If you want to hit the shops this Black Friday, but you’re not quite sure where to start, CBS 2’s Kathryn Brown has got some tips to help you plot out your battle plan.
The holiday shopping deals are amazing and oh so enticing, but sifting through them can be overwhelming.
“You’re competing with a lot of people that are trying to get the same deals you’re trying to get,” shopper Chanel Amparo said.
However, consumer experts say it’s easier than ever to navigate the jungle of sales the smart way if you arm yourself with the right tools.
“Luckily there are apps and different sites where you can handle that without having to sort through all of them and go through item by item on your own,” said Chandra Steel of PCMag.com.
Steel pointed to websites like dealnews.com and blackfriday.com.
They compile the best of the day’s big deals and steals, so you can sort through the avalanche of ads in an organized fashion.
“It’s much easier because you can target where you’re going,” Steel said.
but with so many of us on the go, consumer experts say the best way to get an edge this Black Friday is to keep your tablet or smart phone handy.
“So if you’re in the store and you’re not sure if the product is the best possible, you’re comparing products, you can get the information right there,” Steel said.
Apps like “Shop Savvy” and “TheFind” let you scan a barcode and comparison shop on the spot, pulling up a list of places where the item is available, with prices. They’ll also give you coupon deals and even directions.
“So then if you see something in one store you go online and see if they have it cheaper in another store,” shopper Tabitha Barnes said.
Another app – and one of the coolest Brown found – is “fatwallet.”
It filters your search by category, brand, price and even narrows it down to show you where to find extras like door-buster deals and free shipping.
“That’s awesome! It gives you good, good, good variety of where to find things!” shopper Sonia Havaland said.
For tech-savvy shoppers, it all makes getting the best bargain this Black Friday easy as pumpkin pie.
Many of the most popular shopping apps are free and that might be the best deal of all.
{CBS 2/Matzav.com Newscenter}
Cool!