The holiday shopping season is upon us again. Each year, stores compete for the attention of shoppers, and as our digital options grow, it can be confusing to know when and where to shop.
Here are the biggest holiday shopping days of the year — and how to take advantage of holiday sales, deals and freebies.
[See: Prepare Your Finances for the Holidays.]
Nov. 23: Thanksgiving. Many major retailers, including Walmart, Target and Best Buy, will open their doors on Thanksgiving to kick off weekend shopping with doorbusters and low in-store prices. If you’re looking for a new HDTV, smartphone or other popular electronic item, in-store shopping at the big-box stores on Thanksgiving can get you access to the lowest prices of the season. You’ll see deals on this holiday’s most popular toys as well. So, how do you know whether you need to drag yourself away from your leftovers to head to a store? It depends on the items on your shopping list and your desire for a bargain. Yes, you can find rock bottom prices on in-demand electronics and toys, but supplies will be limited. Check out the Black Friday ads at each store, see what items will be on sale and decide whether the price is worth the “cost.”
If you’re not eager to head out, you can still take advantage of bargain shopping online on Thanksgiving. Make sure your devices are powered up, subscribe to your favorite coupon sites and store e-newsletters, follow your preferred stores on social media and have your shopping list ready. You’ll find deals on handheld electronics (although maybe not quite as good as the in-store doorbusters), DVDs, games, appliances, tools and home improvement items.
If you are shopping online, check out the stores that have low or no shipping minimums or choose to ship your order to the store for free.
[See: 9 Ways to Save When Holiday Shopping With Credit Cards.]
Nov. 24: Black Friday. Many Thanksgiving deals will continue into Black Friday. Whether you’re shopping in stores or online, look for discounts on toys, apparel, beauty items and jewelry. Keep an eye out for shopping incentives where stores will throw in a free gift card when you buy a popular item. Give the gift card as a gift or use it to continue your shopping later in the season.
Nov. 25: Small Business Saturday. Look to your local small businesses for special deals on Nov. 25. This holiday, created by American Express in 2010, encourages you to find shopping incentives at local brick-and-mortar stores and small online shops. Many storefronts will encourage foot traffic with open houses, trunk shows and one-day-only coupons. Check out your favorite local stores on social media to find out their plans for Small Business Saturday and enjoy unique items and the feeling that you are supporting your community.
You’ll still see deals at larger box stores throughout the weekend as well, especially on tools and appliances. Some stores will have picked-over inventory and will be restocking to prepare for upcoming sales.
Nov. 27: Cyber Monday. While Cyber Monday is no longer the only day to find the best online deals, there will still be lots of great sales from online retailers. In past years, video game consoles and bundles have done exceptionally well on this day. Don’t forget to look for discounts on laptops.
One category to pay special attention to on Cyber Monday is travel. Airlines will have special offers, and hotels will offer coupon codes and low rates, even during popular travel times. If you have travel planned for the coming months, prepare in advance, so you can book quickly when you see a great deal.
[See: 10 Tips for a Budget-Friendly Cyber Monday.]
Nov. 28: Giving Tuesday. The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is a good time to support your favorite charity or nonprofit. You’ll see a lot of fundraising challenges and campaigns on Giving Tuesday, and it’s an opportunity to take a break from shopping to give back.
Dec. 11: Green Monday. A lesser known shopping holiday, the second Monday in December is known as Green Monday. This day was first coined by eBay to describe its best sales day in December more than 10 years ago, and it continues to produce high sales for many large retailers. You’ll see another wave of deals on this day, especially online, though not all will be tied to the shopping holiday.
Dec. 15: Free Shipping Day. In mid-December, stores offer a final opportunity to get free shipping with guaranteed delivery by Christmas Eve. You can see a full list of participating retailers at FreeShippingDay.com. As this event grows each year, you can expect most retailers to have some free shipping incentive, whether it’s no minimum or a lower minimum purchase to qualify. Many stores will also offer deals alongside their shipping offers to encourage last-minute shoppers to check off the remaining items on their list. It’s especially worth it to online shoppers who might make a smaller purchase that wouldn’t normally qualify for a free shipping minimum. In other words, this is the perfect time to get your stocking stuffers.
Dec. 23: Super Saturday. The last Saturday before Christmas is known as Super Saturday, and it is the biggest shopping holiday for last-minute shoppers. This is a big day for in-store shopping, and you will see many one-day sales and even extended hours. Since this year’s Super Saturday falls two days before Christmas, it’s likely to be especially busy.
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Your Guide to the Biggest Holiday Shopping Days of 2017 originally appeared on usnews.com
