Every year people lose sleep to rush the stores at midnight to find the greatest Black Friday deals. My question is, are the deals really that great? Is the product worth standing in line for three hours?
Although some of the deals really are deals, people must watch out for marketing scams and research where the best deal is.
For the ladies out there, Victoria’s Secret constantly has its on-going sale where customers can purchase five panties for $25. This deal will not be marked down on Black Friday, but those who do not regularly shop at Victoria’s Secret would never know the difference and mistake it for a bargain.
Places like Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters take about a 50 percent discount to their overpriced items during Black Friday. These companies rarely have sales throughout the year. I personally think that they up the items to a high-priced amount right before the rates drop so they have a more significant compare and contrast of prices in order to give the illusion of a “great” deal for shoppers. For example, say a jacket originally costs about $400, but they up the price to around $500 a few weeks before Black Friday. For Black Friday the jacket slides down from $500 to $400 again.
Laura Smith, a second-year in exploration, noticed the price changes.
“The stores jack up normal prices before Black Friday and then drops it back to the normal price or close to it,” she said.
This kind of method sucks those women in who admire their trendy metropolitan style of clothes into thinking they are scoring a great deal when in actuality they are getting the original price as a bargain.
For the gentlemen that want a new plasma screen television, stay in bed on Black Friday and look no further than your computer.
Alexa McIlrath, a second-year in computer and information science, admits, “My parents waited in line for a television once and spent around $1,000 and saved $200.”
Although McIlrath’s parents did save a couple hundred dollars, they did not get the greatest deal.
When comparing prices from Best Buy to Amazon.com you will actually be saving money by buying your new plasma from Amazon.com. At Best Buy the Panasonic – VIERA 50″ Class / Plasma / 1080p / 600Hz / 3D / HDTV model is originally priced at $1,499.98. For Black Friday, it is being dropped down to $1,199.98, saving you $300.00. On Amazon.com, the same new plasma is on sale for $997.96, saving you $502.02 from the original price.
The lesson learned here is to be cautious on what is spent on Black Friday. Go in with a goal of knowing what you are going to get, compare prices ahead of time and be aware of the scams. Preparing for Black Friday will leave you a knowledgeable and happier shopper and your wallet with some extra cash to spare.
