{"id":797470,"date":"2024-10-28T12:29:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-28T10:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=797470"},"modified":"2024-10-28T14:33:38","modified_gmt":"2024-10-28T12:33:38","slug":"black-friday-shopping-tips-from-standard-bank","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/black-friday\/797470\/black-friday-shopping-tips-from-standard-bank\/","title":{"rendered":"Black Friday shopping tips from Standard Bank"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With Black Friday around the corner, there are a number of things customers can do to ensure that they get the best deals possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, Black Friday will take place on the 29th of November followed by Monday on the 2nd of December. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, many retailers have extended their Black Friday calendars, with deals running for days or even weeks longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many shoppers looking to score deals on electronics, appliances, fashion or food items \u2013 this is a great opportunity to save on both big-ticket purchases and everyday necessities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the holidays quickly approaching, this can also be a great way to get your Christmas shopping done early at a fraction of the cost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, getting caught up in the hype could result in customers spending more than they can afford or even ending up as the victim of a scam. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below are Standard Bank\u2019s tips<\/a> on how customers can make the most out of their Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAsk yourself this simple question: if I didn’t need to buy it when it was full price, do I need to buy it on sale?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile it can be tempting to indulge in all the Black Friday specials, you need to be honest with yourself about what you can and can\u2019t afford at this time because mindless spending can be one of the most expensive mistakes you can make.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Setting a reasonable budget and making a shopping list can also help prevent overspending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDetermine how much you have available to spend and set a strict budget. Then make a list of the absolute essentials as well as the things you\u2019ve really been wanting or wanting to gift someone with.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDepending on your budget, some things may have to be scratched off the list, and that\u2019s okay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking at the stores you want to purchase from ahead of time and signing up for their newsletters is a great way shoppers can stay up to date on the latest information about all the best deals, Standard Bank advised. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This doesn\u2019t mean only sticking to one retailer for all of your Black Friday needs, though. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Searching around and comparing deals can help you find the best prices out there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLooking to buy a new washing machine? Don\u2019t just go to your nearest furniture store. Most shops publish their Black Friday catalogues online, so look at a few different options before deciding on where you will make your purchase.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With many stores like Superbalist and Makro offering extended deals this Black Friday, customers can take advantage of this by getting their shopping done before the 29th. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMany shops have specials leading up to Black Friday, so if you see the item you have been coveting on a Black Friday deal, buy it. If you wait too long, it may no longer be available on Black Friday.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Before making a purchase, especially a big purchase, make sure to check the return policies and warranties, Standard Bank said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSome retailers may choose to make sales final and not grant full refunds but rather exchanges or store credit, and it is important to know what you are signing up for.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, remaining careful and vigilant is important for all shoppers, especially on Blak Friday when there is already a sense of urgency. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs exciting as Black Friday and Cyber Monday can be for shoppers, it often also leads to a spike in crime. If you will be shopping at the mall, make sure that you are aware of your surroundings and your valuables are close to you at all times.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile some may present themselves as friendly strangers, be vigilant and, if possible, take a friend or trusted person with you when you shop.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you will be shopping online, make sure the software on your desktop, laptop or mobile device is up to date and that you have anti-virus software installed.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Standard Bank added that cybercriminals have been known to create websites and emails that appear to be from legitimate businesses, so being especially careful of phishing scams is crucial. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBe cautious about downloading email attachments claiming to be vouchers because sometimes the attachments have embedded malware that would circumvent traditional anti-virus software. Visit the retailer\u2019s website instead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you are shopping online, especially for big-ticket items, only make purchases from reputable retailers.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf a discount looks too good to be true, it probably is, and you may be getting scammed. One way to determine whether the retailer can be trusted is by looking at their reviews and ratings from other customers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scammers will often use social media platforms such as Facebook Marketplace to try and lure customers into buying a product which does not exist \u2013 only for them to disappear when they receive the payment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMake sure that the online retailer is using a secure payment gateway and that the site URL begins with \u2018https\u2019 and not \u2018http\u2019. Keep your confirmation email and proof of payment emails after making the transaction.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLastly, when you have made all your purchases, check your bank statement to ensure that everything is correct and that there are no unauthorised transactions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Read: R88 billion Black Friday boost for South Africa\u2019s economy<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Standard Bank shares tips on how shoppers can make the most out of Black Friday. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":115,"featured_media":797471,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14535],"tags":[20683,4701,499],"class_list":["post-797470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-black-friday","tag-black-friday-2024","tag-cyber-monday","tag-standard-bank"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/797470","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/115"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=797470"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/797470\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":797482,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/797470\/revisions\/797482"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/797471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=797470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=797470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=797470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}