Covid-19 hit the world and news stations carried a nearly 24/7 play by play of how the virus played out. Images showing crowded hospitals appeared daily. Stories about families struggling through the health and the financial fallout from the pandemic were also daily happenings.
Most people knew someone who was sick with the virus, even if it hadn’t touched their family. As a result of the way the virus shook the world, a lot of things are different now.
Stores and shoppers alike have learned how to adapt to the changes that Covid brought about in 2020.
One of these changes is that online shopping has seen a drastic increase in volume. That increase will certainly spill over into holiday shopping specifically when it comes to Black Friday.
I share ALL the Black Friday deals from retailers right here on the Frugal Farm girl!
Several studies have shown that at the forefront of shoppers’ minds is the fear of catching the virus. Because of that, many have chosen to implement strict safety protocols including only shopping from home.
Even if their favorite stores would be open for the sales event, most people polled have admitted they still won’t shop in person. Because of that, many stores have seen a loss of in-store profits, but nearly a 50% increase in online shopping sales.
This is a boon that’s brought about billions of dollars in profits across the board to various online retailers. Though certain protocols have helped, such as social distancing while shopping and curbside pickup, studies have shown that less than 10% of people will seek out stores to shop in person when it comes to Black Friday sales.
That’s because they fear that even with all the limitations put in place, it’s not enough protection against the virus. People are willing to change the item they seek to buy and get something different online rather than risk shopping in person for holiday sales.
Since the start of the pandemic, a big change in online shopping is that some people who only shopped online every now and then have become regular weekly shoppers.
This increase will continue on through Black Friday and will offer a lot of benefits to both shoppers and retailers.
For stores, seeing the shopping habits that go on through the Black Friday sales will help them create better sales experiences going forward. It will also give retailers the chance to turn new customers in ones that shop for online items in the future.
For shoppers, they’ll be able to order gifts at discounted prices as well as order other items and holiday supplies they might need. Everything from electronics to household goods, to baking items to Christmas décor will be on sale during Black Friday.
And with that….
Amazon Announces Black Friday Sales
Nearly every retailer has had to take a step back and make changes in order to be able to conduct business safely.
Because of this, Amazon rearranged the normal sales events it usually puts on starting with their Prime Day. There won’t be the same schedule for Prime Day or Black Friday sales starting on the day after Thanksgiving.
Everything is going to be much earlier than that traditional day. The company revealed that Black Friday sales for the online retailer will begin October 13, 2020.
Those who are looking to take home some great gifts for family and friends as well as a few goodies for themselves will need to gear up for this special event. Instead of a day to get some shopping in, Amazon will begin their sales the final week in October.
If you aren’t a Prime member this is a great time to get the 30 day free trial and take advantage of the sales.
The site won’t shut down these sales quickly, either. Shoppers will be able to buy great gifts at discounted prices for 21 days. During this sales event, the retailer will release offers at huge savings every single week for the 21 day period.
We will be sharing all the hot Amazon deals in our FB group here.
The way that Amazon has structured this sale will make it run right into its Cyber Monday event, which takes place at the end of November. So these two sales will end up butting right into each other.
For shoppers, that means continual sales from Prime Day to Black Friday and then right into Cyber Monday. A bonus change that’s in the works is that there will be something known as the early event.
This is what will take place before the arrival of Black Friday. Normally, the best sales go solely to the those who hold Prime memberships. But this year in 2020, Amazon may let shoppers who don’t have a Prime account have access to some of the same deals.
*Check out why I think Amazon Freetime is a MUST for work at home parents.
There’s no word yet on which deals these customers will be able to get. However, as always, there will still be Prime only deals. The reason that Amazon has made these changes is due in part to the economic fallout for consumers.
But it’s also being done as a way for the retailer to gain more loyal customers and possibly welcome new shoppers to their Prime membership. Because there’s been no concrete announcement concerning the exact date or time for Amazon’s big sales, aside from Prime Day from October 13-14, there’s still a lot of speculation.
This is why it’s best for shoppers to check for announcements regularly.
If you don’t have Amazon Prime, you’ll want to go ahead and sign up for the service so that you don’t miss out on any of the gift items you’ll want to buy.
The kinds of deals that you can expect on this day are going to vary. But each category should have some blockbuster sale items. The trick to saving the most when this event happens is to know ahead of time what you want to buy and whether or not it’s truly something you need.
For example, saving $50 on a blender that you’ll never use is not a good savings. But if you know you’ll use an espresso maker and you see one on sale, then it makes sense to snap it up.
Also, if you plan to buy something for someone, but you’re not quite sure yet what it is, then you can shop in the general category of stuff they might like. For example, for teens who enjoy gaming, you could look at gaming headsets or gaming keyboards.
However, don’t be so quick to add it to the cart without first doing a little investigating. You’re going to want to look at the reviews to make sure that these are mostly positive. Next, you’ll want to look at the specifications to make sure the products will work for the receiver.
Be sure to check with the manufacturer to see if they’re offering any discounts or coupon codes that you can use for more savings or for rebates. Amazon Prime shopping is poised to help consumers get some of the best deals of the year long before Black Friday and Cyber Monday come along.
Happy Shopping!