Black Friday is upon us shortly and with the knowledge and experience of staying up all night in lines and malls, I have a few tips for the newbies among us. Even if you’re used to staying on lines or staying up all night, some folks get irked when they are being towed around by a slow shopper. Don’t worry, TheBlueDot is here for you in your time of need. No, we don’t have some time machine or magical device that will just deliver all the items you need for the holidays. But we do have a few tips and tricks for those not used to the stress of late night shopping and slow tow shoppers.
The Late Night Blues!
Some stores allow you to wait inside, at least the first 20 or so shoppers. But many stores like Toys-r-Us and even a few malls don’t open their doors until they say so. When this happens, like we all remember with the long late lines with the Nintendo Wii and Sony Playstation 3, it’s good to bundle up and get comfortable. When I waited outside for the Nintendo Wii I brought a beach chair, sleeping bag, chips, tea, and a blanket. The sleeping bag was for when I just arrived late at night and just fell right to sleep. The blanket, chips and tea were for when it was getting close to opening the doors. To help the time pass you can talk to your fellow line goers, bring along your tablet or smartphone and watch some movies, or bring along your favorite book to read. Just remember, Black Friday is not known for being warm and comfortable, so please remember to bundle up!
“But it’s too Early!”
If you think it’s too early to line up at a store Thanksgiving night for some big deals, then it’s actually the perfect time to get there. Some people go right after Thanksgiving dinner and get on line in hopes to snag a high demand
Where are your chairs and blankets!? Newbies…
product in low supply. I got on line for the first time for the Nintendo 64, when I arrived at 1am the line was already 30 deep and when the doors finally opened I didn’t manage to snag the N64… I felt like I wasted an entire night. Don’t let that happen to you, this year there aren’t as many low supply goodies out there, so this may not be necessary, but that won’t be true every year. Go early, go prepared, and get what you came for!
Are You Don Yet?
I have this uncanny ability, according to my friends, in which I can go shopping with anyone and never get annoyed with how long they take. I drive my girlfriend and her friends to the mall, hold a bag and never complain, never moan, and never get upset. How? I blame my shopaholic sister and mother growing up. But the real trick is to not really pay much attention to the shoppers. Entertain yourself by looking around the store, maybe build your own opinion on styles in your head, look at your cell phone and catch up on news, or just zone out and think about a few plans the coming week. If that doesn’t work, plan a place you want to go and shop. Either break off from the group and have fun on your own, or take your time shopping with them in tow. Just be patient, some people, girl and guy, like shopping more than others. If you have a smart phone or even a book, just remember to bring it along and at least keep yourself busy that way.
Go Out of Town
I lived in a rather populated town, so when people wanted a big electronic item, they all lined up and crowded the local Best Buy or Walmart. If you have a car, leave those folks in the dust and find an out of town store someplace less populated. Why? Because even the people in that town may go into a bigger town for more stores, giving you a better chance to snag the newest gadget at there Best Buy while all the suckers wait in line in the nearest city. Give the store a call the day before first to be sure they even have the item stocked for tomorrow. Some stores in lower populated areas get neglected with big stock items so always call first.
Don’t Get Mad at The Employees
If they are out of an item or don’t know when the next shipment comes in, please don’t get mad at them. When I called over and over about the Nintendo Wii my friend, who worked at Target, told me that 99% of the time the store never knows when they will get a big item like that, and even if they do know when, they rarely know how many they will get. Especially when said item is in such low supply all over the country. One store told me they may expect 20 or so units on a Thursday, but when I showed up they only had 5 come in and they were already gone. It’s not their fault, they are at the whim of the suppliers and are only doing their best. Just remember, they’re people too, and are trying their best to get you what you want.
