So, Black Friday is upon us once again. Here’s to insane discounts, storming the local shopping malls and refreshing those online deals every five seconds! Before you know it, though, the discount season will soon be gone, and we’ll all be back to paying way more than we think we should!

To ensure you maximise your annual shopping spree, we’ve put together some Hellopeter tips for shopping this Black Friday season.

🔎 Tip 1: Research Prices Well Before Black Friday 

You didn’t hear it here, but did you know that many companies will inflate their prices pre-Black Friday to convince you that you are receiving a better deal than you actually are? While this isn’t technically illegal, it certainly does cause one to rethink their Black Friday purchases. 

Ensure you’re taking note of your preferred retailer or service provider’s pricing during the pre-Black Friday period. This allows you to gain a clear, accurate understanding of exactly where the true value lies and which companies you can trust.

📱 Tip 2: Social Media is Your Friend

With the advent of social media and businesses understanding the value of a strong, value-driven social media strategy, start following your favourite brands and service providers’ social media pages. Many businesses will post last-minute deals, exclusive offers and pertinent information directly for their social media followers’ benefit.

Before and during Black Friday, ensure you’re visiting site pages directly linked to Black Friday deals, allowing Google’s algorithms to direct targeted Black Friday communications your way.

Further, don’t just be a passive follower. Instead, engage with businesses’ social media, ask questions and seek advice. Don’t be afraid to ask your favourite businesses directly for loyalty discounts, promotions or programmes they may offer during the sales period. 

🗊 Tip 3: Read The Small Print

Black Friday is, as we all know, often a mad rush, with shoppers trying to get through their lists to find the very best deal. 

This, of course, sometimes leads to ill-fitting purchases, budget-busting impulse buys and general self-loathing and regret. That’s why it’s oh-so-important to familiarise yourself with your favourite retailers’ and service providers’ delivery, returns and warranty policies.

After all, few things are more frustrating than finding that sweet pair of shoes on sale, only to learn upon delivery that they’re half a size too small and the retailer doesn’t offer refunds on discounted items.

Remember that businesses are well within their rights to change their policies specifically for Black Friday. Make sure you take the 30 seconds necessary to check T&Cs before adding to cart.

✔️ Tip 4: Get Organised

The thing with Black Friday is that all the good stuff generally goes first. That’s why you must get organised and put a plan of action in place.

If, for example, Black Friday is your absolute holy grail in terms of annual shopping spending and you’re invested in spending big money on important items, then consider taking a day off work to maximise your time and efforts.

What’s your plan of action? Are you going full digital-native and spending Black Friday online? Then check when the sales start (many often start at midnight, or even a few days or weeks in advance). Make sure your preferred service providers and retailers have reliable, user-friendly online stores and be ready to make informed decisions quickly and efficiently. 

Are you going ‘old-school’ and planning to go shop-to-shop? Consider factors such as the distances you need to travel, traffic and parking. When are these stores going to busiest? How long will stock be available? 

Black Friday is no time to wing it. So, make sure you’ve prepped to avoid disappointment. 

🛒 Tip 5: Search for Value

For many businesses, Black Friday is a unique opportunity to maximise earnings. Hence, many businesses’ core strategy will revolve around getting as many feet through their door as possible. Consumer traffic is the goal.

Use this insight to research all possible value-adds for your Black Friday. From coupons and promotions to cash-back and rewards programmes, businesses will do just about anything to whet your shopping appetite. 

Remember, in the uber-competitive Black Friday space, there’s a good chance your favourite retailer is offering a deal too! 

⭐ Tip 6: Do Your Research!

Millions of consumers trust Hellopeter because Hellopeter reviews are written by consumers, just like them. 

Hellopeter community members get free access to South Africa’s largest and most trusted collection of consumer experiences, guaranteed to give you the best insight possible into which businesses you should be considering this Black Friday. 

When you decide to get serious about your Black Friday experience, ensure you’re making informed, customer-backed decisions. And after the Black Friday madness begins to die down, Hellopeter offers you a platform to engage directly with the businesses you purchased from.

Visit Hellopeter.com for your Black Friday shopping prep, learn from other consumers’ experiences and make smarter choices.