Black Friday shopping is probably cheaper online than in-store

Black Friday is becoming a big deal for many shoppers and in Nigeria people are becoming aware of the opportunities that it brings in terms of incredible discounts. With the price of goods going up with record speed as a result of high inflation, any mention of prices being reduced in a particular place gets people looking in that direction.

As expected, major retail stores both online and physical have been immersing themselves in some sort of discount war to gain shoppers attention. There are a wide range of items now on discounts ranging from 30% to 80% and these include groceries, fashion, electronics, phones, laptops, gaming consoles, home and kitchen appliances, baby, health and beauty among others.

This year’s Black Friday for most stores is kicking off early, particularly for online stores like Jumia.com which had already begun since 14th of November. Konga.com is kicking off their sales from 18th of November.

Retailers with physical stores like premier phone retailer, Slot which owns several physical stores all across the country is also offering amazing discounts to buyers.

Aside from the discounts, shoppers also stand the chance of going away with free items for buying particular items and even winning a trip to an exotic tourist location for their patronage.

Abroad Black Friday usually witnesses an unprecedented rush of shoppers going into stores to grab the items on sale as early as possible. While that may never be the case in Nigeria, it may not also be necessary for many reasons.

When compared to in-store shopping, online stores may have the better advantage. The most obvious benefit is the reduced cost on transportation. There is also the convenience it offers you; you can buy from the comfort of your home or office rather than rushing down and bumping into people to get what you want.

There is also the advantage of really selecting the exact items you want. Think about it, how many times would you need to walk around the physical stores before you find the exact colour, size and price you want? Online stores give you the advantage if your intention is to personalize your buys.

Aside from taking a lot of time to find what you really want, there is also the possibility that while looking for what is on your list you may be tempted to buy other things you did not budget for. If you can tell more clearly what the best deal is via online comparisons, you are less likely to be swayed by a fear of missing out. This fear can be heightened by the crowd of people of screaming threatening to by you out.

You are most likely to suffer fatigue – do not forget the dry season is here – while working from store to store in search of the best deals on Black Friday, whereas doing it from the safety of your mobile phone, you are relaxed. Remember you are not the only person that saw the item the store advertised hence you are likely not going to be the only one looking to buy the item in the store. But when a product sells out on one URL, you simply type in another and prevent the stress.

FRANK ELEANYA