Black Friday Shopping 101
Black Friday is the biggest SACRED holiday for shopaholics. There have been debates about whether Black Friday is just another marketing scam by retailers trying to trick you into impulsive buying. Speaking from my own experience, I think Black Friday definitely has its moment of REAL DEALS. However, it all depends on where you go, what time of the day you go, and how prepared you are when you go.
Before you go, always remember…
1. You never want to go into the mall without having a game plan and feeling lost and anxious because every other person is trying to elbow you in the throat for those half off designer bags and shoes. It’s also a good idea to make a wish list, so that you won’t end up falling for the “it’s so cheap, I have to buy it” trap. Because we all know, it can definitely do some damage to our wallet without us knowing.
2. Black Friday is not the time to dress up and look good, but being casual and comfortable. Throw on a pair of sneakers, tshirt and jeans. Bring a light weight bag, like Longchamp tote or crossbody bag, so that it won’t get in your way when you dig through piles of sales rack looking for your size.
3. Grab a friend to go with. It’s easier to tackle when there is more than one person. One can wait in the line to check out, while the other person shops (or fights).
So now let’s talk about strategy and what/where to buy.
Since now we have Cyber Everyday, it’s always a good idea to start looking the week of Thanksgiving to see what kind of promotions different retailers are offering or will be offering for thanksgiving. This is a great time to do your research, and not the actual purchase. Trust me, you’ll feel very tempted by those already sound pretty good deals. However, I would recommend starting the actual buying after your Thanksgiving feast. On average about 70% of the Black Friday sales would launch during that time. After the pumpkin pie, before you fall into a deep food coma, it’s time for some serious shopping business.
For websites like Zara that runs 30% off of entire store. I always add all my favorites ahead of time. The sale launches at 8EST, that’s when all the price changes happen online. What I have heard from my friends is that sizes ran out fast on Zara website, so shop early is definitely the way to go. Zara also offers a very generous and easy return policy, so never worry about over buying, you can always return them later.
This year, what surprised me the most is that department stores, such as Bloomingdale’s, Saks and Nordstrom (my top 3 favorites), are all running aggressive promotions in-store. Nordstrom is offering an additional 25% off of selected sales items (first time ever); and 30% off on all Tory Burch and Kate Spade bags. Their off price channel, Nordstrom Rack, is running additional 30% off of new arrival and clearance (biggest deal of the year). Both Saks and Bloomingdales are offering gift cards for every $100-$150 you spent. The trick here is to know your exclusions because not all brands (especially designers) qualify for B-money. And also do your math right to make sure you’re taking full advantage of every hundred dollars you’re spending. Don’t let the 95 dollars slip when you can buy a box of Godiva for 5 bucks and you’ll qualify for another 30 dollars of B-money *wink
So now the moment has finally come, what should you buy? Below is a list of things that I would recommend buying, so get your credit card ready!
Vince Block Heel Bootie at Nordstrom for $180, retail $400. It’s classic black leather, made in Italy. This is my second pair of Vince bootie; it uses the finest leather, soft and comfortable. It is pro to scratch, so do wear with caution and take good care of it.
Here’s another alternative option if you like the peep toe look.
Chloe Patent leather Scallop Flat. Looking for that comfortable, easy to wear, classic pair of flats? Chloe has you covered. The classic black Scallop never goes on sale, but this year, Bloomingdale’s is offering the black patent leather for 40% off, that just made my mom super happy. The offer is in-store only; unfortunately, Bloomingdale’s no longer carry Chloe shoes online. Saks currently has the blue patent leather Scallop on sale for 30% off.
Theory Twill Coat at Bloomingdale’s for $235, retail $650. Qualifies for $30 B-money. The military green actually looks sharper in person. I love the twill detail that adds texture to the coat. Good quality, good price.
I always think Saks is the Old Money, and Bloomingdale’s is the New Money, and Nordstrom is for everyone else in between, haha! However, Saks did very well this year to lure you in. They have a fairly decent selection of 60% off merchandise (a little messy for Saks standards, but not bad at all for the discount you’re getting), and also if you spend $150 and up, you will get a $75 gift card back. The shoes sale assortment is always pretty good at Saks, 30% off of newer styles compare to everywhere else. What I recommend doing here is just go and dig! I found a Helmut Lang turtleneck sweater for around $200 plus $75 gift card. What’s even better is the 60% off Vince Wool coat my mom got, it ended up to be a $270 coat, original $700, plus $75 gift card.
The hottest sought after shoes for the year, Aquazzura, is putting the classic Belair and Belgravia on sale for 40% off of retail. Sizes are running out fast on Intermix! My feeling towards Intermix has always been a complicated one. I love the product assortment, but the return policy is just not the most ideal. Anything that’s on promotion or sale is final sale, so there’s no return, no regret. This makes it difficult to shop when the price point is high and no return is offered. Intermix only has few locations throughout SoCal, and each boutique carries a slightly different selection, which also makes it hard to go to a store to try on something you like online. My favorite locations are the Southcoast Plaza Store (no surprise there) and Robertson Street Store.
