With just a day to go until Black Friday, major retailers are getting ready to slash prices on everything from technology to homeware and fashion to kick off the Christmas spending period.
PriceSpy, the fully impartial price and product comparison service, shares five top tips to ensure shoppers get the best deal. Saving time, money and energy.
1. Check out the competition
Many shops try to be fair by comparing prices when they discount goods. But there is every reason to be sceptical of a shop’s own comparisons. Shops quite clearly have a lot to gain by making the difference between the regular price and the sale price appear as large as possible.
The first thing to check if an offer really is as good as it sounds is to suss out the competition. Is the same TV set available at an even better price elsewhere?
Using the PriceSpy app will help you do this, as it provides access to thousands of prices and products instantly.
2. See through the ‘normal price’ bluff
Shops have another trick to get discounts to look bigger than they are. A known approach is to raise the price shortly before the sale and then compare the sale price to this elevated standard price. The shop has a good chance of success if: a) shoppers do not compare the sale price to a competitor’s price and b) shoppers do not compare with what the product actually cost in the past, before the shop did the ‘bluff raise’.
To help avoid paying over the odds, we suggest using the price history graphs on PriceSpy. These allow you to check the previous price of a product, offering consumers full transparency.
3. Compare the features
If shoppers don’t know exactly what they want, it’s common to just buy up the biggest bargains during a sale. However, they may not be getting the best deal. A mobile phone for $200 may seem like a bargain, but if it has significantly poorer performance than a mobile phone for $400, shoppers may be fooled.
Be sure to compare product features and characteristics of similar models. And go into sales with an idea of what to buy to avoid panic buying!
4. Preparation is key
The best chance of finding a good bargain comes from preparation. If shoppers know in advance what they are interested in and have a rough idea of the price, they’re less likely to get carried away and buy the wrong thing during the sales event. Create a wish-list of products and keep it updated with different prices.
Setting price alerts through the PriceSpy app will notify shoppers as soon as the prices drop, so they don’t miss the boat.
5. It’s not just gadgets
A lot of people still associate flash sales days with consumer electronics – TVs, tablets, mobile phones. This is no longer the case. In fact, a diverse range of shops discount their products.
Buying products out of season is also a way to save money. Discontinued seasonal products can be snapped up during flash sales days for big reductions.
Liisa Matinvesi-Bassett, New Zealand country manager for PriceSpy, says: “When it comes to making the most of Black Friday, preparation is key. Whether shopping in-store, or bargain hunting online, shoppers should research items they want to buy well in advance rather than splashing out on a whim.
The PriceSpy app and website is designed to help consumers conduct research quickly and easily. They can even check out delivery costs, delivery times and for online shopping, whether click and collect is available.
And after reading that now you can have a read of what is predicted to be popular this Black Friday.
Download the PriceSpy app here.
www.pricespy.co.nz