Even before holiday bazaars for the Christmas season in December rolls in, America’s Thanksgiving Day ushers in one of the biggest shopping days every end of November – Black Friday! It is a day eagerly awaited by almost every shopaholic due to the ridiculous discounts that retailers in the US offer to the public.
This is basically an annual occasion in the US only, which is comparable to a holiday shopping bazaar, or even better. Tough luck for us Pinoys, right? Well, not really!
In the Philippines, many merchants are slowly adapting to the hype around the Black Friday Sale. A study about Black Friday in the Philippines done by Picodi in 2018 showed that 59% of the consumers who participated said they already have an idea what they’ll add in their baskets, and 91% of them saved money just for this occasion. In turn, this becomes a great precedent for us to shop in advance for Christmas or simply to shop and save on some items which you have been eyeing!
In the US, Black Friday sale falls on the last Friday of November – this year it would be on November 29, 2019. Since the US is almost half a day behind, the sale might begin on November 29, 1 pm (Philippines Time), that’s 12mn Eastern Standard Time.
What time does Black Friday start in the Philippines?
It can be a little tricky due to international time zones. Philippine stores will likely start their sales at the beginning of the day on the last Friday of November. If you’re looking to purchase from an international retailer, you might have to pay attention to the different time zone in their country since it’s likely that’s when the sale will start too.
Shop and ship from the US
Shopping in US-based e-commerce sites used to be impossible for people living outside the US, as shipping is mostly limited domestically. There were some merchants that would ship to the Philippines, but they were pretty limited, and you might end up settling for the next best thing rather than what you were actually intending to buy.
Back then, although shopping directly in the US was a lot cheaper, as the prices had not been subjected to transfer pricing, you might find yourself spending more on shipping and even customs taxes.
Fortunately, with Philippine MyUS.com postal service, your shopping experience this upcoming Black Friday will no longer be bound to those limitation. This package consolidation company based in the US can provide you a US postal address to ship items to and have them delivered to you in the Philippines. Customs duty will also be lesser as your item will be consolidated with their other packages prior to getting shipped to you.
Where to find Black Friday deals
Black Friday in the Philippines isn’t as massive of a phenomenon as it is in the US. That’s why you may not be able to find great discounts associated to Black Friday in retail stores or in shopping malls.
While many local online merchants may throw in some Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, they’re probably less promising compared to the 11-11 or 12-12 occasions. But just in case you’re still looking forward to find some Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals locally, keep an eye for deals from these merchants.
- Shopee
- Lazada
- Zalora
Alternatively, you can scour e-commerce aggregate sites for some deals from all the local merchants. They can keep you in the loop for all those seasonal deals every now and then. Plus, they make it easier to find items that are suitable for your budget.
- Iprice
- Shopback
US-based merchants
Admit it, nothing beats actual Black Friday sale in the US (not even Lazada). So, if you are planning to go straight to the source of Black Friday sale, here are some pretty good options for Pinoys to have their online shopping spree on.
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US-based merchants
Admit it, nothing beats actual Black Friday sale in the US (not even Lazada). So, if you are planning to go straight to the source of Black Friday sale, here are some pretty good options for Pinoys to have their online shopping spree on.
Amazon
Unlike Philippine-based shopping, Amazon has already kicked off their Black Friday deals as early as November 1, as part of their countdown to the actual Black Friday which is on November 29. However, the deals are limited to a few customers only on a daily basis.
According to their website, their Black Friday sale will cover electronics DVDs, kitchen appliances and accessories, toys, and gadgets.
Ebay
This is an online auction site, where you can find unique items being sold by individual sellers. Unlike Amazon, not everything on Ebay is brand new. If you’re looking to stretch your money further, perhaps this is the best place online to do that.
On this popular shopping day, you can also find great deals on clothing, toys, accessories, shoes, and kitchen gear such as appliances, cookware, and gadgets on Ebay as they are widely known to throw in bizarre discounts on those items on Black Friday. You’ll find a mixed bunch of brand new and secondhand items.
Nordstrom
This is pretty much a western counterpart of Zalora, where you can find fashion brands for clothing and apparels. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch a doorbuster deal from some of the famous luxury brands in the US!
[block type="info" title="Doorbuster deal"]
An item or selection of items which is given a special discount price for a limited amount of time. A term commonly used on Black Friday.
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Best bought on Black Friday
While almost everything will be on sale on Black Friday or during the sale (especially if you’re shopping directly from the US), not everything is worth buying.
