It’s early. The alarm clock does what you set it to do, wakes you up in the pre-dawn hours the day after Thanksgiving so you can catch the “deals” of Black Friday.
After fighting the crowds and finding the item you really wanted to purchase is already sold out, you reconsider ever attending another Black Friday sale.
There are several reasons why you will consider opting out next year.
First, some door buster items they sell are in limited supply. That means unless you camped out in front of the store for a few days, you won’t be first in line to pick up that “deal.”
Secondly, many of those items are not the same as what you would get if you paid full price. Take some electronics for instance. That 55 inch flat screen television for $200 will not include lack some special features offered in full price models.
So what’s the alternative?
There are two, shopping local and Cyber Monday.
There are several advantages to Cyber Monday, which is the online shopping alternative to Black Friday.
Many times the prices found online compare or beat what you may find during those early morning sales the day after Thanksgiving.
On the negative side shipping and handling charges may be added to your purchase.
Another disadvantage to shopping online is that you can’t touch the item before purchasing it. This could be a problem for clothes or other items that involve sizes. Additionally returns could entail additional shipping fees.
The second option is shopping local. Not only will you be greeted by friendly staff, you can rest assured that if you are unhappy with your purchase it can be returned quickly and easily. Additionally, you will also know your hard earned cash is supporting the growth of the local economy.