How To Find The Best Deal This Holiday Shopping Season
BRAINTREE (CBS) - This holiday shopping season may turn some traditional wisdom on its ear. For one thing, you may be able to find the best deals by actually going to the store rather than shopping online.
"It seems like every store has a sale sign in the window," says Vicki Bartkiewicz, Director of Marketing at the South Shore Plaza in Braintree. "The retailers have had terrific sales," she explains, and "it started really early."
Brick-and mortar shops are slashing prices like crazy both to keep up with online competition and because they've lost a shopping week this year thanks to a late-falling Thanksgiving.
"I have never seen such good Black Friday sales – ever," says retail expert Albert Ko. He runs www.dealguppy.com, a consumer website that tracks good deals.
Ko says this year more than ever, shoppers need to fight for their price.
"If you're going to Walmart or Best Buy," he explains, "you show them a physical copy of another ad and say, 'Hey, I want to be price-matching this.' And they have to be open to it because now their policies have changed."
And shopping online requires some quick thinking, along with a technological assist.
Related: Black Friday Apps
Adds Ko: "Definitely be on the lookout, online, on your phone. Even if you're in the stores, get ready to buy on the spot. Don't think too long, because things last 30 seconds and they're gone - if even."
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