1. Do some research

Do quite a bit of research before Black Friday rolls around. This should include picking out things that you already know you want. Having a wishlist can significantly reduce the amount of time spent researching once it’s Black Friday. This is important since the sales will only be around for a limited period, making any time spent on product research being time wasted.

Some details to consider jotting down are the product codes. Make a note of these before you head into the physical storefront, go onto their online shop, or however you decide to go shopping. There are several different ways you can go about this. One way is to head over to a retailer’s website or download their app (if they have one).

Overall, the key here is to do your research beforehand so that you know what you want before Black Friday comes around.

2. Sign up for newsletters

Sign up for as many store newsletters as possible! You may want to find out ahead of time if they are holding a Black Friday sale. However, the chances are very high that most shops will take advantage of this high holy day of the consumer holidays.

There are also unique newsletters, like the one from BlackFriday.com, that you can subscribe to that include deals from many different retailers, where you can receive alerts for new deals hitting the web. They will update you and let you know when the best deals are announced by sending you an email.

Learn about the latest deals before others do so that you can take action quickly. Some items will sell out very fast, which means the sooner you know about a deal, the better chance you have of getting the product on sale.

3. Download the coupon app

The Coupons App is available on both Google Play and the Apple App Store. This great app notifies you when coupons are about to expire. It helps you catch those great deals before they are gone for good.

It can also automatically apply promo codes to your items when you’re checking out at one of the thousands of participating online retailers. You also get a chance to win free item giveaways near you. Amazon price drop alerts and produce price history are also available to you, so you only pay the price you want for products available on Amazon.

Beyond just tracking coupons, the app offers a convenient feature that automatically applies available promo codes to your shopping cart during online checkouts, streamlining the process at a vast array of participating e-commerce stores. This means less time searching for codes and more time enjoying the discounts.

For those who love freebies, the app provides access to local giveaways. This could be anything from complimentary food items at a nearby restaurant to a free trial of a new service, making every outing an opportunity to snag a deal.

For Amazon shoppers, the app takes it a step further by offering price drop alerts. This feature lets you monitor the prices of your desired items and notifies you when they dip, ensuring you purchase at the most opportune, wallet-friendly time. It also tracks price history, providing insight into pricing trends to help you determine the best moment to buy.

By combining all these features, The Coupons App serves as a comprehensive digital ally for both your in-store and online shopping adventures, always working to help you secure the best possible prices.

4. Take advantage of loyalty card programs

Loyalty card programs have been around for a long time. That’s because they are still one of the most effective ways to get customers to keep spending their money at the same stores. Companies in a wide array of industries offer loyalty cards that also usually come with extra perks and rewards.

There are also uniquely innovative options involving loyalty card programs you will want to keep in mind. 2 of the ones we like are Flipp and Phyre.

• Flipp – Add coupons directly to your loyalty cards. When you use Flipp, you no longer have to carry all of those bulky loyalty cards around with you. Flipp acts like a digital wallet for your loyalty cards. Add your favorite cards to the app and clip coupons digitally so you can save them when you’re in the store.
  
• Phyre – a fintech company that has an app that lets you digitize your loyalty cards to use them directly from your smartphone. As with Flipp, you no longer need to carry around all of those plastic cards with you. There are also other features of the Phyre app that include the tracking of spending, offers from retailers, and the ability to use vouchers and coupons when you are buying something.

5. Get a retailer credit card

Retailers have increasingly been offering credit cards that offer perks like cashback services. Rakuten is a massive online retailer that now offers its own cashback Visa credit card. Whenever you buy something, you will get some money back. Now, that’s a great offer!

6. Use price comparison sites

Comparing prices before buying something will help you avoid paying more than you should be. Scanbuy is an online tool that helps you compare prices between different retailers to get the best deals out there. Don’t be afraid to bargain! There’s plenty of competition out there, so you can find the best deals and snag them.

7. Read return policies

Before purchasing anything, double-check the store return policy. After all, you wouldn’t want to buy something you weren’t sure you could return if you didn’t want it for some reason, especially if you spent a whole lot of money on it. Thankfully, in the spirit of trying to beat out their competitors, some stores have been extending their returns until the end of January, like Amazon.

8. Keep all receipts

Make sure you are always getting a receipt for your Black Friday purchases. When you buy from only one store, this is easy, but you really need to stay on top of the physical receipts. If you want to exchange something or deduct an item from your business tax returns, you will need the receipts.

9. Head to social media

One of the last Black Friday tips for small businesses we have is to head over to the social media pages of your favorite retailers and see if they are offering any exclusive deals or are running special promotions. When you like/follow a retailer’s social media page, you may sometimes get alerted to Black Friday discounts and offers and know about them before others do.

10. Maintain a Black Friday budget

It’s easy to get carried away in the Black Friday frenzy of deals everywhere. That’s why our last tip for how to plan for Black Friday is to create and maintain a budget for Black Friday. Decide ahead of time how much you are willing to spend and avoid going over it. Avoid those impulse buys that can add up really fast.

Final thoughts

When you keep these Black Friday shopping tips in mind, you are making sure you spend as little money, on as many quality products, as possible.

If you have a small business, you will want to get shopping right now so you can still benefit from these Black Friday shopping tips. The more you are exposed to the marketing tactics that other businesses use, the more you know about what potential persuasive advertising techniques you can use for your own business.

Happy Black Friday shopping!