{"id":2316,"date":"2021-11-09T09:54:19","date_gmt":"2021-11-09T13:54:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skypointfcu.com\/wph\/workarea\/?p=2316"},"modified":"2021-11-09T09:54:35","modified_gmt":"2021-11-09T13:54:35","slug":"tips-for-shopping-black-friday-and-beating-pandemic-setbacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skypointfcu.com\/wph\/workarea\/blog\/tips-for-shopping-black-friday-and-beating-pandemic-setbacks\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for Shopping Black Friday and Beating Pandemic Setbacks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

After a day of feasting on turkey and pumpkin pie, consumers have typically flocked to their local stores on Black Friday \u2014 the day after Thanksgiving \u2014 to find the best deals on gifts for the holiday season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, the pandemic changed the way many people shopped. Adobe Analytics, which analyzes data from top retailers, said Black Friday online sales in 2020 soared 21.6% over the year before. And while quarantine restrictions have relaxed this year, shoppers will likely have to contend with supply chain shortages and shipping slowdowns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s this lack of availability that I think a lot of consumers are afraid of \u2014 if they wait, they run the risk of not getting the presents or the gift that they want to give,\u201d says Dora Bock, associate professor of marketing at Auburn University in Alabama. \u201cGenerally, retailers are trying to get customers to shop earlier and earlier and earlier.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you\u2019re shopping online<\/a> or in store, these Black Friday shopping tips will help keep your gift budget in check while also navigating this year\u2019s uncertainties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buy early, especially toys and electronics<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your child has a particular toy in mind, it might be wise to go ahead and buy it when you see it on shelves. \u201cToys and electronics might be in short supply since the inventory is still stuck somewhere along the supply chain, whether it\u2019s in a warehouse in Asia or on a container ship waiting to anchor at a U.S. port,\u201d Simone Peinkofer, assistant professor of supply chain management at Michigan State University, said in an email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anticipating these supply issues, some stores \u2014 like Amazon, Target and Best Buy \u2014 are offering \u201cpre-holiday\u201d sales to give consumers a head start on Black Friday<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make a budget and control costs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The holiday season can be an expensive time of year, especially if you haven\u2019t planned for it. Setting a budget to save money throughout the year is one way to help offset end-of-the-year holiday spending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have lots of people to shop for, consider some tactics to control costs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n