If you really want to save this Black Friday, do your research. The post-Thanksgiving shopping push kicks off the retailers' holiday season, which provides about 20 percent of annual sales every year.
Toys "R" Us will open at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving night for the first time, the retailer announced last week. So will Macy, Kohl's, Target, Best Buy, Gap and Banana Republic. Eighty percent of Old Navy stores will be open at midnight.
This Black Friday, shoppers who are tech-savvy will have the biggest advantage with coupons and smartphone promotions, according to Jennifer Black, CEO of the independent research firm, Jennifer Black and Associates.
What's the best reward for purchasing an Apple MacbookPro online?
Sites like Ebates.com and NerdWallet offer tools for online shoppers to see the best reward for them, whether it's airline miles, hotel points or cash.
Ebates.com gives online shoppers cash back for making purchases from over 1,500 retail websites. Shoppers can compare offers and earn a percentage of their purchase in a cash reward.
Robert Smahl, Ebates.com chief marketing officer, said, "Even the biggest names are competing for customers." When any of the site's 1,300 users make a purchase at say, Apple or Macy's, through Ebates.com, the retailer pays Ebates.com a commission. That commission is split with the customer in the form of a mailed check. Smahl said new users should receive their first check within the first month of a purchase. Otherwise, checks are mailed quarterly.
On Black Friday and Cyber Monday, JC Penney, Nordstrom, Old Navy, Barnes & Noble and 500 more stores will offer double cash-back on Ebates.com.
Nerdwallet.com has an online discount tool that allows you to compare the best rewards for online shopping. NerdWallet, which focuses on comparing credit card offers and rewards, created the tool to spit out a simple list of deals from credit card "malls," such as ShopDiscover and American Express Bonus Points Mall. Almost every major credit card has its own "mall" that offers cash back or rewards for using your card for purchases.
Ebates.com is one of 16 malls that NerdWallet analyzes. NerdWallet also compares purchase rewards through airline mileage programs, such as American Airlines AAdvantage program, which allows you to earn extra miles for making purchases through AAdvantage eShopping Mall.
"It's a way to see what sorts [of deals are] available to you as a credit card holder that you wouldn't get elsewhere," Jacon Gibson, chief operating officer of NerdWallet said.
Companies that have invested heavily this past year in IT systems "will get the biggest bang for their buck as more and more consumers do their homework before heading out to do their holiday hunting," Black said in a research note.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment