I’m sure by now you’ve been getting the ads in your mailbox both email inbox and real paper at your house. For most parts of the country, Black Friday came and went without a hitch this year, even though paramedics were on-call at some of the more unruly Walmarts and Best Buys around the country. I can honestly admit I have never participated in a Black Friday sale in person. I talked to some of the OSI Rock Stars (Online Success Institute) who sell on both Amazon and eBay and asked how they would be spending the day, you may find some of the answers surprising.
Where Were Some of Your Favorite Online Sellers on Black Friday?
When interviewed, Cindy Hamilton of Twirl Planet said – “Still need to look at the Black Friday ad scans, but I’m picturing a lot of buying from my laptop in my warm house. That’s what I did last year and it worked out well. I’ll do some sourcing in the stores, too, but after Black Friday.”
Cathie Aiello of Allegro Accounting says - “I’m going to sleep in and then cuddle up on the couch for the day with the hubby and watch movies.”
Cheri Smith says - “I’ll be online. Don’t do malls, period. I’d rather be crunching numbers while buying what I can and pretending to buy what I can’t. Two spreadsheets to track: the real one and the ‘what if ‘ one. This hermit doesn’t like crowds!”
The common theme here is savvy online sellers are no longer camping out in long lines to take advantage of Black Friday deals! They are planning ahead, already finding the places which stock the type of inventory they sell and determining who will be having terrific online sales. One of the things I nag about the most on The Danni App is that time is money. How much time do you spend driving to the mall, driving around looking for a parking spot, dealing with the crowds and checkout lines, and then navigating back out of the parking lot and driving home? Did you save any money. Truly? Just about every large retailer now has a website where you can shop just as if you were in the store. They offer coupons, discounts and deals to get you there and most have a way to get your items shipped for free. Oh, and one of the best parts? They don’t have those sticky price tags to remove.
Some of my favorites are The Disney Store and Toys’R'Us but why limit yourself… check here for your favorite www.TheBlackFriday.com.
What about Cyber Monday?
Don’t worry if you couldn’t resist the thrill of Black Friday this year. The beauty of all these big retailers vying for our business is that they continue this discount frenzy all the way through to today – Cyber Monday! Cyber Monday should be a very good day for you as an online seller, but also as a savvy sourcer. Be sure and plan your day to do a little perusing of participating sites offering great deals such as CyberMonday.com. Remember this is only the beginning of your holiday sales, stock up big this weekend and get that last surge of profits in before the year ends by playing it smart and remembering time is money!
Danni Ackerman is the founder of The Danni App where she’s putting the fun into eBay. She is also the author of The Ultimate Guide to Savings by Store, Storage Lockers for Fun and Profit and organizer of the Las Vegas Online Sellers Meetup Group . Known as Udderly Good Stuff online, she’s been on eBay since 1998 and has grown up in the world of antiques and collectibles and reselling “stuff.” She hosts her own weekly podcast called Ask the Danni App , regularly appears on eBay Radio and is a speaker at eBay events and more. She is the mother of 4 including two youngsters she calls her shipping supervisors, and makes a lifestyle out of juggling business and family. Find her on Facebook and Twitter @theDanniApp.