Love the classic Aquazzura lace up look? But still can’t justify spending $500 on a pair of heels? No problem, I have just the perfect alternative for you! Anyone familiar with the brand name Massimo Dutti? It’s Zara’s sister brand, owned by Inditex. Massimo Dutti is one of my favorite stores to shop at when I was living in Milan. Because owned by the same parent company, Massimo usually runs the same promotion as Zara. Just like Zara, the brand rarely goes on sale except for end of season. After waiting for 3 years, Massimo finally opened the first store in SoCal at my all time favorite one stop mall, Southcoast Plaza. It’s currently offering 30% off of entire store, I love no exclusion sales! Here, I picked out a pair of burgundy lace-up flats, leather upper, only for $120 with additional 30%. Their coats and sweater assortment is also the best. I ended up getting a poncho turtleneck sweater; turtleneck and tie front blouses are definitely coming back this season!
I finally found the perfect affordable nude pump! Vince Camuto is calling my name, leather upper, right shade of nude (trust me, sometimes they can’t differentiate between nude, tan and blush). Vince Camuto is running 40% off storewide.
So all of the above is your local destination mall shopping, what about premium outlets?
For the past two years I have been going to local malls on Fridays, and Outlets on Saturdays to save myself the hassle from joining the midnight madness. The promotion is relatively comparable at both places, but the assortment is newer and more in trend at the mall compare to at outlets. When the discount is deep enough 50% or more at retailers, the outlets usually are about the same. So don’t think that you’re always getting a better deal at outlets, yes the saving might be bigger, but you might also be shopping the assortment from 3 years ago compare to shopping the current collection in store right now.
一到黑五，雪儿就各种兴奋种草， 买到手段！ 对于所有购物狂来说， 这可是一个神圣的节日， 因为只有在今天，Alexander Wang 的Gabi 短靴才会打折。有的亲们都说， 黑五是商家骗人的，故意把原价抬高， 根本不便宜。 所以我仔仔细细， 认认真真的写了一篇完整的黑五攻略和大家分享。会买就可以买到白菜价的好东西， 重点是要知道怎么买， 哪里去买和买什么。
我们先来说说黑五的几点注意事项，
1. 一定要事先做好充份的市场调查和功课（这是雪儿的职业病）。 知道每个品牌和商家都在促销些什么， 哪一家比较便宜划算。 如果等跑到店里再去看看什么便宜买什么就来不急了。 商家坑的就是这些没有准备好的人。俗话说的好， 省钱是给准备好的人的！现在黑五已经不再是光光周五一天了。 因为竞争越来越激烈， 所以商家们也黑的越来越早， 从周一就开始了。 雪儿也建议大家都把想买和需要买的东西写下来。 因为我们常常会买一些不需要的东西因为价格太便宜。 如果没有任何实用价值， 那么再划算的东西最后也变成了垃圾。还不如把钱都省下来买一样会用的东西， 不是更划算吗？
2. 黑五逛街怎么舒服怎么来。雪儿最丑和邋遢的两天就是黑五的周末和过完圣诞的周末， 因为我都在忙着抢购。 上了战场的人怎么还顾得了自己美不美，心里想的都是怎么把所有7码的美鞋抢到手。我的包， 我的鞋， 我的小外套， 我的， 我的， 我的！
3. 找一个靠谱的朋友一起去。 一个可以先排队， 另外一个就负责抢枪枪。 如果有男友就更爽了， 还可以给你拎包拎购物袋。雪儿有个爱逛的妈， 简直就是完美组合！
这些都记住了， 那么我们就开始吧， 先说说买什么和去哪里买。
我一般都会先看看所有商家的管网。 我会建议大家先看看，暂时不要下单。 那什么时候才可以买买买呢？ 等周四晚上， 吃完大餐，大家就可以下手了。 比如Zara， 雪儿从来都不会去Zara 的实体店里逛。 因为东西实在是太多了， 看的我眼花缭乱的， 都晕头了。 我唯一会去实体店的时候就是去退东西， 顺便再换一些回来， 哈哈。很多亲们会问那如果款式不喜欢， 尺寸合适怎么办？ 只要在30天内， 所有在Zara购买的东西都可以退换， 所以非常方便。 我还有很多朋友说过， Zara 网站很容易断码。 所以我一般都是提前逛， 把所有想买的东西事先加入购物车。 Zara 的sale 是从晚上8：00 EST 开始， 所以等吃完火鸡，-30% 就会显示了。之后只要轻轻松松的check out， 所有的战利品就都是你的啦！ 如果等sale 开始了再逛， 那么很多大热款就会断货了。 所以雪儿再三提醒大家， 准备工作是很重要嗒！
今年黑五让雪儿最惊讶的就是百货公司的打折幅度都很高， 所有商家都争先恐后推出各种促销来吸引大家。 Nordstrom 推出了折上折的促销，在已经打折的基础上又打7.5 的折扣， 但不是所有的商品哦， 只有部分而已。 国内很红的Tory Burch 和 Kate Spade 的包包全部都打7折， 这个送人超级划算。Saks 5th 和 Bloomingdale’s 都有购买满$100-150 价值的商品， 反馈gift card的活动。 在Bloomingdale’s, 如果是在下午一点前购买， 可以反馈双倍价值的gift card. Saks 而是推出了如购买满$150 价值的商品， 可以反馈$75 的gift card。大家一定要看清楚exclusion， 因为不是所有品牌都参加活动， 特别是大牌。 但是大家爱的Stuart Weitzman， Tory Burch, Vince, Micheal Kors, Alexander Wang，Charlotte Olympia 都有参加哦。
黑五扫货， 大家准备好了码？ 以下是一些雪儿强力推荐购买的商品， 物美价廉， 以供大家做为参考。
Vince 的短靴只有 $180, 原价 $400. 意大利制造，使用了上等的皮革。 这已经是雪儿的第二双Vince 的靴子，出境频率很高。 因为皮质很柔软， 所以很容易划坏。 穿的时候大家一定要小心， 不要和我一样， 划坏了都不知道是怎么划坏的。
Chloe 的漆皮海贝平底鞋现在只有$300， 原价$500。 这双是他们家的经典款， 黑色从来都不打折。 但是因为漆皮的原因， 所以这次既然打了6折！这款鞋子我很推荐给妈妈们， 我给我妈收了一双， 让她穿着飞， 哈哈。 Saks 还有深蓝色的打7折， 也是美美的。
Theory 的中长款军绿呢外套只有$235, 原价 $650. 还可以拿到 $30 的 B-money.
