Black Friday is undoubtably one of the most popular shopping days of the year for men and women alike. And why not? It offers everyone an incentive. Shoppers find amazing deals on popular items and stores and employees benefit from the insane number of customers ensuring lucrative commissions. According to Business Insider, sales in the United States on Black Friday in 2010 were approximately $648 million. $648 million in just ONE day? That’s a lot of shopping! The Wall Street Journal estimates that during the entire Thanksgiving weekend (Thursday through Sunday), approximately 212 million Americans spent about $45 billion—on retail sales both online and in stores.
So who is participating in these Black Friday deals? According to Business Insider, men spend more money on Black Friday than women. This isn’t completely surprising, considering that jewelry sales increased from 11.7% last year to 14.3% this year. The amount of more frivolous items such as books, electronics, toys and entertainment also increased from 2009.
Unfortunately, the awesome deals aren’t typically revealed until the Thanksgiving Thursday, but some consider this aspect part of the Black Friday fun. However, some websites like thanksgivingfridayads.com and theblackfriday.com try to gauge possible Black Friday ads. (Yes, these websites exist!) It’s also estimated that Apple will offer a 5-10% discount on some products, possibly including the iPad and iPod. Leaked Target ads display discounts on items such as the Amazon Kindle 3G (as low as $85) and a Nikon camera (only $99.99). C-U favorite Urban Outfitters is predicated to offer 50% all merchandise on Black Friday. So, what are the best shopping strategies to ensure the best discounts on your favorite items? I would recommend going as early as possible. Target opens at midnight on Thanksgiving, Nordstrom opens at 8am the next morning, Urban Outfitters opens at 6am, and Forever 21 opens at 8am, just to give you an idea.
Avid shoppers Stephanie Newmanand Gina Chinino shared some of the stores they’re most excited to visit and their strategies for shopping on Black Friday. Stephanie said, “Bloomingdales, Nordstrom and Topshop would be the top three stores I’m excited to visit. They’re bigger stores so there’s a huge selection and offer a good deal on a lot of different designers that I like that are more high end. My strategy would be going earlier in the morning so it’s not as picked over as in the afternoon.” When asked about her favorite stores and strategies, Gina said, “I am most excited to visit Nordstrom because it’s my favorite clothing store and they typically have awesome deals. I also like the festive environment of Nordstrom. The decorations throughout the store and Christmas music playing puts me in the holiday spirit, even during a day as stressful as Black Friday. I also like shopping anywhere in the mall in general because there’s a lot of people, excitement and energy and I typically find a new store I want to go into that way. My strategy is typically to look on a store’s website the night before and circle different items I’m interested, so I know where they’re located for the next day!”
So there you have it—a little Black Friday history, some estimated deals for 2011 and several storie recommendations and shopping strategies from two seasoned shoppers. Black Friday is one of the best days of the year to find deals on presents for family and friends, as well as a great opportunity to get into the holiday spirit. Happy shopping!