Save money with these Black Friday shopping tips

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are not the same shopping events that they have been in years past, but shoppers are still looking for holiday deals.

And although consumers are worried about inflation and tariffs, shoppers are still expected to spend a near record amount for the holidays.

Shoppers told the National Retail Federation in a recent survey that they plan to spend an average of $890.49 per person on holiday gifts, food and seasonal decor. That’s the second-highest amount in the 23-year history of the survey and 1.3% lower than last year’s $901.99.

Retail holiday sales in November and December are also expected to be at an all-time high, according to the NRF’s holiday forecast. The organization representing the retail industry expects sales to total between $1.01 trillion and $1.02 trillion.

“American consumers may be cautious in sentiment, yet remain fundamentally strong and continue to drive U.S. economic activity,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in a news release. Shoppers will seek savings in nonessential categories to be able to spend on gifts for loved ones, he said.

How has Black Friday changed?

Black Friday has been evolving as shoppers have moved away from shopping on one day to making purchases throughout the season, said Lauren Murphy, managing director at Wells Fargo Retail Finance.

“In the last few years, we’ve seen the evolution of Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales,” Murphy told USA Today. “Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales have gone from one day, to a week, to an entire season of dynamic discounting.”

The shopping season has really become a shopping quarter with the addition of Amazon Prime sales and other retailer sales in October and more retailers promoting Black Friday -like sales before the actual day, said Vipin Porwal, CEO of Smarty, a browser extension and mobile app that offers shoppers coupons and cash-back offers.

In a recent survey for Smarty, 33% of shoppers said they planned to shop “Black Friday” deals in October.

Compare prices, monitor promotions

Overall, 33% of shoppers said they planned to increase their holiday budgets, but the shopping trend differs between genders. Nearly half of the men, or 42%, said they would increase their holiday budget while 25% of women said they would spend more.

Retailers this year are using varied tactics, Murphy said, with some offering deeper discounts and others capping markdowns for more popular items, she said.

“Consumers should shop around, compare product prices and monitor promotions across retailers,” she said. “When starting holiday shopping early, consumers should make sure to review return policies in case they find a product cheaper later in the season, as many retailers have removed price match guarantees this year.”

For instance, Target in July stopped its price-match guarantee to Amazon and Walmart, which did not make a similar offer.

Other ways to save money

We’ve gathered some shopping tips to help you save money and get the best deal:

From Smarty:

• Do you really need it? Pause before you buy to confirm you’re not buying on impulse and that the price is good.
• Buy local to avoid tariff markups: Look for local or U.S.-based makers or Etsy shops that aren’t subject to import tariffs.
• Track price drops: Use a browser tool to track prices on big-ticket items to know when a price dips.

From Ashley Feinstein Gerstley, shopping and savings strategist for Rakuten, a cash-back shopping platform:

• Subscribe to retailers’ emails or social media accounts to get access to early or exclusive deals. (You can unsubscribe after the holidays, Gerstley said.)
• Stack rewards: Combine cash-back offers with retailer promotions.
• Avoid what Gerstley calls the “Holiday Shopping Redzone,” which typically starts in early December “when procrastination meets panic and we are more likely to overspend” because inventory may be lower and shipping windows are shorter. Planning and shopping ahead can help avoid overspending or “settling for whatever’s left,” she said.