There’s a new kind of Black Friday shopper, a person who knows what the deals will be and where to find them. If a competitor catches wind of one store’s discount and counters with one slightly better, this shopper knows about it in an instant.
It’s not someone crazed so much as efficient. The new-age shopper uses every tool available — mobile phone applications, Facebook, Twitter, bargain Web sites, electronic coupons, promotional codes and the printed circulars stuffing the Thursday morning newspaper.
“I enjoy new technology,” said Kelly Lucas, 31, of Atlanta. “I see how I can use it to my advantage.”
And she does. Lucas’ primary, full-retail price weapons are her apps, including Yowza, which uses the GPS technology on her iPhone to alert her to retailers with the best coupons within a 15-mile radius. Then it brings up the coupon’s bar code that can be scanned at the store. Other online coupon favorites: mobiQpons, Valpak and Coupon Sherpa.
Many retailers are attracting followers through social-media platforms and posting exclusive offers there for their most loyal customers. Several deal sites have designated areas for Black Friday.
“I can have information sent to me all day, every day, if I want to,” Brandon Coleman of Marietta said. “I don’t make the purchases, necessarily, but I bookmark it. My girlfriend and I sign up for e-mail lists and they send us things on a weekly basis.”
If that sounds like more in your in-box than you can handle, here’s a tip: Set up a separate e-mail account strictly for this kind of mail, said Michelle Madhok, founder of SheFinds.com and MomFinds.com.
Also, promotional codes are available for just about everything. You’ve seen the box when making your online purchase: Enter a promo code here.
“People think it’s for an exclusive person or something and they continue to make the purchase without it,” said Andrea Woroch of Promotionalcodes.com. “In fact, it’s available to everyone. You just need to know where to look for them.”
The Web site Free
shipping.org takes care of that portion of your online purchase if it is not already available. Said Woroch: “You can always find free shipping on the Internet.”
So, what about those who haven’t jumped on the tech-savvy shopping bandwagon? Are they losing more in convenience or costs? It depends on whom you ask, but it’s probably a combination. Lifestyle technology expert Omar Wasow leans toward the former.
“My personal Everest is getting to the post office,” Wasow said. “For me, these tools provide convenience. I don’t have to worry about the crowds, about mailing something off.”
The mobile application RedLaser lets you scan bar codes from your phone, making it easier to comparison shop. Other comparison sites such as Pricefight.com will alert you instantly if the price drops on a product. My Black Friday Deals uses social media and blogging to create an interactive environment that includes photos of best finds and deal-seeker ratings.
Still prefer newspaper coupons? About 70 percent of people who use coupons get them from their local newspaper, according to a report just released by Experian Simmons National Consumer Study. Lucas scans and itemizes them on her To Do List application and has them accessible whenever she enters a store.
“I don’t have to worry about losing them in my purse,” she said.
So, is she the exception or the rule? Are there more classic shoppers? According to recent surveys, about 46 percent of consumers will shop online this year to compare prices, and 24 percent will be looking for online coupons.
“I do think I’m a little more attuned to using modern technology for shopping than my friends,” Lucas said.
