Crash course for first-time Black Friday shoppers

Black Friday, store manager Mandy Handley said. This strategy will help you beat the crowds, which can really speed up your deal. Some even admit to shopping on their mobile phones during Thanksgiving dinner (11 percent). Why not? Retailers will try very hard to get you to buy things that are not on your list.

Although Black Friday remains a big shopping day, its import has been eroded by ever-earlier bargains, the growing clout of online shopping and retailers’ fear that the other guy is getting a jump on them. The BBB advises consumers to take their time and plan ahead for the best rewards of shopping during the holidays. And on Friday, Nov. 24, get $1 cozy socks.

In 2016, 99 million people went shopping on Black Friday, and the busiest time for stores the day after Thanksgiving typically occurs between 2 and 4 p.m. “Elmo was one of our Hot Holiday Toy picks, and it’s great to see a real discount on him”, says Lehmann of BradsDeals.com.

Books, games, movies, music and related gifts retailer 2nd & Charles, which sells new and gently used merchandise at 12747 Jefferson Ave.in Newport News, opened a week before Black Friday past year and is open 4 p.m.to midnight Thanksgiving and 9 a.m.to 10 p.m.

Dick’s stores will open at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving and will remain open until 2 a.m. Friday. Look for rebates and incentives in advance to get a good baseline for comparing deals. “Customers win because of that”. Additionally, nearly half (44 percent) revealed that they plan to camp out to get the best deals on laptops (22 percent), TVs (21 percent) and housewares (20 percent). Check ads in print, online and in stores’ emails if you have signed up to receive them. For more details on specific retailers participating in the special offer, visit Ebates.com. While it might seem that TV and electronics would be the in-store choices and clothing would be a good option for online shopping, Americans reveal that clothing is the number one choice for both online and in-store shopping. More information about Black Friday at Macy’s can be found on the retailer’s website. And if they can draw you in for one item, they’re hoping you’ll throw two or three more into your cart.

“Finally, when you’re at the dealership, make sure you ask your salesperson if you’re getting all of the incentives available on the auto”, Jones said.

Write it out on a sheet of paper to help you stay focused on the task at hand to stick to at the store.

“When you’re in a group of people, and they’re all doing the same thing, it promotes that same action in you”, Markman says. Instead, you will end up spending more of your hard-earned money than you planned which benefits the retailers. Make sure you know what the return and exchange policy is for your Black Friday special. Motherhood Maternity is also offering 30 percent off full price items during its Black Friday sale from November 22 to November 25. Toys R Us will have deals online but exclusive doorbusters for the store.

Major national retailers and Amazon also are advertising pre-Black Friday deals leading up to the traditional kickoff of the shopping season.

When you are in the store, ask workers how long certain sales will last, if there is more in the back or what the store return policy is. While many retailers offer “doorbusters” – specials created to bring customers into stores – some websites offer suspiciously low prices on in-demand goods in an effort to entice shoppers into turning over their credit card information. Generally, the more reviews the better. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.