New Hampshire Shoppers Beware: Tricks that Stores Don’t Want You to Know on Black Friday

Those who work in retail may already know about some of these 'tricks of the trade.' But for the rest of us, read this before heading out to the malls!

Black Friday, which falls on November 23rd this year is the 'unofficial' kick off to the holiday shopping season. Yes, many stores over the last few years have been opening on Thanksgiving, but for the most part, the majority of hearty New England shoppers feel compelled to shop on Black Friday.

Personally, I did it once and that was enough! God Bless those of you who do this type of shopping every year!

According to business2community, the retail world does not want the general consumer to know several, um, let's call them secrets of the retail world for Black Friday. I've come up with a few of my own suggestions sprinkled in:

1. Don't Jut Buy an Item Just to Say You Got a Black Friday Deal
Make sure your purchase is what you want for yourself or to give as a gift. Just because you see a big, giant sale sticker doesn't mean you have to buy it if it's not going to serve a purpose.

2. Some Of Those 'Sales' Aren't That Great
First rule of Black Friday shopping: Don't impulse buy. That's exactly what they want you to do. Most of the 'sales' really aren't anything to call home about. Do your research and find out if the item really is worth the 'sale price.'

2. Giving Out Your Personal Info Just to Get a Deal
Not. Worth. It. Do you really want to have your personal or work email account cluttered with spam? If you really want that extra percentage off what your buying, but the only way to do that is by giving out your email address, try this trick. Set up an email address that you will strictly use for Black Friday shopping. That way, you get the deal and the store gets an email address!

3. The Sale Might Not Really Be a Sale That Day
Check the fine print on those flyers and coupons that a store employee is handing out while you shop. Many of those coupons CANNOT be used on Black Friday. It's just another way for store to get you back through their doors at another time to buy more stuff!

4. Limited Number or Limited Supplies
Make sure you know what the limit is on items you want to purchase. You may only be able to get a certain number of whatever it is and it might not be enough to please everyone on your list. So, say you have 7 people who all want the same thing, but the store limits you to 6. Is it worth having to run to another store trying to buy one more of the item? Is it really worth your time and effort?

5. When Exactly is Black Friday?
That sounds like a silly question, right? But, the answer may surprise you. Believe it or not, a lot of the Black Friday deals that are advertised are sometimes every day prices at another store. What they say is a great offer, may just be a great offer any other day of the week.

Bottom line, do your research, shop smartly and don't spend what you don't have!