Whether shopping in-person or online, many stores are dropping their prices Monday and starting those Black Friday sales early.
“Black Friday as a one-day concept, it’s no longer a thing. Black Friday is a season,” said Kristin McGrath, Editor for RetailMeNot.
The savings are available now, with many retailers already having started their big sales.
“If you’re thinking about shopping on Black Friday and you’re not thinking about it on Black Friday, you’re almost too late to the game,” said McGrath.
“What I would recommend for shoppers to do is to focus on specific categories,” said Trae Bodge, Smart Shopping Expert for TrueTrae.com.
Shopping experts told ABC Action News the best discounts will likely be on technology, including smart home devices and small electronics like headphones, earbuds, and TVs. There will also be deep discounts on Fall clothing and beauty products this time of year.
“TVs are Black Friday’s bread and butter. You’re going to find great doorbuster deals as well as some deals on some higher priced sets that are still heavily discounted,” said McGrath.
Home appliances are also a must.
“Things like countertop appliances and also those small home appliances like robotic vacuums, which are always really popular,” said Bodge.
Inflation continues to hit people hard. RetailMeNot did a survey and found consumers will spend 8% less this year than last year.
“70% say they’ve been impacted by inflation, and about half say they’re dealing with inflation by buying fewer things during the holidays, so consumers are being very discerning,” said McGrath.
Retailers are expected to respond accordingly.
“We are seeing some really good deals even in these early Black Friday sales that indicate it’s going to be a really strong year for deals," McGrath said. "Retailers have a lot of stuff, especially home goods and clothing, that they’ve overstocked as a reaction to the pandemic and an overcorrection, so they’re trying to get rid of that stuff."
Experts stressed that there are lots of ways to save, especially when shopping online.
“Pay attention to those promo codes and those free shipping offers. Those can end up saving you a lot of money," McGrath said. "Also, cash-back shopping definitely is a great way to put money back into your pocket. RetailMeNot has great cash offers, so if something's not on sale or not as on-sale as you would like it, you can earn cash back on your purchase and spend it on yourself in the new year."
Adding a browser extension like Honey, RetailMeNot, or Rakuten can also be helpful for online shopping.
“A browser extension is something that a deal site will offer to make your browser smarter,” said Bodge. “You can get a sense of historical pricing, for example, ‘Oh, is this a good time to buy this item or a bad time?’ If there are cash-back offers, coupons, these are all things that happen just from that browser extension."
If using a credit card, Bodge suggested being strategic about which one you grab.
“Take a look at the benefits your credit cards are offering because some will be giving you maybe 2% cash back,” said Bodge.
In terms of when to start buying this week, an early start is the best start.
Shopping experts said there’s no real benefit to waiting until actual Black Friday or Cyber Monday unless a retailer is teasing a good deal on something specific.
“On Black Friday in particular, the deals will be on a specific model. They’re very small and tight and specific… Whereas on Cyber Monday, that offer might be broader," said Bodge.
