Target Black Friday Shopping Tips
In an effort to compete with their Walmart counterpart, Target is increasingly offering fantastic deals and savings on Black Friday each year. Indeed, they’re even opening their stores as early as Walmart is (6pm on Thanksgiving evening as of 2015) and still honoring your extra 5% REDcard savings on Black Friday.
Shopping Black Friday at Target is a little bit different from other national stores like Walmart, though. If you’re planning on shopping at Target this year, make sure you keep these Black Friday Target shopping tips in mind to help make your experience smooth and efficient.
1. Get a RedCard.
This is something you need to do BEFORE Black Friday. Using a REDcard will get you an additional 5% off your total purchase. That’s an extra 5% off almost ANYTHING you pay using the card. It may not seem like much, but if you’re already planning on spending $500 on a new computer or other holiday gift, that’s an immediate savings of $25! You also receive extended return period.
Signing up for a Target REDcard is easy, quick and FREE. You can sign up here.
2. Check out the ad.
Go over the Target Black Friday ad to figure out exactly what you want to buy. Having a specific list will keep you on-task. This is also a good opportunity to check prices against other store’s Black Friday ads to figure out if another store will have a comparable item at a lower price.
You’ll want to use this information to create your shopping list. Make sure you prioritize items based upon the popularity of the store, as well. If another store in your town has an item for $10 less BUT, you know it’s going to be a lot busier and likely to sell out, you’ll want to take that into account when you plan. Some people find it worth while to purchase for a few dollars more at a store they’re already in that has a much higher likelihood of being in-stock.
Keep in mind that Target does not price match on Black Friday. Do not count on that for extra savings when you’re comparing ads and planning your trip.
3. Plan to be there early, and be quick.
For the big ticket items, like the cheap flat screen TVs, Target will have an extremely limited number of them available. Many times, these will be available in quantities of ten or less. Unlike other big name stores, Target doesn’t hand out special wristbands or redemption tickets to the first people in line. This means that if you really want to get your hands on one of the HOT items, you’re going to need to commit to being there early. Really early.
You’re also going to need to commit to being quick on your feet. Just because you’re first in line doesn’t necessarily mean a Speedy Gonzalez won’t come up behind you and zip over to the electronics before you can get there. Be early, be focused, be quick.
If you’re only going for toys or other items that aren’t extremely limited in stock, it’s not as important to be the first person in line. Showing up about an hour early should be enough time to get into your store and get the items you want before they run out of stock.
4. Make friends with a Target employee.
Did you know that Target puts things in non-matching departments each year? By that, I mean that many electronics may be in women’s clothing and large children’s motorized toys will be set up in the seasonal department. It sounds like it doesn’t make sense, but it’s actually a great system that they’ve worked out.
Placing popular items in evenly distributed predetermined locations throughout the store prevents shoppers from having “traffic jams”. Since most of the popular items are toys or electronics, can you imagine how packed those departments would be if all the Black Friday items were placed ONLY at those locations? The smooth flow of traffic contributes to a better overall shopping experience for both employees and customers. My store, for example:
- Puts board games in the boys’ clothing department.
- Cheap movies get placed in big pallet boxes by greeting cards.
- Beats headphones go in the grocery department.
- TVs are in the women’s clothing department.
- Etc.
Your store will likely have a different layout. To find out what it is, make friends with a Target employee to get early word on what the special Black Friday store layout is going to be. If you can’t get any information ahead of time, keep in mind that most Target stores will hand out a Black Friday store layout map while you’re waiting in line before the store opens. You’ll need information on that layout so you can do #5.
5. Map your route
Once you’ve gotten all the insider information on item locations during Black Friday, you can use that to plan your shopping trip. Start at the item you want to get the most, and then work your way through the rest of the store in the most expedient manner possible. Try to keep in mind that there may be some potential for crowds at extremely popular items (like large electronics) and plan to avoid those areas if you don’t intend to purchase anything from there. Target does a pretty good job of keeping crowds down, but it’s better to be prepared just in case.
6. Be nice and have fun!
Target employees work really hard to make sure the store is organized and items are distributed throughout the store for your shopping convenience. They come in on their holiday to help set up and open the store, and work long hours to get you through the checkout process and on to your next destination. Generally speaking, they’re great at their jobs and love to see a friendly face come through their line.
For the final Target Black Friday shopping tip, I leave you with this: in the midst of your deal-hunting rush, don’t forget to be nice, enjoy the experience, and have fun!
Lastly, joining a deal group on Facebook like our Target Deals Facebook Group and Black Friday Group can be a super useful resource.