Saks 很少有同时打折扣和送礼券的活动。 走进店里， 就会看到几排4折的rack，已经被挑的很乱。 他们家有很多新款的鞋子都打了7折， 连我最爱的jimmy choo 蝴蝶结那款都开始打折了。在Saks 我买了一条Helmut Lang 的军绿高领毛衣（是的，我很爱Military Green）， 打完6折$240 再送$75的礼券。 他们家的材质手感太好了， 穿着又保暖又舒服。 最近我也很关注Vince家的外套，终于买到了一条Vince 的羊毛大衣， 很轻便，非常适合LA不冷的天气。 手感也是棒棒的。 原价700， 打完折$270， 然后再送$75 的礼券。
今年大红大紫的美鞋， Aquazzura, 居然把他的经典绑带款Belair 和 Belgravia 促销了， 有6折的优惠。可以在Intermix 上买到，但是已经卖断货了。 大家要抓紧啊。 雪儿好爱酒红色， 但是因为后来收了一双酒红的绑带平地鞋， 所以还是买了裸色的。 Intermix 近年来在LA 也是越来越火了， 但是因为实体店不多， 然后每家店的商品也不同， 所以雪儿觉得不是很好逛。 因为单价都很高， 促销商品又不能退换， 所以每次下单都要考虑好久。 我最爱的两家店， Southcoast 和Robbertson， 不过Malibu 那家旁边就是Grom Gelato, 逛完就可以享受一下大海， 阳光和意大利冰淇凌。
如果亲们觉得Aquazzura 还是太贵了，那么雪儿推荐Massimo Dutti 家的绑带鞋， 质量和做工都很不错。 Massimo Dutti 是我在意大利住的时候最喜欢的一家品牌。 他和Zara 都属于Inditex 集团， Massimo 走稍微高端一些的路线。 款式会略微保守一些， 材质和做工都比较精细。 等了快3年了， 加州终于开了第一家Massimo，又刚好碰上感恩节促销， 所有产品有7折优惠。 在他们家， 我收了一双平跟的酒红色绑带鞋， 西班牙制造 （雪儿对鞋子的制造地比较关注， 意大利， 法国和西班牙都产最好的鞋子， 这是遗传了妈妈）。 他们家的毛衣和外套也是非常漂亮。 我给自己选了一条驼色高领的斗篷毛衣。 今年高领毛衣变的爆热款了， 以往的v 领倒是变的很少。
终于买到了我要的裸色高跟鞋， 这双Vince Camuto 的鞋子价格非常实惠， 原价$100, 然后打6折。 皮质地， 不会磨脚， 非常舒服。颜色也很正， 是真的裸色。 雪儿看了好久， 还是选了一双价位中等的鞋子。 所有大牌的裸色高跟鞋差不多$400-600 左右， 但是耐穿性都一般， 而且不舒服。
除了逛Mall， 雪儿也会去Outlet 看看。 自从不做代购以后， 我就很少凌晨就出门抢购了， 也很少跑outlet 了。 近两年， 雪儿一般黑五的行程都是周五安排逛mall， 周六跑palm spring desert hill. 雪儿不觉得outlet 的折扣会比较大，跟当季店里的东西相比， 我还是觉得去正价店购买会比较划算，毕竟你挑选的都是当季的新品。 这次去我觉得All Saint, Vince, 和 Lululemon 都很值得购买， 价格都很便宜， 东西也不错。也是唯一三家雪儿有买到东西的地方。 Burberry 的促销幅度也很大， 几乎都打7折。如果有需要买风衣的亲们一定要去看看。
不知道大家黑五都买到什么好东西了呢？ 雪儿已经剁手跺脚， 四肢不全了, 不能再疯狂的买买买了，哈哈！
Thanks for Reading!