It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Although admittedly it probably won’t look like the Christmas that you’ll be used to, there’s no denying that the holiday season is just about here. But before we get into that time of year where the whole family gets together and exchanges their holiday gifts, we first must get through that big holiday season kick-off tradition: the Black Friday sales. Presumably, Black Friday ads have already appeared on your TV sets, announcing incredible deals and deep discounts on gifts you intended to get when holiday shopping.
As always, Black Friday falls on the first Friday after Thanksgiving, which for 2020 will be November 27th. But just like the Macy’s Day Parade, Thanksgiving Day Football, and other staples of a holiday tradition, the Black Friday event is likely to move most of its interaction online. As the brick-and-mortar stores that we would ordinarily spend time browsing in are now only able to accept a limited number of people, it stands to reason that there will be less queuing to be the first through the doors at 5 am, and more likely a long night behind a computer screen after Thanksgiving dinner. Furthermore, it stands to reason that this year, many of the best Black Friday deals that you are after will be online exclusive, to deter people away from the physical stores. While one or two stores may still offer a free store pickup, and take some pressure off the delivery companies, it seems that Black Friday 2020 is going to be vastly different, and largely digital. Home Depot has already announced that all of their Black Friday deals will be online only, so perhaps this year’s Black Friday will be more a Cyber Monday.
With that being said, it might be a good idea to go into this Black Friday with a game-plan or prior knowledge of what you’ll be getting. With a lack of in-store browsing, this may be difficult. It almost goes without saying that the best deals are going to be around electronic devices, as every year the biggest price drops are on tablets, smart TVs, laptops, PS4 consoles, and accessories. The biggest electronic deals are almost a tradition (as is the in-store fighting over them–one tradition that no one should miss this year).
However, as the whole year has been different from the norm so far, you might as well take a different approach to your gift-giving too. If the electronics sell out, or you just think that your gifts this year should be less oriented around systems that you plug into your TV, then a back-up plan is required. The good news is that help is at hand to help you make the best buy, so if you are struggling, here is what to purchase on Black Friday other than electronics.
First things first, the decor.
You’ll notice that, traditionally, as we got closer to the holiday season, many retail outlets would have a number of great deals on their festive decorations. It’s a smart ploy to encourage people into their stores to pick up a decoration or two, but then upsell them on other deals that they might be running at the time. This year, however, this seems to have fallen by the wayside.
If you’re like the many Americans who put up their trees and lights a few weeks prior to Christmas (as opposed to a select few who do so before Thanksgiving), then you are in luck. Black Friday is an ideal opportunity to bag yourself a few festive decorative items for a good price.
This Black Friday, online retail store Christmas Designers are having a clearance on a range of various decorative items, with a particular focus on their lighting range. From incandescent lights for trees to icicle lights to hang from the roof gutter; get yourself some beautiful light strings ahead of the holidays. They’re of incredibly good quality too, as this company caters to Christmas enthusiasts and supplies decorations for various well-known organizations and trademarks. Be quick about it though, they’re selling faster than an icicle wearing a wool sweater in the middle of July!
For the more awkward to buy for.
We all have them– relatives and loved ones for whom it is practically impossible to buy a Christmas gift. Not because they’re spoiled or deliberately awkward; they just tend to be happy with their lot, and have no real desire for anything in particular. Every year they’ll say the same thing– “just get me gift cards.”
Well, not this year! This year you can be a little different in your choices. One thing to consider is the use of coupons for your gift shopping. The benefits of using a coupon site like Coupontoken is that you aren’t limited to Black Friday deals and coupons can be exchanged at the checkout of online stores all year round. With coupon codes for all sorts of great deals and discounts, you would be well served to check out what they have available.
But the best part is that you might get away with giving a few of these promo codes to a relative who is either into couponing or simply needs help in making the choice for themselves. Rather than going through the rigmarole of purchasing something they definitely do not like and then having to find the receipt for the inevitable refund claim, this way you have both given an unusual gift that keeps on giving throughout 2021 and been a little different in your approach.
Classic, non-electronic, gift choices.
Of course, there are traditional gifts which are always going to be welcome in anybody’s stockings year-on-year. Clothing, accessories, ornaments, plants–the list goes on. Everyday items that spruce up the place can be a huge winner on Christmas morning. Even the afore-mentioned gift cards can be a blessing. After all, what better way to start the life of a brand new Android phone, than with a good amount of credit to buy apps and games from the Google Play store. It’s not electronic, and some retailers are offering gift cards for less at the checkout stage.
But as it pertains to these suggestions, particularly apparel, you have to be aware of the ever-changing nature of trends and how something that is “all the rage” this season, can be “discount rail-bound” the next. The advice here is this: as most of the Black Friday deals for clothing are going to be hinged on what is relevant for this year’s fashion trend, try and be a bit more general in your choices. Stay away from jazzy, loud patterns and go for smart, slightly plainer, but durable clothing that is sure to go the distance.
The type of clothing here can be a little abstract though. If you’re searching through deals offered by a brand like Chico’s, then look away from the obvious blouses and handbags, and dare to choose an item like a ruana. A ruana is a poncho-like garment that is really gaining traction as a popular item of clothing in the United States. Although the pattern might be quite straightforward, the design of this garment is still very fashionable.
Overall it is entirely up to you how you approach the Black Friday deals this year. But if you want a little break from the electronic-heavy retailing that normally accompanies them, then look around at what your loved ones have, and see if you can add to it.
