Black Friday in the United States is one of the best opportunities for those who like to shop while traveling.
Always on the Friday after the Thanksgiving holiday, this date marks the beginning of Christmas shopping in the country, and offers some of the best offers of the year on electronics, clothing and products from the most varied categories.
Many Americans (and tourists) take advantage of the super low prices, and it is not uncommon to see reports of crowds rushing into stores, confusion and fights. Even the employees get into the spirit, and one of my favorite videos from this era in particular is the speech similar to the one in the movie 300 made by a Target employee.
If you're going to be there at that time, I Great I recommend Take the opportunity to purchase some of the items on your shopping list. This task, however, may not be as easy as it seems, both due to the number of people and the enormous amount of offers from the most diverse stores.
In this post I will try to answer some of the most common questions about this day – "Where to buy? What time to get in line? What to Buy?" - and give you some tips so you can make the most of Black Friday in the United States.
Tips for enjoying Black Friday in the United States
What are the best shopping destinations?
If you are going to take advantage of the trip to visit some touristy place, like Los Angeles or Orlando, for example, there is no reason to change your destination. Most cities in the country participate in this date and you can find large franchises like Walmart, Target and Best Buy almost everywhere.
If you are going to travel only for purchases, however, it is better to opt for states that do not charge the sales tax, that is, they are tax-free. On the east coast, where New York and Florida are located, the best option is the state of Delaware (which, in addition to being tax-free, has countless huge shopping malls), while on the west coast the best option is to go to Oregon.
What to buy – Make a shopping list (with prices)
The product category with the biggest price drops on Black Friday in the United States is electronics. In general, television sets offer the best deals, but it is also a great time to buy cell phones, computers and cameras.
According to Retail Me Not (one of the most popular sites for finding discounts), this is also a great period to buy clothes, appliances, accessories (See a list of 11 super useful travel accessories in this post), sneakers, sports equipment and bags.
Use this information to search American websites, and make a list of what you would like to buy, including prices.. This way, on the day (or even before) you will already find out if the discount offered makes it worth investing in the item now or if it is better to leave it later.
Discover offers in advance
One of the wonders of technology is that it almost all leaks onto the internet earlier than planned, and the same happens with Black Friday promotions in the United States.
Currently there are websites specialized in discovering offers before they are announced. Instead of just finding out on the day, visit sites like bfads.net ou bestblackfriday.com in the week before Shopping Friday and check what discounts will be offered. See which stores will have the products you are interested in, and write them down on your shopping list.
Choose which stores to visit
After finding out what the promos, it's time to decide which stores you're going to visit. Sometimes one of them has the biggest discount on an item, but adding all the products together, another one will give you a bigger discount.
Try to choose stores that are close by, so you don't waste time traveling. Several shopping malls have department giants such as Macy's and JCPenney and nearby there are Best Buy and Target units. A classic example of this case is the Florida Mall in Orlando.
When deciding between stores, sign up for each store's email list, as they often offer exclusive discount coupons for registered customers.. Also pay attention to the schedule when they will open their doors, as the opening is often brought forward to the end of Thursday.
Arrive early
If you plan to shop at one of the big stores, like Walmart or Best Buy, don't leave the line at the last minute.. The year I was in the country, the electronics giant was going to open its doors at eight o'clock on Thursday, but by six o'clock the line was already long, and there were employees distributing flyers informing them of the discounts.
Find out which of the stores you'd like to visit will open early, and plan to get in line in advance. Usually, whoever arrives first gets the best discounts, as stocks are limited.
Do you want to escape the confusion? Shop online!
Lastly, if you want to avoid the crowds and still secure some products on your list, the best option is to shop online.
A website with incredible offers and that sells All Product type is Amazon. The most famous retailer offers everything from electronics to clothing, makeup, home products, books, accessories, decor and every kind of thing you can imagine (seriously).
The store accepts Brazilian cards and, if your hotel charges to receive packages, You can still use the Amazon Locker service for free, as I explained in this post.
And there you have it, the best tips for enjoying Black Friday in the United States! What are you wanting to buy? Tell me in the comments!
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