Black Friday Preparation and Tips

[proteus]

With Black Friday coming in a month, with lot of online stores offering deep discounts with no exclusions, how do you guys game plan? For example, last year, JCrew offered 40% off without any exclusions. From my experience, many of the popular items that usually don't go on sale sold out quickly.

Three things that seems to help are the following:
1. Identify the items for purchase
2. Prepare your carts - prior
3. Time your purchases based on priority - ready, set, go!

Last year's notables -
1. JCrew 40% off - no exclusion
2. Banana Republic and GAP - 50% off (not sure about this)
3. Zara 40% off
4. SuitSupply?
5. Brooks Brother?
6. Allen Edmonds?
7. Cole Haan?
8. Coach?
9. Nike?

What are your notables and scores from last year? And any tips and tricks?

Also, does stores honor their sales policy during Black Friday where if you bought something and it goes on sale within some time period, the money difference is credited? If they do, it seems like you can purchase all your items before Black Friday.

[Alpha King]

I don't think I bought anything on black Friday last year. I was proud of myself, but then spent a ton after Christmas. Spier and Mackay boxing day sale hits me hard every year.

[Scofield]

know your sizes and fits at the places you plan on shopping

[.brian.]

Don't buy stuff you don't need just because it is on sale. Have a plan of what you need/want, know what it is you are looking for, and stick to that plan.

And to be honest, are the deals really that good? I mean, BR and Gap just had 40% + an extra 10% off, so 50% on BF really isn't that special.

[hockeysc23]

Try to not game plan ... I don't believe Black Friday is an excuse to just spend and lately the deals aren't that much better than you get with some patience during the year. Thanks to this site and the forums I have a rough idea of what items should cost. If I see a sale in something I need that is below the normal price I may buy. Since nothing is a must have/need right now I'll just see if anything cool hits a price threshold in my clothing budget. The less I spend on black friday the happier I am.

[Jmeyers]

In recent years some retailers are taking cyber Monday more seriously. Bonobos typically has stepped up their discount game that day a little more. Something like 40% off site wide.

I find some deals to be legit better than the rest of the year. And others not. It hasn’t been consistent either.

I don’t think AE really runs a Black Friday cyber Monday notable sale. The October sale and April sale are usually their best bets.

If I do shop for myself those days- I usually have an idea the type of piece I need. I honestly don’t load up carts in advance. If I miss something, I miss it and my life goes on I guess.

[proteus]

thanks for the responses. I also agree with the sentiment. Life goes on, if you miss something. No big deal...

I also agree, with this site and others, you can have comparable deals throughout the year.

Although, JCrew site wide sale for Ludlow suits and coats is tempting...

[DocDave]

Don't buy stuff you don't need just because it is on sale. Have a plan of what you need/want, know what it is you are looking for, and stick to that plan.

This is good advice. I have in the past been guilty of purchasing items just because they were/are on sale. Then they get here and end up sitting in my closet. Taking inventory of items that are needed and then being lazer focused at getting what you need is probably the best plan out there. Mind you that can be easier said than done, what with so many distracting sale and items out there.

[Alex1]

@proteus -- You can take Suit Supply off your list. They do outlet sales twice a year (at the most) and that's it. Everyone else should have at least one good sale between now and Christmas.

Often times the very best price is towards the end of the season, but you have to be willing to risk a stock out. This depends on the retailer, but it's worked and not worked for me with J. Crew.

Look through old posts on dappered.com from last year. There's no guarantee that things will shape up the same way, but it gives you a rough idea.

I tried to get a price adjustment from Bonobos after the last day when they are allowed, which is different from the last day I could return the item. They would not give me a price adjustment, but would allow a return. So, be sure to read the fine print if you want to play that game.

[Bixmeister]

@proteus -- You can take Suit Supply off your list. They do outlet sales twice a year (at the most) and that's it. Everyone else should have at least one good sale between now and Christmas.

Often times the very best price is towards the end of the season, but you have to be willing to risk a stock out. This depends on the retailer, but it's worked and not worked for me with J. Crew.

Look through old posts on dappered.com from last year. There's no guarantee that things will shape up the same way, but it gives you a rough idea.

I tried to get a price adjustment from Bonobos after the last day when they are allowed, which is different from the last day I could return the item. They would not give me a price adjustment, but would allow a return. So, be sure to read the fine print if you want to play that game.

Retailers often will not price match or adjust during the Black Friday/ Cyber Monday period due to the limited nature of the event. This keeps people from buying the Black Friday deal in advance, cutting into the stock available during the promotion. The ultimate goal of the retailer is to capture an audience during the promotion.

The best bet is to keep your eyes open and be educated.