Black Friday Secrets the Stores Don’t Tell You

Ah, Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year! The day everyone heads out to the stores to snag the best deals in town. But did you know that there are a few Black Friday secrets that many retail stores would rather keep quiet? Knowing these little secrets may be used to your advantage to help you snag the best Black Friday deals and discounts.

Not the best time for toy deals- Many people think that Black Friday is the perfect time to get the best deals on toys. However, this is not the case at all. The best deals on toys come the two weeks before Christmas. This is the time when stores must clear out their inventory to get ready for the new year ahead. Many stores will drop their toy prices by 50% or more.

Discount prices are sometimes inflated- In 2014, the website Nerd Wallet did a study that revealed that some stores actually inflated some of their Black Friday discounts. According to the study, some retail stores will boost an item’s original price so that the discounted price seems more desirable. For instance, a store may have a certain television priced at $1,200 on Black Friday. In the ad, it states that the price is a huge markdown when compared to the original price of $1,675. So, shoppers are led to believe that they are saving $475. However, the store’s website shows that exact television was priced at $1,050 at the end of last month. This means that the actual savings is $150 and not $475.

Price matching may not be an option- Many shoppers rely on price matching in order to get the best deal on an item. However, a majority of retail stores do not honor their price matching policy on Black Friday. According to Target’s Price Matching Policy, “Price matches and adjustments will not be allowed for prices from Thanksgiving Day through the end of the following week.” Wal-Mart’s Price Matching Policy states that they will not honor “Price match items between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday.”

Are you ready for some Black Friday deals?