Are you a fan of Black Friday? If you use Black Friday to kick start your Xmas shopping then now's the time to start planning.
Black Friday only really arrived in the UK in 2010, brought over by American retailers such as Amazon and Asda, but in the USA its been a huge event for many years.
Opinion is split as to why its called Black Friday. Some say it was the day of the year when shop keepers had sold enough to pay all their bills and could finally move in to profit. Others say that it was called Black Friday by the police force as the combination of holidays and sports fixtures meant that traffic was so bad all leave was cancelled.
When Black Friday first started in the UK it was on a small scale with only Amazon really offering big bargains. However Xmas 2013 was when Black Friday was really taken up by the big retailers and it arrived with a bang and scenes of mobs scrambling for bargains. Since then it has very much moved on online and the majority of sales and bargains are offered by internet retailers.
In 2017 Black Friday sales seemed to centre on electronics. The best selling items were a Samsung TV and a HP laptop, although the Amazon Echo and Google Home were also popular.
Black Friday is now a regular fixture in shoppers' calendars and this year it falls on 23rd November, although many retailers run promotions for a whole week.
Not all retailers participate any longer and the ones which do tend to focus on particular products but a very few, such as ASOS, offer a blanket 20% off over the Black Friday weekend.
Retailers now plan for the event which means that the bargains are not always as good as they were, but if you do your home work then there are still chances to pick up a Billy Bargain.
Our top tips for preparing for Black Friday
1. If you are after a particular product then research the price now. Some retailers will increase their prices so that they can maximise the discount on Black Friday. If you look now you will see a full range of prices and be able to judge if a Black Friday price is a real bargain or not. We have blogged about what is a fair price here.
2. Sign up to retailers newsletters. They will often give subscribers a sneak preview of their Black Friday deals, or even start the sale early for people who receive their emails.
3. Some retail websites are unable to cope with the quantity of traffic on Black Friday so if you want something from a particular shop then get in early before the volume of people shopping reaches peak volume.
4. If you are buying something over £100 use a credit card rather than a debit card. It gives you extra consumer protection if you are not happy with your purchase.
5. Be careful of buying from websites which don't have a little padlock sign in front of their website name. They should also start with https://
There have been instances of scams involving emails supposedly sent from a reputable retailer which direct people to a false website. Just check the website address before you buy.
And will Best Years be offering Black Friday deals? You'll just need to visit our website on 23rd November to find out!
