwear will be on sale. Beauty is seeing a lot of sale activity as well, and then I would also look at gift sets,” said Trae Bodge, smart shopping expert for TrueTrae.com.
You’ll also see some big discounts on small home appliances like robotic vacuums, air fryers, and electronics, including earbuds, smart home devices, computers, and TVs.
“TVs are the most common doorbuster you will find on Black Friday. Any retailer that sells electronics is going to have a few of those doorbuster TVs available where you’ll find a really big screen size for a really jaw-droppingly low price,” said McGrath.
Everyday items will likely also be discounted.
“It also is a good time to look for savings on those day-to-day items, perhaps your favorite paper towels will be on sale over Black Friday as well,” said Bodge.
Experts believe major retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, Target, and Amazon will start slashing more prices this week.
“Walmart and Amazon are going to be the two ones to watch for Black Friday. They both have kind of competing campaigns right now. They really want to capitalize on toys, electronics, clothing,” said Shannon Dwyer, Content Marketing Editor for BlackFriday.com.
“Walmart has their Walmart Plus Program. This year for the first time ever, they’re offering Walmart Plus members three hours early to shop all the deals before they come out. Which might not seem like a lot, but there are a lot of toys and electronics that are going sell out really fast,” she added
While many retailers will be offering discounts, that doesn’t always mean you’ve found the lowest price.
“Whether you’re shopping in-store or online, always make sure to utilize a coupon site or a coupon app to see if there are extra coupon codes or promo codes or cashback offers that you can apply to your order to save even more,” said Bodge.
“One of my tips, a little like sneaky tip, is to take an item, add it to your cart, and then just leave the site. And they will email you kind of a coupon or incentive to go back and buy the items, especially through Cyber Monday,” said Dwyer.
The number one thing shopping experts suggest is to make a list of what you want to buy beforehand and stay on track.
Make sure to do your research so you know where to get the best discounts.
You’ll find deals both in-store and online, but if a popular item sells out online, experts suggest checking in-store to see if they still have it.
“If you’re shopping in-store, on Black Friday, you’re likely to find maybe some special deals, maybe some exclusive bundles that you won’t find online. But make sure that you are comparing prices on your phone before checking out because if you find a better price online you might be able to present that to the cashier. I know that they do that at Target,” said Bodge.
“If you’re not going after those super popular doorbuster items that you’re going to need to check out with right away, take a moment and just compare across retailers. You might find a retailer offering some extra rewards points or an extra promo code or a slightly better price. Compare free shipping offers and just really make sure you’re getting the best deal,” said McGrath.
