13 Ways That Black Friday Retailers Trick You

Here are 13 common tricks stores use on Black Friday to boost sales.

Today is Black Friday, the traditional kickoff to the holiday shopping season. Think Doorbuster deals, overcrowded malls and staying glued to your laptop so you don’t miss out on online-only flash sales. In fact, holiday spending is expected to reach record levels this year. According to the National Retail Federation, people will spend on average "$902 per person across gifts, food, decorations and other seasonal items" with a record 183.4 million people expected to shop in-store or online from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday this year. 

Retailers will pull out all the stops to get their cut. Remember when Black Friday sales were actually limited to the day after Thanksgiving? No more. Pre-Black Friday sales have already started, and many Black Friday deals started in earnest in stores on Thanksgiving Day. Moving up the start dates of Black Friday promotions is one tactic employed by retailers to get shoppers to spend more. There are many others. Some are overt, some are subtle, but all are aimed at boosting sales.

Understanding these proven retailing tactics will help you stay on budget today and still get the best deals this holiday season. Here’s a look at 13 common tricks stores use on and around Black Friday.

Erin Bendig
Personal Finance Writer

Erin pairs personal experience with research and is passionate about sharing personal finance advice with others. Previously, she was a freelancer focusing on the credit card side of finance, but has branched out since then to cover other aspects of personal finance. Erin is well-versed in traditional media with reporting, interviewing and research, as well as using graphic design and video and audio storytelling to share with her readers.

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