Here’s some tips to make this Black Friday the best one yet

As an avid shopper, I’ve always loved Black Friday. It has always been the perfect excuse to buy Christmas gifts, find deals and drink lots of Starbucks. However, I never truly experienced the ins-and-of Black Friday until worked in retail. After working two years in a row on this insane day, I’ve pretty much seen everything and I’m confident I can give you the tips and tricks you need to slay Black Friday this year. So, whether you’re back home for Thanksgiving or stranded here at Temple, be sure to use these tips to make the most of this glorious day. Let’s begin.

Get some sleep!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After you chow down on some turkey with your family, take a nice long nap! Black Friday is going to happen whether or not you pass out on the floor of Forever 21. Make good choices and don’t hurt yourself.

Pre-shopping is good, but don’t over do it.

There are definitely benefits to pre-shopping or picking out what you want to buy before the night begins. However, putting things on hold to get on Black Friday isn’t always the best option. It can be a pain in the butt for employees to go and get your items on hold for you. In fact, some stores don’t allow hold for Black Friday. To keep employees happy go into the store with what you have in mind and get in when you get there.

Be nice to the employees!!

I can guarantee you the employees working on Black Friday are running solely on caffeine and adrenaline. It can make an employee’s day if you are nice back, complement them, or even better, mention their name to a manager. These employees are doing way more than they are getting paid for so if you see an employee going above and beyond, make sure to tell someone!

Have a game plan

Walking into the mall on Black Friday without a plan is like walking onto the battlefield without a gun. Your life will be so much easier if you plan ahead by making a list of stores you want to hit and what you want to look for at those stores. It can be hard to remember what your plans were when you are exhausted so having a guide will help get rid of some stress.

Check online before you hit the stores

Many times, stores will email before Black Friday starts to let you know the sales. Knowing about these deals ahead of time will help to be ahead of the game in planning what stores to hit and in what order to go to them.

Don’t let lines scare you away

It’s common for lines to be huge on Black Friday. Some checkout lines can wrap around the store and can be very intimidating when shopping. However, don’t let these stop you from checking out. Many stores work tirelessly ahead of time to have an efficient checkout system because, let’s be real, stores want your money. Even though lines may seem long, stores will have every single register-trained employee working hard to get you in and out of their store in decent time.

Make a list

Gift shopping for tons of people at many different stores makes keeping track of what to buy and where to buy it is a difficult task. Having a detailed list with an idea of what to get each person will make your life a lot easier. If Santa didn’t have his list, he’d be screwed, so it’s important you have one of your own (and that you check it twice).

Shop at weird hours

Depending on what your go-to mall is, hours vary on Black Friday. After working all hours of Black Friday I can tell you that shopping during weird hours is your best bet. In my opinion, the least crowded hours were from 3-6. During this time many people went home to sleep, making the mall super quiet. If you want to avoid lines and the rush this is your perfect time.

Take breaks

Black Friday is a lot, especially on top of all the other Thanksgiving madness, so it’s important not to push yourself too far. If you feel hungry, tired, or thirsty, sit down, grab Starbucks, and take a nap. The mall will still be there (for the most part) Chill out, Girl Scout.

Have Fun

Black Friday is a magical night and can be what you make of it. Don’t let the lines and the pressure of the season put a damper on the day. Get out there, shop til’ you drop and most importantly have fun. 

Hopefully, this list was helpful in planning your Black Friday festivities and gave you some new ways to approach this stressful gift-giving season. Whether you’re in Philly or in the comfort of your own home, take this break from school to be thankful for the amazing people in your life (and the mall of course).