Yes, we are approaching the most wonderful time of the year – the winter holidays. This is the time of the year full of best wishes, nice and so-long-awaited presents, joys and, most of all, holiday deals and discounts.
We all know that 50-70% -off-everything deals will be out there and we all want to be ready for these nice deals to benefit from to the max. With so many offers and deals about to rain on us, let's talk about some strategies to apply during this winter holiday shopping season. These strategies stem from our own experiences, our families’ habits, conversations with friends and neighbours.
The winter holiday seasons in Canada kicks off officially on the last Friday of November, Black Friday or the post Thanksgiving Day in the US. Deals and discounts that start during the Black Friday week run all the way through January of the new year. Here are the dates and events to mark down in your calendar during this holiday season. Plus, look at these purchasing strategies that you may want to apply to save and not to squander! Spend intelligently!
Black Friday – The heavy discounts start on Black Friday. In 2022, Black Friday is on November 25. Usually, retailers will throw in sale levels going to 50-60% off everything in store. Even high end clothing brands are tempted to be at 30-40% off. As a rule of thumb, a lot of online stores start Black Friday a couple of days in advance. These last years the early or pre-Black Friday sales start 10-12 days before. The discounts are actually sweet enough to consider buying while quantities last.
Your purchasing behaviour on Black Friday should be aggressive with products and items, which are rare to get: your size is a rarity (either too small or too big), your preferred devices always come in limited quantities and get sold out quickly. Black Friday is the right moment to get those things that you what but cannot usually afford.
Black Friday is not literally a one-day sale. It usually goes into the weekend until the Monday after, Cyber Monday. One watch-out: some winter styles or newest electronics models may not be on sale at this moment.
Cyber Monday – A couple of decades ago the Monday after Black Friday was named Cyber Monday by electronics stores who wanted to extend the Black Friday effect. Today Cyber Monday is an extension of Black Friday sales for virtually any store or brand. What is important to know is that Cyber Monday deals may go slightly deeper than the Black Friday ones. What we noticed in 2020-2021 was that US and Canadian online stores were adding some small perks to the sweet Black Friday deals: an additional 10% to the already reduced items, free shipping, credit for future purchases after December 1. So, don’t spend all your money on Black Friday. If your desired purchases are some big quantity products, wait till Cyber Monday instead of dishing your money out on the previous Friday.
Free Shipping Day – Well, it all started south of the border in 2008 and caught on quickly in Canada! Online merchants saw that consumers were concerned with not receiving Xmas gifts bought online on time for the holiday. So, there was a call for a Free Shipping Day to bring users to shopping online and not worrying about shipping delays and shipping fees. In 2022 the Free Shipping Day is on December 14. Retailers will gladly offer 30-40% in addition to have us be bold with Xmas gift purchasing!
Before Xmas Sale – If you want to buy a holiday present right before Xmas, don’t go online as the present will not arrive on time. Just head to a store and benefit from 20-30% off regular price offers.
Boxing Day Sale – December 26… This is the big day for shoppers. Everything will be discounted as never before (even lower than on Black Friday and Cyber Monday). This is the time to buy stuff that was not on sale during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday period. Everything, including the new models and winter styles, is on sale. So buy it now and save! The Boxing Day sale has been renamed into the Boxing Day week going from December 26 to January 1. Unfortunately, the selection of products on sale on, say, December 28 will be far from what you can get two days earlier.
January Sale – The retailers’ drought sets in! The best selections of sizes and styles have been all sold out in December. Shoppers have depleted their holiday budgets and are not as eager about deals and discounts. Well, sale volumes go down and retailers do their best to get you back in store and online. That’s the season for the lowest prices, but the selection of goods is so scarce that you may end up with cheap brand new jeans costing pennies. But because the colour of the jeans is so weird, you will never wear them!
Plan your holiday shopping according to the specific characteristics of each sale. Don’t spend all your budgets in one shot, but spread them out based on your needs. Being patient will bring about great shopping wins!
The winter holiday seasons in Canada kicks off officially on the last Friday of November, Black Friday or the post Thanksgiving Day in the US. Deals and discounts that start during the Black Friday week run all the way through January of the new year. Here are the dates and events to mark down in your calendar during this holiday season. Plus, look at these purchasing strategies that you may want to apply to save and not to squander! Spend intelligently!
Black Friday – The heavy discounts start on Black Friday. In 2022, Black Friday is on November 25. Usually, retailers will throw in sale levels going to 50-60% off everything in store. Even high end clothing brands are tempted to be at 30-40% off. As a rule of thumb, a lot of online stores start Black Friday a couple of days in advance. These last years the early or pre-Black Friday sales start 10-12 days before. The discounts are actually sweet enough to consider buying while quantities last.
Your purchasing behaviour on Black Friday should be aggressive with products and items, which are rare to get: your size is a rarity (either too small or too big), your preferred devices always come in limited quantities and get sold out quickly. Black Friday is the right moment to get those things that you what but cannot usually afford.
Black Friday is not literally a one-day sale. It usually goes into the weekend until the Monday after, Cyber Monday. One watch-out: some winter styles or newest electronics models may not be on sale at this moment.
Cyber Monday – A couple of decades ago the Monday after Black Friday was named Cyber Monday by electronics stores who wanted to extend the Black Friday effect. Today Cyber Monday is an extension of Black Friday sales for virtually any store or brand. What is important to know is that Cyber Monday deals may go slightly deeper than the Black Friday ones. What we noticed in 2020-2021 was that US and Canadian online stores were adding some small perks to the sweet Black Friday deals: an additional 10% to the already reduced items, free shipping, credit for future purchases after December 1. So, don’t spend all your money on Black Friday. If your desired purchases are some big quantity products, wait till Cyber Monday instead of dishing your money out on the previous Friday.
Free Shipping Day – Well, it all started south of the border in 2008 and caught on quickly in Canada! Online merchants saw that consumers were concerned with not receiving Xmas gifts bought online on time for the holiday. So, there was a call for a Free Shipping Day to bring users to shopping online and not worrying about shipping delays and shipping fees. In 2022 the Free Shipping Day is on December 14. Retailers will gladly offer 30-40% in addition to have us be bold with Xmas gift purchasing!
Before Xmas Sale – If you want to buy a holiday present right before Xmas, don’t go online as the present will not arrive on time. Just head to a store and benefit from 20-30% off regular price offers.
Boxing Day Sale – December 26… This is the big day for shoppers. Everything will be discounted as never before (even lower than on Black Friday and Cyber Monday). This is the time to buy stuff that was not on sale during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday period. Everything, including the new models and winter styles, is on sale. So buy it now and save! The Boxing Day sale has been renamed into the Boxing Day week going from December 26 to January 1. Unfortunately, the selection of products on sale on, say, December 28 will be far from what you can get two days earlier.
January Sale – The retailers’ drought sets in! The best selections of sizes and styles have been all sold out in December. Shoppers have depleted their holiday budgets and are not as eager about deals and discounts. Well, sale volumes go down and retailers do their best to get you back in store and online. That’s the season for the lowest prices, but the selection of goods is so scarce that you may end up with cheap brand new jeans costing pennies. But because the colour of the jeans is so weird, you will never wear them!
Plan your holiday shopping according to the specific characteristics of each sale. Don’t spend all your budgets in one shot, but spread them out based on your needs. Being patient will bring about great shopping wins!