Here are some items that can see a significant savings if you shop on Black Friday:
1) LED TV
This item pretty much depicts what a black friday sale looks like. It’s already given that TVs will go on sale during this season, and the deals in this category comes in many shapes and sizes. Not all deals are equal and apparently, the brand that stood out during last year’s Black Friday Sale were Samsung, RCA, and LG.
If there’s one thing that’s constant in this category every year during Black Friday, it’s door buster deals. So expect those TVs to drop as low as $80 for 32-inches or $80 for smart TVs.
2) Smartphones
According to DealNews.com, the discounts on smartphones from well-renowned brands such as Apple and iPhone will be even more generous during this season. On top of discounted prices, they will come bundled with goodies!
Gleaning from last year’s Black Friday sale: Galaxy S9 which was the latest flagship that time and was priced at $720 (₱36,650), was sold for only $520 (₱26,470) bundled with an Echo Show (a tablet like Assistant like Alexa). On top of the $200 (₱10,080) savings, a gadget priced at $300 (₱15,000) was included in the deal.
Meanwhile, Apple may not be known to be a notorious Black Friday participant, but you can still take home a gift card worth at least $300. Their deal on their latest flagship phones last year (iPhone XR and Xs) came with a $300 giftcard. While a $400 gift card was bundled with the older phone models then (iPhone 8 and X).
3) Toys
Since Black Friday is a precedent to Christmas, shopping for gifts couldn't be timelier. Even though toys usually get a mark down a few weeks before Christmas in almost all stores, their prices go back up a week before Christmas, and discounts during Black Friday (and Cyber Monday) are usually better than in any other days of the year.
4) Luxury apparels
According to a market expert, luxury brands such as Prada, Ray-Ban, The Sak, Oakley, Christian Dior, Tumi, Ferragamo, and a lot more rarely hold clearance sales on other days of the year. However, on Black Friday, many of these labels mark down their prices to 30% to 35% less and they can be found directly from these brand’s official stores or website. These items are a great bargain if you’ve been saving up for them or if you plan on giving it as a gift this Christmas season.
Tips and tricks for Filipinos for Black Friday shopping
Before getting carried away by the Black Friday fever, it pays to be cautious before you go ahead and jump the gun on your wallets.
1) Do your research
There are many retailers that publish their Black Friday deals even before November 24. This will give you the time to consider your options and fully ponder on the items that you want to purchase. Check the prices on other sites to make sure you’re really paying for a marked down item.
You can use websites like iprice.ph to compare and find out the average price of the item. If you are lucky, you may even find a better deal on their website as you shop for a cheaper price.
2) Check if the retailer ships to the Philippines
If you decide to shop around from US-based e-commerce merchants such as Amazon, some of their sellers may not ship to the Philippines. To work around that, you can sign up for MyUS.com postal service and get a temporary shipping address in the US. MyUS will receive your parcel, and then they’ll ship it to you in the Philippines. To manage the cost, add up the door-to-door shipping fees and ensure the total cost is still worth your money, despite the discount.
3) 40% off rule on clothing and accessories
When shopping for clothes online on Black Friday, strictly adhere to a 40% rule when it comes to discounts. If it’s less than that, that isn’t a good Black Friday deal for this category according to an expert.
4) Unknown electronic brands - proceed with caution
Stay away from gadgets and electronic products that are not from a reputable brand name. You might come across a tablet that’s just a fraction of a price of well-known brands, but many of them may have poor specs or short life-span. Before even considering these products, scrutinize their performance first and see if they’re worth your money.
5) Consider out-of-pocket expenses
Shipping expenses and customs duties are just some of the extra spending that you should expect when shopping online, especially from overseas. Will it make sense to buy an item that’s on sale and pay for its shipping? Or will you save more if you just buy from an online local site like Lazada or Zalora? Weigh your overall expenses before hitting that “pay” button on your shopping cart.
6.) Check your warranty
This is mostly applicable to electronics and gadgets. Before purchasing an item online, make sure that after sales support is available in your area, or at least in the Philippines. That’s why you’re better off shopping for reputable brands as many of them provides global warranty.
Without a doubt, Black Friday is definitely a timely occasion to do your Christmas shopping while saving a few hundred or thousands of pesos. However, it isn’t an excuse to spend beyond your budget and splurge on things that you don’t really need. Black Friday or not, it pays to be cautious with your spending and see to it that you don’t end up paying more than what you could afford or buying something that you will only end up hoarding instead of using. Spend wisely!
Image from https://jewelleryquarter.net
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