It’s almost upon us: Black Friday, the single day that quickens the heartbeat of bargain-hunters — and chills the hearts of employees at discount chain retail stores.
But listen up, thriftsters: Those Black Friday employees have some advice for you, and their thoughts could save you even more money. Listen to Susan Bibeau Bauer, a veteran of Black Friday sales at Cabela, Target and Gander Mountain.
“Best hint: Be nice to the staff,” Bauer advises.
“If you want something and you’re a jerk about it, I guarantee it will be ‘out of stock’ for you, and the nice person who comes along behind you will get one, miraculously.”
Remember that the store employees’ Thanksgiving celebration was even more curtailed than your own, or nonexistent. Many staffers start working at 3 a.m. on Black Friday, preparing for the tidal wave of customers. (And that’s if their employer was closed on Thanksgiving.)
Here are some rules from University of Colorado law student Jason Gallardo, who spent 11 years as a retail store manager.
“Black Friday was my specialty,” he said.
“One: Go into the store knowing what you want, and stay true to that. The set-up is designed to make you walk through and around lots of sales. You will end up buying more than you need if you are not focused.
“Two: Accessories are where stores make the most profit, and they usually are not at their best price. Wait until Cyber Monday to buy cables, cases and other accessories.
“Three: Don’t take kids. First, it’s just not safe. Second, they’ll raise your ticket price. Retailers stack registers with special deals at eye level for kids. Save yourself a headache. Find a babysitter.
“Four: Most stores say they are cutting (off) sales early, but they usually keep them running until everything is gone.”
That last rule is important. Nothing deflates a Black Friday bargain-hunter like seeing the same item, at the same store, for less money a week later.
“A lot of our Black Friday specials get marked down 50 percent off the next weekend because we still have inventory,” said , another Black Friday veteran.
More advice: Do some research on the advertised specials. Many Thanksgiving deals are already available in stores and online at sites like . And find out what has to say about the model of that large, flat-screen TV advertised for $200.
“If there is a specific product you want, and you know you’re getting a better-than-normal deal, go for it,” said Matt White, a former Walmart worker who survived three Black Friday sales.
But, he adds: “Check model numbers on TVs. Some companies make cheap models for Black Friday sales. These won’t be on display, just in bulk in the walkways.”
Such products, often heavily marketed as “doorbusters,” are often made expressly for Black Friday. They’re known in the industry as derivative models — through mass merchants or warehouse clubs. Often they’re made with inferior parts, White says. Telltale sign: No reviews when you look up the model number, and fewer features than the standard model.
If a derivative model’s price is irresistible, Black Friday retail veterans advise buying , even if usually you decline those offers.
Or you can take the strategy of avoiding the busiest stores altogether, says Gallardo.
“Look for less-busy stores, like Staples over Best Buy,” he said. “Or Radio Shack … The smaller stores usually have great deals and not such big crowds.”
Finally, remember this: A quick-witted consumer doesn’t always need to wait until .
A Sears.com ad accidentally — and briefly — listed a 3DS XL Blue/Black Nintendo console, normally about $200, for $60 a few days ago. Gamers on and instantly spread the word. Enterprising gamers leapt on the deal before Sears fixed its mistake, either buying directly from Sears.com or to take advantage of .
One more bit of advice to shoppers tackling the Black Friday mobs: The really dangerous place that day, according to insurance companies, is the
Claire Martin: 303-954-1477, cmartin @denverpost.com or twitter.com/byclairemartin
