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Why It's More Than Okay to Skip Black Friday and Cyber Monday


An expert data-cruncher analyzed a huge block of Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales prices and found that, for the goods you actually want, you should wait, even if just a few days. Here's how to score better deals on good products in time for the holidays.

For one thing, wait until early December, after the retailers have cleared out the stuff they know they can move out at a discount. Retailers have come to rely on Black Friday and Cyber Monday to purge their inventories, according to Oren Etzioni, founder of previously mentioned Decide.com and Farecast.com (before it was swallowed into Bing Travel. Etzioni told the New York Times:

It is not until early December, Professor Etzioni's research shows, that prices are likely to be the lowest for electronics, products that are among the biggest sellers on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

The bottom line is, Black Friday is for the retailers to go from the red into the black," he said. "It's not really for people to get great deals on the most popular products.

Next, avoid clothing shopping during the holidays, if you can, because apparel is a higher-margin item that stores often use to supplement the items they're giving away. Bigger appliances? Wait until the end of a fiscal quarter for a retailer you trust.

Finally, look to retailers' own sites for decent discounts on higher-quality items. The seemingly rock-bottom prices can be very tempting, and online deal timers add pressure, but think about how a business can offer a good for that little, Dan DeGrandpre of DealNews.com tells the Times.

Black Friday is about cheap stuff at cheap prices, and I mean cheap in every connotation of the word," Mr. de Grandpre said. Manufacturers like Dell or HP will allow their cheap laptops to be discounted via retailers on that Friday, but they will reserve markdowns through their own sites for later.

When have you found the sweet spot for buying items you or your gift recipients actually want? Consult our Best Times to Buy Anything guide, then share some of your own price timing in the comments. Photo by Justin Marty.

Friday's Deals May Not Be the Best | New York Times via Consumerist


You can reach Kevin Purdy, the author of this post, on Twitter at @kevinpurdy or Google+.