Is Black Friday A Scam?

When it comes to Black Friday, shoppers are looking for the best deal possible on everything they have been wanting all year long. While Black Friday, especially in 2018, promises to bring deep discounts, is it really the best day to shop?

According to a holiday shopping survey by WalletHub, 51 percent of consumers don’t think that Black Friday brings the best deals. Interestingly enough, a study by the company indicated that over 10 percent of items technically on sale Black Friday will actually be cheaper on Amazon any time of the year.

However, there are some deals to be had when shopping on Black Friday; you just need to know where to look and what to look for.

For starters, several retailers are offering deeper than normal discounts on their merchandise. Consumers can expect to find good deals at Microsoft, Big Lots, Costco, and Dick’s as these retailers are at the top of the list for offering the highest percentage of deals compared with Amazon prices. BJ’s, Meijer, Sam’s Club, and Dell fall right behind at anywhere from 99 to 97 percent of deals offered compared to Amazon.

Consumers should avoid Stein Mart, Shopko, Walmart, and Macy’s as these retailers offer the lowest percentage of deals compared to Amazon. The four stores ranked at the bottom of the list of retailers with their percentages ranging from 67 to 53 percent.

There are certain shopping categories that will net you a cool deal if you know what to shop for when compared to Amazon everyday prices. Look for jewelry as these sparkly items will give you a 73 percent higher discount on Black Friday than if you bought them another time of year, according to the study. The WalletHub study also indicated that books, movies, and music will be discounted 48 percent and consumer packaged goods will be on sale for 46 percent off when compared to Amazon’s regular prices.

Consumers will want to steer clear of appliances, consumer electronics, and computers and phones as these items have the smallest margin of discount come Black Friday compared to Amazon, the study noted. All of these product categories ranked at the bottom of the list at only a 30, 26, and 25 percent discount, respectively.