Black Friday, ready, steady, go…

DEPENDING on how you approach it, Black Friday can either be a ‘shopper’s paradise’ or a ‘chaotic nightmare’.Shoppers are eagerly looking forward to taking full advantage of the specials on Black Friday, and retailers are anticipating record sales. However, long queues, traffic jams, and escalating crime can be overwhelming if you don’t have a plan in place.

Vryheid SAPS communications officer, Captain Cheryl Venter, said that the excitement of Black Friday last year was marred by the vandalism of property in the CBD, unmanageable shop-lifting, pick-pocketing, handbag snatching, massive traffic jams and even assault as people began to lose patience.

“I would like to urge businesses that are participating in Black Friday to ensure that they have appointed adequate security to assist with crowd management on the day, so that we do not have a repeat of what happened last year. Police will assist where necessary. Business owners should also make arrangements to have cash pick-ups done more frequently on the day to avoid having large amounts of cash accumulate in the store. Please use different staff members, different vehicles, and different routes each time you carry money off-site.

“If you are shopping on the day, don’t carry large amounts of cash and hold on to your handbags securely. Remember to exercise patience and avoid parking in the CBD if it is possible. If you are driving into town, don’t leave any valuables where they are visible in your car. Rather, lock everything in the boot and double check that all your doors are locked before leaving your vehicle,” advised Captain Venter.

Here are a few more tips on how you can make the most of Black Friday:

Make a Budget: Decide how much you can afford to spend on the holiday season. Figure out your must-haves, like gifts or household purchases you’ve been saving up for, and definitely calculate the maximum amount you absolutely can’t go over.

You might also want to read:Brace yourself – It’s Black Friday 

Check the Ads: Familiarise yourself with the Black Friday ads. (Pages 9-13 in this edition of the Vryheid Herald) Check the circulars for your favourite stores first. Check the ads for your most wanted items and find the retailers that have the best deals. Then note store opening hours and how long the discounts run. Then, you have to prioritize. Pursue items based on whether they’ll be on sale for a short amount of time, or if they’re in high demand (and likely to sell out quickly).

Prepare to Stand in Line: No matter what time you shop on Black Friday, you’re bound to encounter at least one notable wait. Make sure you have some entertainment on hand, lest your boredom lead to impulse purchases. Think about adding a new playlist to your phone.

Stay Away From Impulse Purchases: There’s a variety of items to avoid on Black Friday, and impulse purchases are definitely on the list. When you’re saving a lot of money on Black Friday, it’s easy to feel like a couple of extra items won’t matter. This kind of thinking will destroy your Black Friday budget.

If you have any interesting stories please send them to: estella@caxton.co.za or Contact us on :034 9813 930

Be Kind to Everyone: Please be nice to sales assistants. They have to face long lines, temperamental customers, and probably co-workers who have zero desire to be there. You won’t be able to control the people around you, but you can definitely be a bright spot in someone else’s a stressful day.

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