Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Shopping!

Wow, hard to believe we are just over a week away from Thanksgiving! And with Thanksgiving comes the official kick off to Christmas shopping! And with continued slumping sales, it is a perfect opportunity for each of us to get some amazing deals! Whether you are a “midnight madness” shopper, an early morning riser, or perhaps a cyber Monday shopper, one thing is constant: finding the right gift, for the right price. Now, for many of you this might be old hat, years of retail and BF Shopping has taught me a few tricks along the way that I would like to share.

First of all, you have to plan. I know this sounds simple, but it is so easy to loose track of time (and potentially miss out on a deal) in the madness that is Black Friday.
Before you look at an ad or a catalog, make a detailed list of those items you want to try and find. This will limit your impulse buys and help keep you focused.
Do your research! While many ads will arrive in your Thanksgiving newspaper, much of this information is already out there. One of my favorite websites is http://bfads.net/ I have found them to be incredibly accurate in what they show will be on sale and quite easy to navigate. You can also compare different stores to see where their sales are.
Compare those ads to what is already on sale-you might just be able to find a great deal ahead of time without dealing with the crowds!
Be reasonable. Yes, Wal-mart will likely have a fantastic deal on a fabulous TV or laptop however there are usually only a handful of those deals per store. If your heart is set on a specific item, plan on camping out in front of the store to ensure you are first in line-and perhaps call the store you plan on going to in order to find out just how many of those deals they will have.
Double the time you plan on being in a certain store. Inevitably it takes longer to find the product than you think, and the lines are often slower and take longer to get through.
If you are going to a major chain store, like Target or Wal-mart, try going to one that is a little out of the way or smaller/older than the others. The sales are the same and the traffic is often lighter and they tend to not to sell out as quickly.
If you are going with friends, recognize that you likely are not going to get to all of the places you want to when you want to unless you plan together. Take separate cars and plan a meeting place if you need to split up for any reason


Most importantly, HAVE FUN!!!

Trace Designs is kicking off our Black Friday sale early! Check it out and enjoy the savings!!!
http://www.tracedesignsonline.com/