Seven reasons to shop online during Black Friday and Cyber Monday
In the past, many shoppers have forfeited Thanksgiving dinner to brave the cold in hopes of securing super low聽聽on holiday聽gifts. But these sacrifices aren鈥檛 necessary anymore.
So take off that jacket and put the turkey back in the oven. We鈥檝e come up with seven reasons why you should shop online this聽聽and Cyber Monday.
1. There aren鈥檛 any crowds at home
For many, the worst part of Black Friday is battling hordes of shoppers. At home, though, there are no carts to push, people to dodge or long lines to wait in. You鈥檒l enjoy sales from the comfort of your couch. Completing a purchase takes just moments, and then you can sit back and wait for the goods聽to arrive at your door.
2. Deals start earlier online
In many cases, online Black Friday shoppers will have an edge on in-store shoppers this year: Many major retailers will kick聽off their cyber sales hours before they open the doors of their brick-and-mortar stores.
础迟听, for example, customer can buy online starting on Thanksgiving Day, even though store doors won鈥檛 open until 6 a.m. on Black Friday. Department store聽聽will open at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving, but聽online customers can shop the entire day at macys.com/blackfriday.
3. Coupon codes can mean bigger聽savings
Shopping online makes comparing prices easy; just聽browse different retailers online to see how the deals stack up on specific items. The bonus? Before you complete a purchase, you can search the Web for relevant coupon codes. You may be able to add discounts on top of already reduced prices.
4. Wal-Mart is going virtual this year
Many big-box stores are taking their deals online for 2015.聽, for instance, made聽this year when it announced that for the first time the discount store will offer the majority of its holiday deals both online and in store. This is welcome news for shoppers who don鈥檛 want to visit retail聽locations.
Other stores that will make some Black Friday prices available online include聽,听听补苍诲听.
5. Free shipping is聽a growing trend
Historically, one of the drawbacks of making purchases online has been the shipping fees. Consumers are in for a treat this year, as many stores are offering聽.
At Best Buy, shoppers can enjoy free standard shipping through Jan. 2 on eligible products with no minimum purchase amount required. Similarly, Target is offering free standard shipping with no minimum purchase amount through Dec. 25. See each retailer鈥檚 website for details and exclusions.
6. Deals can pop up聽quickly
In the world of Black Friday shopping, deals can change quickly. Limited-time offers may disappear as quickly as they appear. In case new deals pop up over the course of Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday and the weekend leading into Cyber Monday, shopping online gives you the flexibility to find and act on new sales as they happen. Keep your computer or phone close by to monitor your email inbox and social media feed for news of late-breaking specials.
7. You can still enjoy your Thanksgiving
Perhaps most importantly,听shopping from home means you can still enjoy Thanksgiving 鈥� even if you sneak a peek at your laptop or smartphone during dinner 鈥斅爓ithout fretting that you鈥檝e missed out on some delicious聽deals.
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