Black Friday is the opening day of the pre-Christmas shopping season in the United States, and every year hundreds of millions of Americans visit every possible business to win the coveted products at an affordable price. The American celebration, which began with the aim of meeting the growing need for holiday gifts and decorations, crossed the Pacific Ocean and easily conquered the world and became the main sales event in the entire world. Black Friday events are also very popular in Israel, and this year, in light of the plight of business owners, some of them have increased their activities and turned the entire month of November into a month of attractive deals in all areas. Even the municipal veterinarian went on promotions and offered a vaccine at a significant discount, from the experience of the operation paid off and the house cat had peace.
The latest Shva (Automatic Bank Services) data show that last Friday, Israelis spent about NIS 400 million on credit card purchases, a decline of only 10% from last year. There is no doubt that the “shopping month” and promotions BLACK FRIDAY Provide a positive incentive for businesses experiencing a particularly difficult year following the COVID-19 lockdowns and the Purple Badge policy. And of course, customers have no greater satisfaction than buying products at affordable discounts.But it should be remembered that the great celebration also has a dark side.
We are no stranger to the feeling that the world is bombarding us with advertisements at any given moment and on any platform. Even the municipal veterinarian’s advertisement attacked me on Facebook, WhatsApp and even on the living room couch, when my choice of heart “hinted” at me taking the cat for the vaccine because there was a good deal. The focused and aggressive marketing for Black Friday deals is masterfully created and acts as a well-oiled machine to awaken in us a deep emotional connection to the product. The shoe that will make you float, the coveted perfume and the cellular device that must be replaced every year otherwise our self-image will be shattered. The manufacturers of various brands, importers and marketing chains use all the tools at their disposal to put their hand as deep as they can into our pocket and give us the feeling that we are better people thanks to the brand / that the most worthwhile price is only found in purchasing a large quantity / this is definitely the last chance to buy the product at this price and more…..
These manipulations certainly work. Customers respond to temptations and often enter into a heavy expenditure framework that harms the family budget and may even create an economic crisis that requires a reduction that lowers the standard of living to which the family has become accustomed. fA different outlook on the shopping holiday and proper planning will prevent us from unnecessary purchases on the one hand, andThe other will allow us to purchase desirable and required products at an equal discount.
Tips for proper planning and one suggestion to look at right now:
- Make a list in advance – Making a list of all the products you are interested in will help focus and prevent spillover into other temptations and unplanned spending. It’s a good idea to go through the list at least twice to make sure these are the products you really need and haven’t been caught in a marketing honey trap.
- Examine the price – You should know in advance what the original price of the products you are interested in buying and even examine what is the most attractive price that can be obtained in the various deals in several places. The internet certainly provides all the information you need.
- PREPARE A BUDGET IN ADVANCE – ALLOCATING A SUM OF MONEY IN THE FAMILY BUDGET FOR THE “SHOPPING MONTH” WILL ALLOW YOU TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE BLACK FRIDAY DEALS AND EARN THE SAME PRODUCTS YOU INTENDED TO BUY DURING THE YEAR AT A MORE ATTRACTIVE PRICE WITHOUT FEELING LIKE YOU’VE CHOKED YOUR CREDIT CARD.
- Ignore promotions on products and consumer areas that are irrelevant throughout your life – BLACK FRIDAY IS FULL OF DEALS AND OFFERS IN EVERY FIELD, IF YOU HAVEN’T BEEN A GYM MEMBERSHIP UNTIL NOW THERE IS NO REASON TO START MEMBERING NOW DESPITE THE PRICE. And it’s also not a good idea to expand your non-existent record collection, develop a new fishing hobby, or purchase all the gel polish products because it’s really worthwhile and maybe you should do it alone. If you haven’t done it by now, the equal offer won’t change the actual performance.
A suggestion worth considering right now –
As part of the “shopping month”, many communications companies have issued special deals on communication packages and services that the family uses anyway. First you should understand what is the monthly expenditure on a subscription to the cable/cellular/internet and daily newspaper package (if you are one of those who really insist on staying in the last century) check what price the various providers currently offer?
If the price is attractive, saving even a very small amount of money each month makes a significant difference throughout the year. Benefiting from the service or receiving a more extended package for the same price enhances the day-to-day service experience.
Remember, Israeli law requires various providers to stop the service whenever you want. SO IF YOU’VE BEEN WANTING TO LEAVE THE CABLE COMPANY FOR YEARS AND MOVE TO NETFLIX, NOW IS DEFINITELY THE TIME.
